Radiologists read across 4-5 subspecialties in daily practice; Growing number of residents interested in entering workforce without subspecialized fellowship

Radiologists Read Across 4-5 Subspecialties in Daily Practice; Growing Number of Residents Interested in Entering Workforce Without Subspecialized Fellowship

[Cincinnati, OH] - Radiologists read across 4.5 different subspecialties on average in their daily practice, according to a survey by Medality, the leading clinical training platform for radiologists. Most report they are not very confident doing so.

The latest findings were published today in the 2024 Radiology Practice Development Report, which highlights survey data from more than 3,000 radiologists across 114 countries, including more than 100 residents in U.S. training programs.

While most radiologists are at least somewhat confident, less than 50% reported they are very confident reading cases in a subspecialty they currently read in daily practice.

The confidence gap is particularly pronounced in subspecialties such as cardiac imaging (43% not confident), nuclear medicine (31% not confident), breast imaging (26% not confident), pediatrics (26% not confident) and MSK imaging (25% not confident). The lack of confidence among cardiac and nuclear medicine study readers are particularly concerning results given advances in these areas that are likely to lead to increasing volumes of these studies.

"Radiologists are expected to cover a broad range of subspecialties, yet many feel underprepared to do so confidently,” said Daniel Arnold, CEO and Co-Founder of Medality. “This disconnect is contributing to higher levels of stress and burnout in an already overburdened field and there is an urgent need to support radiologists with targeted professional development to help them navigate the increasing complexity of their daily practice."

Radiology trainees see opportunity in entering the workforce sooner

Residency training has traditionally led residents down a path toward subspecialty fellowships that deepen their experience in a specific subspecialty area. However, the increasing volumes and demands to read across more subspecialties, as found in the report, note a misalignment in this training path with daily practice.

When asked about their plans immediately after residency, 75% of radiology residents responded that they plan to pursue fellowship training, a notable decrease from previously reported data.

A survey conducted in 2016 by the University of Pennsylvania found that 98% of residents planned to pursue a fellowship, primarily due to demand by referring doctors and hospitals for specialized reads as well as an oversupply of radiologists.^[1] 

Eight years later, radiology is facing a very different workforce landscape, with a global shortage of radiologists and an increasing demand for reads across multiple subspecialties. 

The lower number of residents planning to do a fellowship may represent the fact that residents are starting to think about entering the workforce sooner and reconsidering whether a fellowship is really the right move for them.

Residents were also asked if they had the option of a private practice fellowship would they be interested. Overall, 70% of residents responded that they would be interested in a private practice fellowship. Furthermore, of those residents that already knew they were going into private practice the number was even greater with 76% interested in a private practice fellowship. 

Providing on-the-job training opportunities like a private practice fellowship can help radiologists enter the workforce (and reading pool) sooner and receive training that is more relevant to their job needs.

Extrapolating the residency survey results using NRMP match data showed a potential impact of 275-300 radiologists per year that could enter the workforce sooner. This would equate to more than 1,700 additional work years through the year 2030 versus waiting for these radiologists to complete a year of fellowship before hiring and onboarding begins.

"The concept of a private practice fellowship is an intriguing idea that could help address workforce challenges that worsen every year as imaging volumes continue to increase,” said Deanna M. Heier, PhD, head of educational strategy and operations at Medality. “It could also give residents who are interested in private practice jobs a pathway to enter the workforce sooner, while still providing them with high-quality, in-depth training in the most relevant areas they will need for their future practice.”

Work-Life balance is a priority for new radiologists

When asked to rank various factors influencing their job selection, 40% of residents responded that work-life balance was the number one factor they are considering in their job choice. Job location and compensation were the top factors chosen by 23% and 10% of respondents, respectively.

While work-life balance was the top factor considered, salary and benefits was chosen as the second most important factor by 61% of all respondents. 

Compensation being the second most important factor is potentially related to the fact that starting salaries for radiologists coming out of U.S. training programs are at an all-time high, so their economic needs are likely being met by most job opportunities. 

Get access to the complete 2024 Radiology Practice Development Report at https://bit.ly/3XVMY9E.

[1] Huang J, Patel S, Scruggs R, Levin D. In Pursuit of Fellowship: Results From a 2016 Survey of US Trainees. Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2019;48(1):22-26.