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A visit to the doctor’s
office can certainly be overwhelming. Not only are there tests and
questions, but you are often bombarded with a number of terms you don’t
understand. Many of these end in –ologist: hematologist, oncologist,
immunologist. You know these are all types of doctors, doing their part
to make you healthier, but who are they and what do they do? In this
article, we’re going to talk about one of these types of doctors:
Radiologists.
How Is Your Radiologist
Different from Other Doctors?
If you are having a
diagnostic imaging exam performed (like an x-ray, a CT, or a PET scan,
for example), a radiologist will likely be involved. Radiologists
specialize in a number of things. They ensure that the right tests are
being performed. They also make sure that the tests are conducted
properly and in the best and safest ways possible. And they read the
images the tests produce to help make a diagnosis. While radiologists
complete the same four years of general medical studies as other
doctors, they also receive at least four more years of education and
training in the art of medical imaging.
Why Do You Need a
Radiologist?
Determining which tests
need to be performed and ensuring they are performed the right way is
not easy. People come in all shapes and sizes and have different medical
histories and symptoms. For one person, a simple x-ray may be all that
is needed to make a diagnosis. But for another, a higher level of test,
such as an ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed
tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), or a series of
these tests may be required.
A radiologist is an
expert on which tests and how many tests may be needed to make a
diagnosis. She is an expert on how to safely position your body in the
machine, how to ensure the test is performed so the results will be as
clear as possible, and how to read the results accurately. In short, a
radiologist is the key to a successful diagnostic imaging exam.
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