General radiologists aren’t extinct yet—they’re more important than ever
Early-career radiologists are increasingly turning toward subspecialized practice, leaving a gap in knowledge and skills that may prove detrimental to both patients and fellow providers.
Training programs for residents and fellows have moved toward subspecialization to keep pace with the growing demand for such care. And while this trend has led to questions about the need for generalists, a group of top radiologists says, not so fast.
“A well-rounded radiology education is fundamental to our specialty,” Howard B. Fleishon, MD, chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors, and Robert S. Pyatt Jr., MD, a radiologist with Wellspan-Summit Health in Pennsylvania, wrote Saturday. “Graduating residents should have the knowledge, experience, and confidence to provide medical imaging expertise in various delivery models.”
Their findings come by way of the American College of Radiology’s Task Force on General Radiology and the Multispecialty Radiologist, established last year during the college’s annual conference.
Over the course of its frequent meetings, the task force has found fellowships that don’t offer training across multiple fields may be hindering the growth of well-rounded providers. The group encourages multifaceted fellowships with flexibility to rotate through various electives.
Furthermore, many graduates are needed in private practice community hospitals and should have experience across numerous specialties for maximal flexibility, the authors wrote. Those who don’t put pressure on other partners and open the door for competing specialties to do the job, the pair added.
Task force data also suggests a “significant” proportion of new rads cannot provide or aren’t interested in learning how to offer basic interventional procedures.
And with nonphysician providers looking to practice independently, and scope of practice debates hanging in the air, radiologists without adequate training will have little say in the matter.
Others have advocated for radiology to embrace the new generalist turned multispecialist, and both Fleishon and Pyatt echoed a similar sentiment in JACR.
“General radiology has been discounted in the modern era,” they added July 31. “We look forward to the day that early-career radiologists declare they are a proud multispecialty (general) radiologist.”
Read the full piece here.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.