Is a radiologist a "real" doctor?

Is a radiologist actually a doctor?

You'd be surprised how often this question gets asked. The answer is a resounding YES! Radiologists are trained physicians, the same as cardiologists, pediatricians, urologists, and other doctors.

What does it take to become a radiologist?

Many, many years of education and training, including:

• Four years of college to get an undergraduate degree
• Four years of medical school
• One year internship
• Four years in a diagnostic radiology residency
• One to two years of advanced subspecialty training (a fellowship)
• Certified by the American Board of Radiology 

Radiologists have four to six years of unique, post-medical school training in radiation safety to ensure optimal performance of radiological procedures and interpretation of medical images. Other medical specialties receive far less imaging education, ranging from a few days to a maximum of 10 months. 

Radiologists are not just doctors, they are experts in diagnosing and treating disease and injury by using medical imaging techniques.

Stay tuned for our next blog post where we will explain exactly what radiologists do.