When I completed my radiology residency more than a decade ago, the tools of our trade were not just scanners and reporting software — they comprised dog-eared heavy textbooks, musty library printouts, and the occasional nervous waiting outside the cabin of the radiology professor to get a concept explained. Nowadays, when I glance at residents whizzing through PACS cases over a cup of coffee and reciting the latest paper from a click on their phones, I think: radiology residency has evolved — and how!
Let's examine the evolution that has quietly but entirely transformed the training landscape.
1. Learning in the Age of Mobile Internet
Maybe the biggest change has been the entry of high-speed mobile internet. What used to take a visit to the library and browsing through thick books, can now be answered in a matter of seconds. Need to refresh the differential for a hypodense liver mass? Simply pull up Radiopaedia or StatDx on your phone. Residents nowadays can read, debate, and work together in real time — anywhere, anytime.
2. PACS: From Passive Storage to Dynamic Learning Tool
In my early years, PACS was still evolving. Today, it’s smarter, faster, and more searchable than ever. Residents can pull up cases, measure, compare, and even create their own teaching archives. Side-by-side viewing, cine-loops, multiplanar reformats — everything is at their fingertips. The result? Faster learning and better case correlation.
3. Electronic Medical Records: No More Paper Chase
Those days of digging through patient records to retrieve lab results or previous reports are over. With electronic medical records (EMRs) embedded in radiology workflows, today's residents have access to all clinical data pertinent to the case in an instant — enhancing report accuracy and patient safety.
4. AI Tools That Think With You
AI isn't taking over radiologists' roles — it's helping them. With automated bone age calculators, nodule tracking software, ORADS/LIRADS calculators etc the mundane job is taken care of; eGFR calculators alert on renal risk ahead of contrast exposures. These types of tools have residents interpreting and less concerned about clerical busywork. Turnaround times improve, and report accuracy increases.
5. Speech-to-Text: Reporting at the Speed of Thought
Reporting typing was once a monotonous ritual. Now, with speech-to-text software (such as Dragon, Augnito, Google Dictation, or default RIS software), residents can simply dictate well-structured, readable reports with ease — cutting reporting fatigue and making the reporting process much more efficient.
6. CMEs Without Borders
One of the greatest blessings of the digital age? Webinars and online CMEs. Residents learn from world-class faculty without traveling. From worldwide tumor boards to video-recorded MSK series on YouTube, the possibilities for asynchronous, self-directed learning are limitless.
So What's Changed, Really?
Everything — except the essence.
The tools of trade have evolved. The tempo has accelerated. But the curiosity, the desire for mentorship, the joy of getting the correct diagnosis — these do not change.
Having experienced this transition myself, I regard today's residents as privileged to be educated in such a vibrant, information-rich environment. But I also remind them: despite the technology being a blessing, the onus of thoughtful observation and continuous learning remains on their shoulders.
The future is thrilling — and it's arrived!
By Dr Deepti H V
Senior Consultant Radiologist
