4 answers
Evelyn
Student
Hiram, Maine
2
Questions
Asked
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What majors or classes should I take in college if I want to be a radiologist?
Im a sophomore in high school and trying to plan for college early!
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4 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1783
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
After completing high school, on average it will take 13 years to become a Radiologist Evelyn. This includes completing an undergraduate degree which usually takes four years, followed by four years of Medical school, then a one year internship, followed by four years of residency training in Diagnostic Radiology.
1️⃣ EARN YOUR BACHELOR'S DEGREE
After graduating high school, attend a college or university to earn a bachelor's degree. Consider choosing a pre-med or science major, such as biology, to prepare you for medical school. If you decide to get a liberal arts degree, take biology, anatomy and other sciences courses to aid you in medical study.
2️⃣ PREPARE FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL
During college, prepare for medical school by studying for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). You typically take this exam in your third year of undergraduate studies. A passing score is usually a requirement for acceptance into medical school. Besides doing well on the MCAT, you can prepare for medical school by ensuring you meet other requirements, such as getting good grades, completing internships or doing volunteer work in a medical setting, such as a hospital.
3️⃣ APPLY TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
Before you graduate, research the medical schools you want to attend. You will choose an allopathic or osteopathic medical school to become a radiologist. An allopathic medical school teaches you how to diagnose and treat medical conditions with traditional medications and other treatments, such as surgeries. Osteopathic medical schools teach a holistic approach to preventing medical conditions and improving patients' well-being.
4️⃣ COMPLETE YOUR RESIDENCY
Apply for a medical residency, which is clinical training you complete after medical school. Radiologists typically spend the first year of their residency practicing general medicine and surgery and their remaining years focusing on radiology. A radiology residency usually lasts between four and five years. During your residency program, you can gain experience in counseling patients, interpreting the results of imaging studies, learning to work with other clinicians and performing various image-guided procedures.
1️⃣ EARN YOUR BACHELOR'S DEGREE
After graduating high school, attend a college or university to earn a bachelor's degree. Consider choosing a pre-med or science major, such as biology, to prepare you for medical school. If you decide to get a liberal arts degree, take biology, anatomy and other sciences courses to aid you in medical study.
2️⃣ PREPARE FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL
During college, prepare for medical school by studying for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). You typically take this exam in your third year of undergraduate studies. A passing score is usually a requirement for acceptance into medical school. Besides doing well on the MCAT, you can prepare for medical school by ensuring you meet other requirements, such as getting good grades, completing internships or doing volunteer work in a medical setting, such as a hospital.
3️⃣ APPLY TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
Before you graduate, research the medical schools you want to attend. You will choose an allopathic or osteopathic medical school to become a radiologist. An allopathic medical school teaches you how to diagnose and treat medical conditions with traditional medications and other treatments, such as surgeries. Osteopathic medical schools teach a holistic approach to preventing medical conditions and improving patients' well-being.
4️⃣ COMPLETE YOUR RESIDENCY
Apply for a medical residency, which is clinical training you complete after medical school. Radiologists typically spend the first year of their residency practicing general medicine and surgery and their remaining years focusing on radiology. A radiology residency usually lasts between four and five years. During your residency program, you can gain experience in counseling patients, interpreting the results of imaging studies, learning to work with other clinicians and performing various image-guided procedures.
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1334
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Alright, future radiologist, love to tell you about your journey to becoming the master of X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans! It's a long road, but if you like solving medical mysteries and looking at cool images all day, this path is for you.🤓💀
Step 1: Pick the Right College Major
You’ll want to major in something science-heavy—think Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or even Biomedical Sciences. If your school has a Pre-Med track, that’s a great choice too. If you're feeling bold, you could even major in something totally random (like Art History) as long as you take the required pre-med courses like:
Biology (a lot of it)
General & Organic Chemistry (expect some lab explosions... hopefully controlled ones)
Physics (because X-rays don’t just work by magic)
Math (Calculus & Statistics) (because numbers will haunt you in med school)
A small bonus know that If you want to impress med schools, take courses in anatomy, medical ethics, and even psychology—because understanding patients is just as important as understanding their scans!
