Bachelor’s degrees in radiologic science can be earned in four years for high school graduates or 1-2 years for students with an associate degree in the field. Course topics cover principles of radiation oncology, radiation physics and pathology.
Radiologists have a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree with a specialty in radiology. Most medical school programs include four years of academic coursework; after graduation, students wishing to become radiologists apply to a residency program in radiology. Mandatory training for radiology consists of one clinical year after medical school (usually completed first) and four years of radiology residency. Then, about 90% of residents voluntarily go on to a fellowship year of sub-specialty training (4). Certification is by the American Board of Radiology (ABR). Certification is voluntary, but required by most employers. At least 97% of residency graduates now become Board-certified (3). A few years ago, the ABR, following other U.S. specialty boards, moved to 10-year certificates from lifetime certificates. Thus, new radiologists have to be re-certified every 10 years. In a few years, the final certifying examination will change from an examination that covers all of radiology to an examination that concentrates on three subspecialty fields. The trainee will choose the fields. A preliminary examination will continue to cover the whole of radiology.
Formal education and training requirements for physicians are among the most demanding of any occupation—4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, and 3 to 8 years of internship and residency, depending on the specialty selected. A few medical schools offer combined undergraduate and medical school programs that last 6 or 7 years rather than the customary 8 years.
