Radiology

As radiologists, we make it through the difficulties of residency and fellowship on the idea that if we can just hang in there, we’ll be rewarded on the other side with a successful career helping patients. “Only a few more months and life will be good!” 

However, what traditionally comes after training isn't any easier. The early years of private practice include the same long hours and strict schedules with a vague promise of stability one day.  

I think this reality is often underappreciated among early-career radiologists. I know it was for me and a few of my colleagues. With this article we hope to cast light on these issues and share our experience with a solution that is often overlooked—the alternative career path of teleradiology. 

Practicing in teleradiology is amazing, or it’s your worst nightmare.

How do I know? Because I’ve been in two telerad positions that couldn’t have been more different.

The first one was so unbearable that I left after just a year, thinking I’d never go back to teleradiology again. The second—my current position—is truly my dream job, thanks to great work-life balance, an integrated reading platform, incredible support teams, and reachable colleagues. 

I’ll be honest, I had no plans to go into teleradiology straight from residency. However, I fell into it because economic conditions meant choices were slim as I started my career in 2014. It was just a few years after the stock market, crashed and many older radiologists had decided to postpone retirement as they saw their retirement savings diminish. That meant that the job market was hypercompetitive; hospital groups and private practices simply weren’t hiring. I also was in the process of moving from the Midwest to the West Coast, where I didn’t have much of a professional network. For these reasons and more, teleradiology made so much sense. Eight years later, it still does. 

When I was practicing at my community hospital, I was burned out. Toward the end of my time there I dreaded going to work. Even when I wasn’t working, I was thinking about working. I was never able to enjoy my time off or be truly present with my family – they never got the best of me. Today, that’s no longer the case.

With the amount of volatility and uncertainty in the U.S. economy, it’s no surprise that even radiologists, who are used to being in high demand, are starting to wonder: How would a recession affect my current employment?

You’ve found a position at another practice that you’re interested in, and they’ve reached out for an interview. Now what? Maybe it’s been years or even decades since your last interview, or maybe you’re just coming out of a residency or fellowship and this will be your first interview. I can share a bit about what to expect.

Ask yourself: what is your current practice doing to alleviate burnout? Are they investing in programs to support your professional and personal life? Or does the burden fall on you to figure it all out?