3 ms·

As an ER doc I look at a lot of my own studies, because I'm often using my interpretation to guide real-time management (making decisions that can't wait for a

As an ER doc I look at a lot of my own studies, because I'm often using my interpretation to guide real-time management (making decisions that can't wait for a radiologist). I've gotten much better over time, and I would speculate that I'm one of the better doctors in my small hospital at reading my own X-rays, CTs, and ultrasounds. I am nowhere near as good as our worst radiologist (who is, frankly... not great). It's not even close.

sharkweek 1y ago
I’m fascinated. What makes a great radiologist so much better than the average?
- incone123 1y ago
  Calling the edge cases correctly, I would think. I hurt my arm a while back and the ER guy didn't spot the radial head fracture, but the specialist did. No big deal since the treatment was the same either way.
- 71bw 1y ago
  You're specifically trained to look at the scans, and not to do 75 other things as well, only to use scans to aid your whatever you're doing.
- lostlogin 1y ago
  Im not the OP and I’m an MR tech. I rate techs against non-radiology trained physicians in terms of identifying pathology. However techs aren’t anywhere near the ability of a radiologist. Persuading junior techs not to scan each other and decide the diagnosis is a reoccurring problem, and it comes up too often. These techs are trained and are good. I have too many stories about things techs have missed which a radiologist has immediately spotted.
seesthruya 1y ago
As a working diagnostic radiologist in a busy private practice serving several hospitals, this has been my experience as well. We have some excellent ER physicians, and several who are very good at looking at their own xrays. They also have the benefit of directly examining the patient, "it hurts HERE", while I am in my basement. Several times a year they catch something I miss! But when it comes to the hard stuff, and particularly cross-sectional imaging, they are simply not trained for it.

sharkweek 1y ago

I’m fascinated. What makes a great radiologist so much better than the average?

incone123 1y ago
Calling the edge cases correctly, I would think. I hurt my arm a while back and the ER guy didn't spot the radial head fracture, but the specialist did. No big deal since the treatment was the same either way.
71bw 1y ago
You're specifically trained to look at the scans, and not to do 75 other things as well, only to use scans to aid your whatever you're doing.
lostlogin 1y ago
Im not the OP and I’m an MR tech. I rate techs against non-radiology trained physicians in terms of identifying pathology. However techs aren’t anywhere near the ability of a radiologist. Persuading junior techs not to scan each other and decide the diagnosis is a reoccurring problem, and it comes up too often. These techs are trained and are good. I have too many stories about things techs have missed which a radiologist has immediately spotted.

seesthruya 1y ago

As a working diagnostic radiologist in a busy private practice serving several hospitals, this has been my experience as well. We have some excellent ER physicians, and several who are very good at looking at their own xrays. They also have the benefit of directly examining the patient, "it hurts HERE", while I am in my basement. Several times a year they catch something I miss! But when it comes to the hard stuff, and particularly cross-sectional imaging, they are simply not trained for it.