Our health is a key factor in our every-day lives, controlling our activities and what

Our health is a key factor in our every-day lives, controlling our activities and what we are able to do. Radiologists act as one of the most important doctors in detecting diseases early on. Even though they are such crucial doctors, there is already a worldwide shortage. Not surprisingly, this is coincided with a substantial gap in the number of radiologists in developed and developing countries. As more technology to detect diseases is introduced into the field of medicine, will there even be a need for trained radiologists in the future? Advancements in recent years have created deep learning algorithm machines (known as artificial intelligence) that are able to detect abnormalities in medical images. However, current and future improvements in artificial intelligence and technology are not able to replace the role of radiologists and will only expand the demand for skilled radiologists worldwide.
Radiology is a specialty branch of medicine that focuses on detecting and treating diseases with medical imaging technology.
The American College of Radiology defines radiologists as “medical doctors that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging (radiology) procedures” (American College of Radiology). Although radiology is already a specialty in the medical field, it can further be divided into different areas of study. Diagnostic radiology, much like the name indicates, focuses on diagnosing different conditions through the interpretation of medical images. After medical images have been taken, an interventional radiologist uses them as a guide in developing treatment plans and procedures.

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In contrast to a physician, radiologists must go through a longer school and training process. After having completed about 13 years of their training, they are able to treat and diagnose injuries. According to the American Medical Association, radiology “is one of the most technologically advanced fields in medicine. Since the discovery of the X-ray in 1895, radiology has been at the forefront of minimally invasive medical imaging” (American Medical Association).
Each medical profession is important in providing for the health of an individual, yet radiologists are especially crucial. “Radiologists save lives. Image interpretation is the most visible contribution of radiologists. The population should be informed about the importance of diagnostic imaging,” says Dr. Tayo Denton (Ontario Association of Radiologists). Equally as important to a radiologist are the medical devices they use. The Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging says that a CT scan “ranks as one of the top five medical developments in the last 40 years, according to most medical surveys. It has proven so valuable as a medical diagnostic tool that the 1979 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to the inventors of CT” (Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging)
Asof today, there is already a shortage of radiologists in the United States as well as in impoverished countries around the world.
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A study conducted by Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, Danny R. Hughes and Richard Duszak, Jr focused on analyzing the most recent trends of the United States radiologist workforce. In their research they concluded that although “the number of radiology trainees dramatically increased, radiologists per 100,000 population increased only slightly, and radiologists’ share of the overall physician workforce declined” (Radiological Society of North America). Such an analyzation of radiology trends in the US is alarming, considering the significant role they have in the healthcare system.
The United States is not the only country that has a low number of radiologists. Developing countries are often faced with a greater lack of medical care and struggle to supply the technology that radiologists rely on. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately two-thirds of the global population lacks access to diagnostic imaging services. Pablo Jiménez, the Regional Adviser on Radiology and Radiation Protection at the WHO says that “access to diagnostic imaging services has a great impact on public health and can potentially reduce, for example, infant mortality or increase detection of some types of cancer at an early stage. Unfortunately, current shortages of human resources and obsolete or broken equipment are making it increasingly difficult to provide adequate access and quality in our region” (Pan American Health Organization/WHO). This gap in radiologists can be particularly seen in African countries. The Journal of Global Radiology found that the entire country of Liberia currently has two practicing radiologists, of which only one is a Liberian national. In comparison, the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has 134 practicing radiologists.
Part of the struggle that poor countries face is attracting radiologists to work in remote areas. Such jobs are often accompanied with a lower salary, isolation from large cities, and scarce professional opportunities to advance in their field. Recent increases in tele-radiology, the electronic transmission of medical images, have allowed rural areas to rely on experienced radiologists in larger cities as a source of supplementary medical care. Dr. Henrique Carrete Jr, the president of the Colegio Interamericano de Radiology (CIR) in Brazil, has observed the positive effects that tele-radiology is having. According to him, Brazil is “beginning to see specialists trained in large centers returning to their hometowns, sometimes in more distant and smaller cities. Tele-radiology is a way to supplement their salary by reading exams from larger cities where demand is higher” (Radiology Society of North America).