The Advances Made in Medical Equipment Required a New Type of Physician

Medical technology is advancing faster today than it ever has before. Scientists and machine technicians are working hard daily to invent machines that not only work faster and more efficiently, but that are also more accurate. Medical machines do everything from taking x-rays and brain scans to analyzing blood samples. Many machines can provide more than one service, making them extremely useful in hospitals and clinics. There are so many machines today, however, that it is impossible for every physician to learn how to operate every piece of equipment and to know how to interpret the data the machine collects.

These machines help save thousands of lives per year, but they are only helpful if someone can use and read them correctly. An untrained doctor might make a misdiagnosis. Therefore, the invention of this new medical equipment required the creation of a new field of medicine, that of radiology.

Radiology is the study of using medical imaging technology to diagnose and sometimes treat disease. The very first radiologists dealt mainly with x-ray technology, but the field has expanded greatly due to advances in imaging techniques. Today, radiologists operate machines that take images using high-frequency sound waves, radioactivity, and magnetic fields. Ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines are just two devices that use modern imaging technology. Both of these pieces of equipment are extremely important to the practice of medicine today.

In the United States, radiologists attend medical school for four years before training in this specialty. Post graduate training includes one year of rotation and four years as a diagnostic radiology resident. At the end of their residency, radiologists must pass a board examination issued by the American Board of Radiology. If this exam is passed successfully, these radiologists are able to go into practice or continue their training with a fellowship that lasts from one to two years in length.

It is important to have medical equipment that works efficiently and accurately. However, it is essential to have specialists on hand that are able to operate these machines safely as well as interpret the data correctly. Radiology is one of the most important fields of medicine today and, with the use of the medical imaging equipment they operate, radiologists help save lives everyday.