Radiologists who choose radiology primarily for the lifestyle are less satisfied
Most radiologists decide to pursue the specialty during medical school—particularly during their clinical years. But those who opt for radiology based on its financial benefits over intellectual stimulation are ultimately less satisfied in their careers, according to a report published in Clinical Problems in Diagnostic Radiology.
Though diagnostic radiology was once considered a competitive medical specialty, a tenuous job market and misconceptions about the profession have driven fewer and fewer applicants to it, first author Shanna A. Matalon, MD, and colleagues wrote. And while some of that might stem from economic uncertainties, the healthcare community needs to understand when and why radiologists are choosing their careers to recruit a reliable future workforce.
“To ensure the future of diagnostic radiology, it is important to not only attract the most outstanding and qualified medical student applicants, but to ensure that these medical students make an informed career choice, so they may find sustainable and fulfilling careers,” Matalon et al. said. “Similarly, radiology resident burnout has been a topic of recent concern and could perhaps be minimized if medical students enter radiology for reasons most compatible with job satisfaction in this field.”
Matalon and her team at Harvard Medical distributed an online survey to U.S. radiology residents between December of 2016 and March of 2017 asking participants to identify factors that pushed them toward radiology and when. They were questioned about what drew them to the profession, what sparked their initial interest and what most strongly influenced their decision to stick with the career.
Nearly 500 residents responded, the authors reported. Between 358 men and 129 women, the most influential aspect in choosing radiology was clear—the intellectual facet, with 38 percent of the pool choosing it as their most influential factor. Imaging and procedural aspects tied for second place at 20 percent each, the researchers wrote, while 14 percent of respondents said they chose radiology for its potential lifestyle benefits.
Matalon and coauthors also said most radiology residents chose their path during med school, though the second most common exposure was through a radiology clerkship.
Though it wasn’t cited as the most important factor, potential lifestyle was a frequent response, Matalon and colleagues said, with 80 percent of participants marking the prospect of financial and lifestyle security as one of their greatest drives.
“Lifestyle is an important consideration for medical students and should not be discounted, as they must consider mounting debts, as well as future goals for themselves, their families and their communities in making career decisions,” the authors wrote. “However, while there is certainly no shame in considering potential lifestyle in choosing a future career, promoting the intellectual component of imaging may help attract medical students that will most appreciate a career in radiology.”
Indeed, the researchers’ data showed that choosing radiology for its lifestyle correlated with less job satisfaction, at least during residency.
“By engaging current medical students early and throughout their medical school curricula and by emphasizing the intellectual, imaging and procedural components of radiology, we can ensure a bright future of our field by recruiting those individuals with the greatest likelihood of achieving job satisfaction in radiology,” Matalon and colleagues said.
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.