Path to Radiologist: Education & Training Requirements

Radiologists are medical doctors who use medical imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRI, and ultrasound to diagnose and treat health problems. Becoming a radiologist takes many years of education and training. The average radiologist has 13 years of educational training.

College

• Becoming a radiologist means going to college. While some medical schools do not require a bachelor's degree for admittance, they do require a significant number of undergraduate science courses.

Medical School

• Radiologists attend medical school for four years after completing their required undergraduate coursework. The medical school should be accredited.

Residency

• Radiologists spend at least four years in residency after completing medical school and passing a licensing exam. Residency is when radiologists get learn specific aspects of radiology, such as radiation safety.

Fellowship

• Some radiologists continue their education and training with a fellowship. A fellowship is one to two years of specialized training in a radiological subspecialty such as nuclear medicine.

Certification

• After more than a decade of studying and training, radiologist take oral and written exams to become board certified. This ensures they have been properly educated and trained.

Salary

• Radiologists' salaries vary depending on where they work, but they can expect to make about $200,000 each year the first few years on the job. After three years, radiologists annual salaries increase to more than $350,000 and can reach as high as $900,000 each year.