Radiology

When you’re a radiologist, your work isn’t just what you do—it’s who you are.

The career is all-consuming; if you follow a traditional path in private practice, you simply have to come to terms with the fact that you’ll devote your life to it—and for nine years, I did.

In the face of increasingly sophisticated and more frequent cyberattacks that threaten the sensitive data of all healthcare providers, vRad is continuously advancing our systems to predict, prevent, and respond to these threats. The latest milestone in our commitment to safeguard patient information and other sensitive data is our achievement of SOC 2 Type II compliance.

Radiologists reading on home workstations have become a permanent feature of the post-COVID modern medical landscape. Whether every day or just one or two days a week, the flexibility of working at home is irresistible to many top physicians – and leading radiology groups and imaging facilities should be thinking about the best ways to accommodate and support them.  

My journey to teleradiology started with an invitation during residency to join several vRad radiologists for dinner in San Diego. Having trained in a busy academic setting that came with nearly 2 hours per day spent commuting and a never-ending queue of studies to read, I was curious about my options.

More than two years after the onset of the pandemic, changes in COVID-related policies and postures — as well as accompanying cultural shifts in the workplace — continue to drive trends in the job market for radiologists. In 2022, things look markedly different than during the early stages of the pandemic and it’s clear that radiologist job seekers now have many options and greater workplace flexibility.

High demand for imaging combined with a finite supply of board-certified physicians means radiologists can be selective about where and how they practice. Before you choose, examine your own goals and motivations—both personal and professional. Then, find a radiology practice whose culture and processes align with your career expectations and work/life balance needs.

Following are eight questions to ask yourself, along with a few considerations for each.

One of the cornerstones of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 was the development of an appropriate use criteria (AUC) program that requires doctors to consult a qualified clinical decision support mechanism (qCDSM) when ordering advanced imaging services for Medicare patients. As many in the revenue cycle management (RCM) world already know, CMS was scheduled to start penalizing providers who don’t participate in the AUC program on Jan. 1, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, led to such actions being delayed until 2023 at the earliest.

Burnout is a horrible thing. And while recent research suggests it affects half of all radiologists, women are bearing the brunt – with 56% of female physicians reporting they’re burned out compared to only 41% of their male counterparts.

Why? In addition to the common burnout factors affecting all radiologists, researchers have also concluded that women are disproportionally shouldering the burden of increased demands at home like eldercare, childcare, and family healthcare. This and the lack of flexibility within practices to balance work and life are making it all the more important for women to consider where they work, what impacts their happiness, and the control they have over their own burnout.