• Radiologist Shortage
• Free CME for Faculty
• AOA Responds to FSMB Draft
• Shortage Comes Down to Money
• QUIZ QUESTION - Test Your Knowledge

The Radiologist Shortage, Explained

Radiology is an interesting case in the medical field that will be impacted by AI. But the view that computers can do basic radiology work, lowering the labor needs, is wrong. Increase the availability of something, and you just get more throughput. What AI is likely to do in radiology is drive up the amount of complex radiology examinations that will be done. That is, studies won’t rise at a linear rate but will actually curve upwards. 

If you’re looking at AI to relieve the radiologist shortage, that’s not happening. In fact, it’s likely to make it worse. This is true of some of the other diagnostic professions as well, but imaging is particularly vulnerable.

This article proposes some solutions, although it shies away from technicians and mid-levels..

The Radiologist Shortage, Explained - Becker’s Hospital Review

AOA Provides Feedback on FSMB Advisory Commission Draft Guidance on Licensing Models

While it’s true that the cost of a resident will exceed $400,000 during a three-year residency, there’s an important caveat. Radiology does not require the attending physician to be present during image acquisition. However, the teaching attending must document and review every image—a process known as “over-read supervision.” For interventional radiology, the attending does need to be physically present. In radiology training, costs are somewhat offset by billing, as there is a potential efficiency gain that is unlikely to be found in other primary and acute care residency programs.

Still, the reaction of hospital systems to key specialties being slow-walked (radiology residency slot growth is likely averaging 3% compared to 15% in family medicine) has been to start funding their own programs. For instance, HCA is currently running approximately 60 of the 576 internal medicine residencies.

AOA Provides Feedback on FSMB Advisory Commission Draft Guidance on Licensing Models - Article

AOA Comments on the Advisory Commission Draft - AOA

Shortage of Primary Care Doctors in U.S. Comes Down to Money — and Respect

This article discusses how many schools and residencies don’t stress primary care as a medical specialty (or, indeed, even have residencies in primary care). A specialist career pays out a career lifetime value about $4 million to $7 million higher, not even considering compounding. However, the article shifts focus to tuition-free education as the argument for attracting more medical students in general, and more to primary care in particular. That’s doubtful, as a medical career doesn’t start when you get into medical school—it starts years earlier with the bachelor’s degree, internships, volunteer work, and other activities that admissions committees want to see.

Still, it is a well-written article, makes a cogent case for addressing primary care in the education pathway, and offers real options on how to make primary care more appealing. It doesn’t, however, really address how to make it more remunerative.

Shortage of Primary Care Doctors in U.S. Comes Down to Money — and Respect - CBS

QUIZ QUESTION

20-year-old college student with prolonged productive cough and fatigue

• Hyponatremia
• Normal saline administration
• Desaturation of the patient during transfer to computed tomography (CT)
• Rhabdomyolysis