The Daily Schedule Of A Radiologist

Radiologists don't directly consult with patients but they do come into contact with them when explaining how an imaging technique is performed, and when giving patients instructions such as when to breathe and how to lie during a procedure. Interventional radiologists who perform minimally invasive procedures will consult with a patient and will follow up with them accordingly.

Radiologists are expected to provide on call services for the hospital they work at during after hours and weekends. The radiologist will perform duties such as reporting on images that at taken during a certain part of the day for physicians to follow up on, they will give an opinion on an image that is queried by medical staff such as casualty doctors and perform, interpret and give feedback on emergency scans such as in patients with haemorrhagic strokes, multiple fractures and acute abdomens due to ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms, etc.

Monday

This is usually an administrative day where tasks such as sorting out the rotation list of radiologists (to determine who works in which department and who is on call), confirming and attending meetings with hospital staff, management and colleagues and any technical issues regarding radiological equipment are dealt with.

Tuesday to Friday

Radiologists will divide themselves up in order to provide services relating to the diagnostic imaging techniques which can be performed. This would mean that the radiologists have to be available to perform and interpret images produced by radiographs (X-rays), ultrasounds, CT scans, MRI scans, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy and angiography and interventional procedures. 

The doctor who is on call for the department will have to be able to perform any radiological procedure depending on the needs of the patient. It's therefore important that even practicing radiologists still get to rotate within radiology to receive constant exposure to performing these techniques. The rotation of these specialists will depend on the schedule that has been agreed on and this may include monthly and 3-monthly rotations or whatever everyone is comfortable with.

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Additionally, on a Thursday, radiologists who are involved with the academic programme of the medical school will be involved in training undergraduate students and postgraduate registrars. Other duties that may be performed on this day includes further research for the doctor's educational needs or performing a study for a symposium presentation.

Fridays will be used to finalise any other administrative issues that need to be cleared up or resolved. The work week will conclude once all elective patients have been examined and the reports have been typed out. Doctors who are on call for the weekend will be present at the radiology department for a set time period, and they will then be on call from home for further consultations and opinions.