Become a Radiologist Online: How-To Guide

Becoming a radiologist requires a bachelor's degree, a medical degree and several years of residency before becoming board certified. The schooling and residency requirements for radiologists do not allow for online education programs.

How Do I Become a Radiologist?

A radiologist uses x-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scans to diagnose, treat and monitor disease or injury in patients. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (www.aamc.org), radiologists specialize in diagnostic radiology or radiation oncology; additionally, there are five sub-specialties radiologists can enter - neuroradiology and nuclear, pediatric, vascular and interventional radiology.

Radiologist Undergraduate Education

Individuals wishing to become radiologists first have to earn a bachelor's degree in pre-med, biology, chemistry or a high-level math. Students then have to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) during their junior year of undergraduate school. Almost all U.S. medical schools as part of their admission process use the scores from the MCAT exam.

Radiologist Medical Education

After successfully completing the MCAT and earning a bachelor's degree, aspiring radiologists go on to complete four years of medical school. Students in medical school generally spend the first two years in classroom and laboratory instruction. The third and fourth years are spent in rotation through specialties at hospitals and similar settings, allowing further education through supervised patient contact.
Early in the fourth year of medical school, students look for an appropriate residency program to enter after graduation. The American Medical Association (www.ama.org) provides an online search program called FREIDA. The FREIDA database has over 8,700 accredited graduated medical programs and a residency and fellowship training program search function. Students can search by specialty, location, program size and other optional criteria. Students can also search for a residency program through the National Resident Matching Program (www.nrmp.org).

Radiologist Residency and Certification

Radiology residency programs provide clinical hands-on experience under the supervision of licensed physicians combined with faculty-presented lectures. Program lengths are approximately five years, but vary according to specialty and sub-specialty.
After residency, most radiologists become board certified. The American Board of Radiology (ABR) offers certification through a series of qualifying exams, which vary according to specialty and sub-specialty (www.theabr.org). The ABR provides certification in:

• Diagnostic radiology
• Radiation Oncology
• Neuroradiology
• Nuclear Radiology
• Pediatric Radiology
• Vascular and interventional radiology