Radiology: 12/9 8:15 AM 12:15 PM

After todays shadowing experience, I have to conclude that for me, the value of
shadowing has less to do with learning about the logistics surrounding the specific specialty Im
observing, and more with unlearning all the assumptions I had about specialty. There is an
assumption that Radiologists are antisocial people who enjoy being cooped up in a dark little
room reviewing images all day. However, I spent the day with a team of arguably the most
humble and hospitable doctors Ive had the opportunity to shadow. Led by Dr. Ahn Ngo, the
impression I received of Radiology has left with me a pleasant admiration for the field. Its not
the detached, inhumane sub-specialty that Id initially believed. Detached isnt the right word,
its more liketranscendent. It is displaced from the patient care experience, but that doesnt
deter from its critical importance in patient care, nor does it condemn it to being devoid of
pathos. In fact, the atmosphere of radiology is rather chill, and thats an environment I wouldnt
mind basking in for the rest of my life.
As Dr. Ngo explained to me, there are several reasons why Radiology is awesome. First,
the nature of Radiology provides an opportunity to see all the coolest cases. The more intense or
interesting examples of medicine are the ones that are going to require imaging, and these cases
can vary infinitely. In the course of a few hours, I saw cases that involved unknown masses in the
lungs to congenital malformations of the spine to assessing the integrity of surgical suturing in
the abdomen (wound dehiscence is when the sutures come undone after surgery and the guts
can pop outusually a result of improper suturing technique and not as some surgeons would
have you believe a result of low quality suture material). And Radiology is so diverse. Theres
diagnostic imaging, which is reviewing CTs mostly, X-Rays, and MRIs. This is taking a
snapshot and seeing whats wrong in that moment. Then theres nuclear imaging, which is more
dynamic. You can use fluoroscopy to assess metabolic processes (see whether a mass of cells is
cancerous depending on the uptake of certain molecules).
As a Radiologist, I feel like one would never be bored. This goes beyond the cases
themselves and into the actual work as well. There is something extremely engaging about being
given an image and then systematically reviewing it to unravel its secrets. Its detective work,
and the kind of busy work that engages me in particular. I could see myself getting lost in it for
hours. Also, there is a simple elegance to the work. Thats not to say its an easy job: its
extremely clear that as a Radiologist, your knowledge of anatomy and physiological processes
has to be unquestionable. The power of perception and dedication to painstakingly review
everything has to be formidable. But there is a simple beauty to the work, in the sense that its
just you and this image, displaced from all the drama of the world. And, while you might be
rushed to get the image reviewed, outside of the hullabaloo of the physical patient care setting,
there is a sense of peace to the work as well.
Dr. Ngo also cites that the work Radiologists do adds value. Thats not to marginalize
the work of other physicians or health care professionals, but he described how when he is
consulted to review images, there is a sense that his voice is given gravity others might not have.
Plus, without his say, a lot of diagnoses or treatment plans would be curtailed or made
impossible. This, along with the nature of Radiology drawing in all the cool cases, goes into
another reason Dr. Ngo thinks Radiology is the best: you work with some of the best people. You
get the opportunity to engage and interact with professionals who can teach you so much, and
that you really apply your knowledge of medicine to. Youll debate cases and diagnoses and
together pool knowledge to bring about the best outcomes for the patient. I think thats pretty
cool because in most cases, when a patient is referred out to a specialist, thats where the

interaction with the physicians end. Care is transferred from one to the other, like tag teaming.
With Radiology though, Dr. Ngo described how great it was to literally have conversations with
other physicians (he likes this a lot better than just having that doctor review his report notes of
images).
Dr. Ngos final note on Radiologys awesomeness is the lifestyle. It has standard business
hours usually, with maybe a couple on-call shifts that last 24 hours. Thats a pretty great degree
of consistency that you dont often find in health care. And, even when you do have regular
clinic hours, you might find that youre bogged down with additional charting afterwards.
Depending on how efficient you are as a Radiologist, and the fact that the cases all have an
immediacy to them, once youre done youre done, you can have a really balanced life. And
judging from Dr. Ngo and the other radiologists in the room, they seem rather well adjusted and
content. Their work doesnt seem to be putting an undue amount of stress on them and they were
all very pleasant individuals. Those are the kind of people that I would like to work with, the
environment that I would like to be in. I would be doing fulfilling work and I would be happy
doing it.
On the note of fulfillment, the one thing about Radiology is that you are displaced from
the patient care experience. When I asked him if he missed that, Dr. Ngo said Not particularly.
But he explained that it wasnt because he didnt like people or dealing with patients. If he
wasnt a doctor, he said hed probably be a preschool teacher because he loves kids and thats
what drew him to being a doctor in the first place. He explained that he has sufficient interaction
with his colleagues, and that brings him just as much joy as seeing patients. Interventional
radiology is certainly an option, where you actually get to administer the fluoroscopy and stuff
and have the physical interaction with the patient. So if thats what youre looking for, its always
an option. For me, patient interaction is what draws me to the field. Its that passion for applying
science to the art of healing that intrigues me. But I will say that theres something fulfilling
about radiology even though it is displaced from patient care. Compared to surgery, it almost
seems less displaced. Surgery is so robotic in a sense, once the patient is under and out, they
could be anyone. But radiology still retains some of that patient autonomy, although I guess that
depends on the kind of person you are. Which again, comes back to the idea of unlearning I
opened up with. Because I realize now that its not the specialty that defines the kind of person
who specializes in it, but you as a person can define that specialty. If the humility and warmth of
the physicians I spent the day with are any indication, personality can go a long way in
determining the course of ones professional environment.