Step 2: Crush the MCAT
At some point in college (usually junior year), you’ll have to face the MCAT—aka the SAT on steroids. This exam tests your knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, and critical thinking. It’s brutal, but necessary. Study hard, take practice tests, and remember that coffee is your best friend.
Step 3: Survive Medical School, yes it's the start!
Once you get into med school, it’s four intense years of memorizing everything about the human body, diagnosing diseases, and pretending you have a social life.
First two years → Classroom learning, exams, and pretending to understand Latin medical terms.
Last two years → Clinical rotations, where you finally start seeing patients and working in hospitals. You'll rotate through different specialties—this is when you confirm that radiology is your true calling.
Step 4: Match Into a Radiology Residency
After med school, you apply for a 4-5 year residency in Diagnostic Radiology. This is where you officially become the doctor who reads medical images and helps diagnose patients. Expect to:
Spend hours analyzing X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans.
Work with other doctors to solve medical puzzles.
Use cool technology like AI and 3D imaging.
Occasionally freak out when a scan looks weird (but play it cool). Everyone's freaks out once in a while until you get the jest of it.
Step 5: okay so this is Optional—Fellowship (Super Specialization)
If you want to be extra fancy, you can subspecialize in either,
Neuroradiology (brains, spines, and nerves)
Musculoskeletal Radiology (bones, joints, sports injuries)
Interventional Radiology (doing procedures with imaging guidance—basically being a doctor-ninja)
Step 6: You will be ready, Certified & to Start Your Career!
After residency (and possibly fellowship), you take your board exams to officially become a radiologist. Then, you can work in hospitals, private clinics, or even from home reading scans in your pajamas.
So I know you will need a few pro Tips for Your Journey:
Start shadowing radiologists early → Get experience and confirm this is the right path.
Join a Pre-Med Club → Makes studying for the MCAT less lonely.
Learn to Love Studying → There’s a lot of it. No shortcuts here.
Develop a Sense of Humor → you’ll need it when you’re buried under books and exams (take care of your brain not alone but that physical peace as well).
The path is long, but the payoff is huge—great salary, flexible work, and the ability to diagnose life-saving conditions. Plus, let’s be real, reading X-rays all day is kind of like being a medical detective.
Doc Frick nailed it—solid advice, straight to the point, and no sugarcoating the 13-year marathon ahead! If becoming a radiologist were easy, everyone would be doing it, right? But hey, remember this Evelyn, if if you love science, solving medical mysteries, and working with some of the coolest imaging tech, it’s worth every late-night study session. So take Doc’s advice, stay determined, and maybe invest in a good coffee machine—you’ll need it!
Now go forth and start planning your future in radiology! You got this and I kmow you do Evelyn. Good luck and don't forget to ask if your brain is loosing it!🤯😉 We are always here for you!
Step 1: Pick the Right College Major
You’ll want to major in something science-heavy—think Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or even Biomedical Sciences. If your school has a Pre-Med track, that’s a great choice too. If you're feeling bold, you could even major in something totally random (like Art History) as long as you take the required pre-med courses like:
Biology (a lot of it)
General & Organic Chemistry (expect some lab explosions... hopefully controlled ones)
Physics (because X-rays don’t just work by magic)
Math (Calculus & Statistics) (because numbers will haunt you in med school)
A small bonus know that If you want to impress med schools, take courses in anatomy, medical ethics, and even psychology—because understanding patients is just as important as understanding their scans!
Step 2: Crush the MCAT
At some point in college (usually junior year), you’ll have to face the MCAT—aka the SAT on steroids. This exam tests your knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, and critical thinking. It’s brutal, but necessary. Study hard, take practice tests, and remember that coffee is your best friend.
Step 3: Survive Medical School, yes it's the start!
Once you get into med school, it’s four intense years of memorizing everything about the human body, diagnosing diseases, and pretending you have a social life.
