When it comes to radiology, there is more than meets the eye. While there are general fields of radiology, there are also a number of specific subspecialties a radiologist can choose to specialize in after their regular schooling to become a radiologist. To specialize in one of these subspecialties, a radiologist must undergo additional training. Below, we discuss the different subspecialties of radiology and what a subspecialized radiologist does.
What does a radiologist do?
A radiologist studies and interprets the images people have taken of various parts of the body in order to diagnose and treat patients. Radiologists can be onsite or offsite, but many people prefer onsite radiologists so they have the opportunity to interact directly with their radiologist.
What is a subspecialized radiologist?
Physicians practicing in the field of radiology may specialize in the larger modalities of radiology including diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, or Nuclear Medicine Radiology. They also may certify in a number of subspecialties. Many radiologists will opt for extra schooling in a specialty subset of radiology, and some will even specialize in one or more subspecialties.
What are some radiology subspecialties?
Below are some prevalent subspecialties of radiology, just to name a few.
Neuroradiology: a subspecialty of radiology that focuses on identification and diagnosis of issues related to the nervous system, spine, and head and neck using specific neuroimaging methods.
Nuclear Medicine: a subspecialty of radiology that employs the use of radioactive medication (also called radiopharmaceuticals) to diagnose and treat disease. These radioactive materials can be injected into a vein or swallowed/inhaled.
Pediatric Radiology: pediatric radiologists specialize in the diagnosis of illnesses, injuries, and diseases found in infants, children, and teenagers using imaging.
Interventional Radiology: interventional radiology uses minimally invasive image-guided procedures to treat diseases in the body. The idea is to be able to treat patients using less invasive methods.
Cardiac radiology: a cardiac radiologist interprets medical imaging to diagnose diseases related to the heart such as heart disease and other defects related to the heart.
Breast imaging: breast imaging focuses on radiology used to diagnose breast issues including mammography, ultrasound, biopsies, and more.
Subspecialized radiologists are unique in that they have advanced training specific to certain organ types, areas of the body, and diseases, which makes them uniquely qualified to diagnose complicated conditions that may go undetected by someone with less training. At BICRAD, most of our radiologists have undergone extra schooling and training in at least one subspecialty area of interest, and many are trained in several. If you need a type of specialty imaging, call a BICRAD location near you to make your appointment today.