What Is a Radiologist?

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Dr. Vimai Patel. I'm a radiologist at Gateway Radiology in Pinellas Park, Florida. Today, we are going to talk about what is a radiologist. Well, I'm a radiologist, and I've always had a misconception that when people ask me what I do they think that as a radiologist I perform and take the x-rays and CAT scans and MRI's. Well, that is incorrect. As a radiologist, once an imaging modality has been performed on the patient, including X-ray, MRI, CAT scan, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, those images are then sent to the radiologist for proper interpretation. Now these days that usually is done digitally, well, where the images are sent to a workstation such as the one behind me, and imaging and interpreting the images is done at a workstation, and a report is generated based on the findings on the imaging modality. Once the report is generated then it is typically signed off and sent out to the proper physician for the accurate diagnosis. As a radiologist my job is to not only interpret the imaging that is performed on any patient, but also to oversee, make sure that the images are done correctly and properly by the technologist that performs the images. My role as a radiologist also involves that I perform procedures, and not only just interpret the images, and those procedures can include biopsies, drainage, and also invasive, semi-invasive procedures, such as arteriograms, that are performed by the radiologist as well. There are also procedures done by the radiologist, depending on sub-specialty training, that would involve pain management, such as a neuroradiologist. In radiology there are multiple sub-specialties, such as neuroradiology, musculo-skeletal radiology, pediatric radiology, emergency radiology, and other fields as well. So, radiology at in itself is not just diagnostic general radiology, but also involves multiple sub-specialties, and the radiologist is a physician that has been trained and has gone through residency and sub-specialty training. I am Dr. Vimai Patel. I work at Gateway Radiology in Pinellas Park, Florida, and I have just given you information about myself as a radiologist."