First two years → Classroom learning, exams, and pretending to understand Latin medical terms.
Last two years → Clinical rotations, where you finally start seeing patients and working in hospitals. You'll rotate through different specialties—this is when you confirm that radiology is your true calling.
Step 4: Match Into a Radiology Residency
After med school, you apply for a 4-5 year residency in Diagnostic Radiology. This is where you officially become the doctor who reads medical images and helps diagnose patients. Expect to:
Spend hours analyzing X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans.
Work with other doctors to solve medical puzzles.
Use cool technology like AI and 3D imaging.
Occasionally freak out when a scan looks weird (but play it cool). Everyone's freaks out once in a while until you get the jest of it.
Step 5: okay so this is Optional—Fellowship (Super Specialization)
If you want to be extra fancy, you can subspecialize in either,
Neuroradiology (brains, spines, and nerves)
Musculoskeletal Radiology (bones, joints, sports injuries)
Interventional Radiology (doing procedures with imaging guidance—basically being a doctor-ninja)
Step 6: You will be ready, Certified & to Start Your Career!
After residency (and possibly fellowship), you take your board exams to officially become a radiologist. Then, you can work in hospitals, private clinics, or even from home reading scans in your pajamas.
So I know you will need a few pro Tips for Your Journey:
Start shadowing radiologists early → Get experience and confirm this is the right path.
Join a Pre-Med Club → Makes studying for the MCAT less lonely.
Learn to Love Studying → There’s a lot of it. No shortcuts here.
Develop a Sense of Humor → you’ll need it when you’re buried under books and exams (take care of your brain not alone but that physical peace as well).
The path is long, but the payoff is huge—great salary, flexible work, and the ability to diagnose life-saving conditions. Plus, let’s be real, reading X-rays all day is kind of like being a medical detective.
Doc Frick nailed it—solid advice, straight to the point, and no sugarcoating the 13-year marathon ahead! If becoming a radiologist were easy, everyone would be doing it, right? But hey, remember this Evelyn, if if you love science, solving medical mysteries, and working with some of the coolest imaging tech, it’s worth every late-night study session. So take Doc’s advice, stay determined, and maybe invest in a good coffee machine—you’ll need it!
Now go forth and start planning your future in radiology! You got this and I kmow you do Evelyn. Good luck and don't forget to ask if your brain is loosing it!🤯😉 We are always here for you!
Bright Komor
Nurse
261
Answers
Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
Updated
Bright’s Answer
To become a radiologist, you’ll need to pursue a **pre-medical** track in college, with a focus on courses that will prepare you for medical school. Here’s a short list of key majors and classes to consider:
1. **Major**:
- **Biology**, **Chemistry**, or **Health Sciences** are great options.
- You can also pursue a **Pre-Med** track if your college offers it.
2. **Core Classes**:
- **Biology** (Cell and Molecular)
- **Chemistry** (General and Organic)
- **Physics** (Critical for understanding medical imaging)
- **Math** (Calculus or Statistics)
- **Anatomy and Physiology**
- **Psychology** (For patient interaction)
In addition to these, plan on taking **Medical School Admission Tests** (MCAT) prep courses as well. After completing your undergrad, you’ll need to go to **medical school** and then specialize in **radiology** through residency training.
1. **Major**:
- **Biology**, **Chemistry**, or **Health Sciences** are great options.
- You can also pursue a **Pre-Med** track if your college offers it.
2. **Core Classes**:
- **Biology** (Cell and Molecular)
- **Chemistry** (General and Organic)
- **Physics** (Critical for understanding medical imaging)
- **Math** (Calculus or Statistics)
- **Anatomy and Physiology**
- **Psychology** (For patient interaction)
In addition to these, plan on taking **Medical School Admission Tests** (MCAT) prep courses as well. After completing your undergrad, you’ll need to go to **medical school** and then specialize in **radiology** through residency training.
Joseph Ford
188
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
Get ready for this Physics, with a concentration in Biomedical engineering. WooHoo