A pediatric radiologist is a physician who has studied how to perform and interpret various body scans, such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computerized tomography (CT). Instead of working with adults, these doctors prefer to work with children. Technicians who work on these machines are sometimes referred to as radiologists, radiologist technicians, or technologists, but the term usually refers to people with a medical degree who can do far more than run various scans. Rather, they interpret and diagnose them while supervising the work of technicians or technologists.
People who want to become pediatric radiologists must first complete four years of college and then medical school, just like any other physician. Doctors can choose to specialize after becoming licensed physicians. A typical path to pediatric radiology entails completing a three-year internship in radiology followed by a year-long subspecialty fellowship in pediatric radiology.
Unlike some other pediatric specialties, this one requires a three-year residency in pediatrics followed by a second residency of roughly the same length. Instead, after medical school, total training time can be around four years. It could take longer if doctors choose to specialize in different fields.
A pediatric radiologist can work in a variety of environments. While a few of these doctors have their own practices, the majority of them work in or with hospitals that have access to the high-tech scanning equipment used in radiology diagnostics. Many doctors prefer to work in hospitals with advanced pediatric departments, where the pediatric population being treated may have complex diseases that require radiology and other specialties to treat.
A pediatric radiologist in the chosen work setting collaborates with other specialists to determine which diagnostic scans are necessary. As previously stated, most scans are performed by technicians or technologists, but radiologists are present to address any issues that arise during the scan and to interpret the results. The results of a scan may then be directly communicated to a patient’s parents or to the patient’s treating physician. Radiologists don’t usually use scans to determine treatment or prognosis, but they do fully describe, diagnose, and explain what’s being seen to parents and doctors. They may also be able to tell when other visualization techniques are required to make a more accurate diagnosis.
For radiology scans, you don’t always need to see a pediatric radiologist. Only a doctor with radiology training can evaluate a simple x-ray performed by a technician. When complex illnesses exist or it is necessary to have higher-level knowledge of pediatric radiology in order to arrive at a proper diagnosis, the specialty can be very useful. People who believe their children would benefit from working with a pediatric radiology specialist should look for them at university hospitals, children’s hospitals, and most teaching hospitals.