<p>I was looking into a career as a radiologist, but a friend I know keeps saying that diagnostic radiology isn't such a good idea, if you're planning to work in the U.S. According to him, in the future it would be much easier to just beam scans over to another country and they could get a radiologist there to diagnose the reading for a fraction of the cost it would take to in the U.S, considering people already do travel to other nations to have expensive surgery done cheap.</p>
<p>Is he right that the scenario could be like this beginning in the next decade or so?</p>
<p>Well, almost every hospitals radiology department nowadays doesn't really make hard copies of xrays, etc. Its all on disk, so I assume it could happen at any time, that more and more would get beamed overseas. But I doubt it will happen soon, as in within the next 5 years. But I think eventually it might happen, but if radiologists have their way it won't ever happen.</p>
<p>I've never heard of this...I suppose it could happen, but I doubt that it ever will. HIPPA alone makes this seem overly risky...</p>
<p>I also think that a lot of MD's prefer having some idea of who is reading the scans, knowing them on a personal level, and dealing with the same people on a routine basis. My preceptor has his set list of guys that he refers patients to, so I imagine he has some preferred radiologists.</p>
<p>That said, interventional radiology is extremely hot right now, lot of new work being done.</p>
<p>Finally, I personally think radiology is incredibly boring and very difficult with little payoff. I've known tens of kids who at one point or another said they wanted to a radiologist when they grew up, and now that I've dealt with looking at CTs and MRIs, I just don't see the draw. But that's just me, and medicine takes all kinds.</p>
<p>Radiology coverage by distant physicians already occurs. Some remote coverage, particularly night coverage, involves scans and films being read by US physicians in different times zones. Other remote coverage involves mostly US docs reading films from foreign countries like New Zealand. </p>
<p>CT and MRI scans are the likeliest studies to be outsourced as they are in a native digital format. Remote reading of plain films requires local investment in high resolution film scanners.</p>
<p>Many NYC hospitals are now outsourcing to Nighthawk for radiology reading at night. Due to electronic transmission, a radiologist can be anywhere and read the films (e.g. Australia in the case of Nighthawk). Many invasive radiology fees have dropped dramatically.</p>
<p>Radiology is difficult, that is, a difficult residency to match to because hours are good and compensation has been good historically.</p>
<p>Radiology is difficult to practice because radiologists often must interpret studies without complete histories, without benefit of physical exam, and under time and production pressure. Furthermore, radiologists work with the knowledge that future positive studies will be compared to present "negative" studies to search for missed diagnoses (think, Where's Waldo?).</p>
<p>I agree with Pearl. I talked to an interventional radiologist and actually saw a few of his cases and they all were pretty interesting. I guess everyone has their own opinion about radiology so my best opinion to you schrizto is to shadow a radiologist and see if you really like it. I did that with a few other specialities and it REALLY helped me find out what I really like from what I don't like. Just do your research and it will help you A LOT! GOOD LUCK!!!</p>