Occupation

Radiologists

Human Advantage 77%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.5 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. May perform minimally invasive medical procedures and tests.

Also Known As: Attending Physician, Attending Radiologist, Breast Imaging Radiologist, Diagnostic Radiologist, General Radiologist, Interventional Neuroradiologist, Interventional Radiologist, Interventional Radiology Physician +19 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings.
  2. Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
  3. Document the performance, interpretation, or outcomes of all procedures performed.
  4. Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring physicians, patients, or families.
  5. Obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians.
  6. Review or transmit images and information using picture archiving or communications systems.
  7. Confer with medical professionals regarding image-based diagnoses.
  8. Recognize or treat complications during and after procedures, including blood pressure problems, pain, oversedation, or bleeding.
  9. Develop or monitor procedures to ensure adequate quality control of images.
  10. Provide counseling to radiologic patients to explain the processes, risks, benefits, or alternative treatments.
  11. Establish or enforce standards for protection of patients or personnel.
  12. Coordinate radiological services with other medical activities.
  13. Instruct radiologic staff in desired techniques, positions, or projections.
  14. Participate in continuing education activities to maintain and develop expertise.
  15. Participate in quality improvement activities including discussions of areas where risk of error is high.

Supplemental Tasks (2)

  1. Perform interventional procedures such as image-guided biopsy, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, transhepatic biliary drainage, or nephrostomy catheter placement.
  2. Develop treatment plans for radiology patients.

Education & Training

Job Zone 5 Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
On-the-Job Training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Post-Doctoral Training
58%
Doctoral Degree
28%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
11%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
3%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Epic Systems
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • eClinicalWorks EHR software

Software (57)

  • ACOM Solutions RAPID EMR
  • Advanced Data Systems MedicsRis
  • Allscripts PM
  • Allscripts Professional EHR
  • Alteer Office
  • Automatic Data Processing AdvancedMD EHR
  • Avreo Radiology Workflow Solutions
  • Benchmark Systems Benchmark Clinical EHR
  • Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
  • CareCloud Central
  • Cerner PowerWorks Practice Management
  • Computer aided image analysis software
  • Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM medical imaging software
  • Digital image processing software
  • Email software
  • Epic Practice Management
  • Fujifilm Synapse
  • GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
  • GE Healthcare Centricity Practice Solution
  • GE Healthcare ViewPoint for Radiology
  • GalacTek ECLIPSE
  • Greenway Medical Technologies PrimeSUITE
  • HealthFusion MediTouch
  • Hosted PACS Solutions
  • IOS Health Systems Medios EHR
  • Infinite Radiology Opal-RAD
  • Kareo Practice Management
  • MIM Software MIMcardiac
  • MIM Software MIMfusion
  • MIM Software MIMneuro
  • Maplewood Software StaffReady
  • McKesson Practice Plus
  • McKesson Radiology Manager
  • Merge Healthcare Merge RIS
  • Modernizing Medicine Practice Management
  • Motion correction software
  • NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR
  • NextGen Healthcare NextGen Practice Management
  • Patient electronic medical record EMR software
  • Patient management software
  • Radiopharmacy inventory databases
  • RamSoft PowerServer RIS/PACS
  • SOAPware EMR
  • Scheduling software
  • Vitera Healthcare Solutions Vitera Intergy
  • Voice recognition software
  • WRSHealth EMR
  • Web browser software
  • athenahealth athenaCollector
  • mPlexus DICOM RadiX
  • medQ Q/ris
  • simplifyMD

Tools & Equipment (58)

  • Automated blood pressure cuffs
  • Beta vial shields
  • Bone densitometers
  • Computed tomography CT equipment
  • Computed tomography CT systems
  • Cone-beam collimators
  • Converging collimators
  • Desktop computers
  • Diagnostic ultrasound equipment
  • Digital ratemeters
  • Diverging collimators
  • Dose calibrators
  • Dosimetry badges
  • Electrocardiography EKG machines
  • Exercise bicycles
  • Fan-beam collimators
  • Fluoroscopic imaging systems
  • Gamma cameras
  • Gamma ray cameras
  • Glass beakers
  • Hypodermic syringes
  • Intravenous IV sets
  • Laboratory test tubes
  • Laboratory transfer pipettes
  • Laptop computers
  • Magnetic resonance imaging MRI equipment
  • Magnetic resonance imaging MRI systems
  • Mechanical stethoscopes
  • Medical examination protective gloves
  • Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS
  • Medical positron emission tomography PET scanners
  • Medical radiation monitors
  • Medical safety masks
  • Medical single photo emission computed tomography SPECT equipment
  • Medical ultrasound scanners
  • Mercury blood pressure measuring equipment
  • Metal laboratory tongs
  • Microhematocrit centrifuges
  • Novarad NovaPacs
  • Parallel-hole collimators
  • Patient radiation shields
  • Personal computers
  • Pinhole collimators
  • Portable radiation survey meters
  • Positron emission tomography PET equipment
  • Radiation measurement phantoms
  • Radiation shielding gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Scintillation probes
  • Semiautomated or automatic external defibrillators AED
  • Single position emission computed tomography/computed tomography SPECT/CT imaging equipment
  • Single-photon emission computed tomography SPECT cameras
  • Slant-hole collimators
  • Stress treadmill machines
  • Tablet computers
  • Ultrasound bone density scanners
  • Well counters
  • X ray machines

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Physical Health Advanced Manufacturing

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