Radiologists are physicians who specialize in the use of X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, computed tomography (CT) scans, and mammograms to examine patients and diagnose conditions. Radiologists typically need at least 13 years of schooling, after which they may pursue further specialization through a paid fellowship.
Stages in Radiology Education
Radiology training has a number of stages. First, aspiring radiologists must complete an undergraduate degree, followed by four years of medical school. Then, radiologists complete a five or six year residency. Afterward, they can choose to specialize further by completing a fellowship. Radiologists in training are called residents during their residency and fellows during their fellowship. Specialty fellowships for radiologists include abdominal imaging, breast imaging, pediatric radiology, nuclear medicine, neuroradiology and interventional radiology.
Salaries in Radiological Fellowships
Radiology fellows are paid a salary during their fellowships, though it is significantly less than most practicing radiologists earn. While exact radiology fellowship salaries vary by program, most fall between $50,000 and $70,000 per year. For example, Yale University pays emergency and trauma radiology fellows $110,000 over the course of two years, or $55,000 per year. Fellows in the Emory University interventional radiology fellowship received a salary of $57,748 per year as of 2012. Neuroradiology fellows at the University of Washington earn $62,664. Radiology fellows attending the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center earn between $63,809 and $68,210, depending on their postgraduate year and placement.
Other Benefits
In addition to a salary, radiology fellows typically receive other benefits through their fellowships. For example, it's common for fellowships to provide some form of medical, dental, and malpractice insurance. In addition, fellows often receive stipends designed to cover other costs associated with living and study. Yale offers fellows $500 per year to cover the costs of books and travel, while the University of Washington offers a $2,000 annual stipend to cover these costs and an additional $600 per year to cover the cost of home internet service.
Practicing Radiologists Make Much More
While a radiologist may not make much for a doctor during her fellowship, radiologists are among the highest paid of all physicians once they become board-certified and begin practicing. As o 2012, Medscape reported that radiologists brought home an average of $349,000 per year, and 16 percent reported annual incomes of $500,000 or more. Female radiologists tended to earn a bit less than their male counterparts, reporting an average salary of $308,000 per year.
