Eileen Lorenz, MDQ: What is a radiologist?
A: First of all, radiologists are doctors, just like your primary-care physician. We attended medical school for four years followed by at least five years, and often more, of post-graduate training before we can go into practice. We are your imaging specialists. We spend our days reviewing and interpreting CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, ultrasounds and more. We routinely have extensive conversations with your primary physicians and medical team regarding diagnoses, treatment options and future follow-up. While we tend to play more of a behind-the-scenes role in your care, many of us can still be seen on the front lines. For example, interventional radiologists perform many image-guided procedures, from simple image-guided biopsies to highly complex clot retrieval in the setting of stroke. These radiologists see patients on a daily basis and develop close patient-physician relationships.
– Eileen Lorenz, MD, Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
Submit your health-related questions for a medical doctor to lwilson@timesfreepress.com.