Happy trails: 3 helpful tips for radiologists considering a new profession

Radiologists sometimes find themselves ready to leave the profession and seek employment outside of their medical careers. Maybe the changing job market worries them, or maybe they’re just ready to do something different.

A recent article from the Journal of the American College of Radiology offered helpful advice for radiologists choosing to move on to the next phase of their professional careers, There is a lot to consider, the authors said, but it can be worth the risk.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to reinvigorate yourself and discover a career transition that may be a blessing in disguise,” wrote Jay R. Parikh, MD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Edward I. Bluth, MD, Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans. “Even if the first transition is not a complete success, the next one could be. Without risk, there will be no reward.”

These points represent just some of the authors’ informative advice:

1. Plan ahead

Radiologists who are considering making the jump should keep in mind that it could have a significant impact on their financial situation.

“Reviewing current finances with a spouse, significant other and/or and financial planner can be beneficial,” Parikh and Bluth wrote. “Leveraging projected income and current savings against estimated future expenses can determine if a career change is fiscally responsible.”

The authors added that planning for this big change should also include updating your résumé, building an online profile, conducting preliminary job searches, and practicing job interviews.

2. Consider all of your options: Will you stay in medicine or go a new route entirely?

Some radiologists may want to move on from radiology, but still remain involved in the field of medicine. Others may want to change career paths altogether. Either way, the authors explained, there are numerous opportunities available.

Potential careers still based in medicine, for example, include administrative roles, medicolegal work, research, freelance writing, and consulting.

The authors said radiologists can also be effective as medical directors for insurance companies, especially with healthcare moving more toward a focus on “the right patient undergoing the right examination at the right time” and avoiding unnecessary imaging exams.

“Advantages of this career path include the professional satisfaction of being able to promote patient quality and safety, a reasonable steady income, and a predictable lifestyle,” Parikh and Bluth wrote. “Disadvantages include dealing with some contentious referring physicians and participating in a process many physicians view as unpopular and hold in low regard.”

Radiologists also have a lot of options to consider outside of actively practicing medicine. Teaching or working as a physician coach, for example, can let those with a background in radiology stay close to the industry while working a less chaotic schedule.

Being an entrepreneur is another possibility, the authors said, though it’s important to keep antikickback and Stark laws in mind.

And entrepreneurs with a radiologist’s background may also consider getting involved in startups.

“These physicians typically have a deep-seated passion for explosive, tangible, real-world impact and the optimism and conviction to believe they can achieve this,” Parikh and Bluth wrote. “These types of physicians are often innovative, focused, technology driven, and knowledgeable. Key obstacles for physicians to overcome include professional peer pressure to not discard their training, institutional pressure to surrender intellectual property to the university or hospital where they practice, concern from collaborators that physician investors may be more a part of the problem rather than the solution, and managing the difficult jump from an established practice into the unknown.”

Of course, radiologists could always decide to just pursue a hobby or an “encore career.” This can lead to a reduction in income, but some individuals may be in a position where that’s perfectly acceptable.

3. Bridge employment when you can

The authors noted that bridging employment is common for individuals looking to eventually move on from their role as a radiologist. Working part-time for a group or trying a “phased retirement” are two ways radiologists can make a big change at a slower pace.

“Bridging enables a radiologist to test the waters,” Parikh and Bluth wrote. “A radiologist also could potentially have more time to look for another position if necessary. This way, there is also no gap in the curriculum vitae, thus enabling the radiologist to be more marketable for an alternative future position.”