Path to Becoming a Radiologist: Education & Training Requirements

Potential radiologists must complete many years of study before becoming medical doctors. There is undergraduate coursework, medical school and postgraduate on-the-job training required. Radiologists will learn how to interpret medical images for diagnosis and treatment of illness and disease.

College

• A college degree is not required for entrance to all medical schools, but it is preferred. A heavy concentration of previously taken science courses is required.

Medical School

• Medical school is typically four years long, but some colleges have combined the undergraduate coursework with medical school. This cuts study time from eight to six years.

Postgraduate

• Radiologists will spend four or more years as a resident in continuing ,education where they will learn specific aspects about radiology.

Subspecialty

• Some radiologists will spend another two years in a fellowship program to learn a radiology subspecialty. These include chest, pediatric, interventional, emergency, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal radiology.

Certification

• Radiologists will usually take both oral and written exams to become board certified by the American Board of Radiology or the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology. This indicates they have spent many years learning and training to be a radiologist.