13 Reasons Why You Should be a Teleradiologist

Technology makes the world smaller. It brings people together and allows a faster spread in information. One of the new developments of technology is the advent of telemedicine. Telemedicine is the spread of clinical information with the help of technology and the internet. It encompasses all fields of medicine. Teleradiology is one of the branches of telemedicine. With the help of teleradiology, medical images taken from one area of the world can be transmitted and interpreted by experts in different areas of the globe.

Working as a teleradiologist can have very many benefits. It's is a very lucrative field that is very easy to get into. You can choose to make it a full time career or as a part time job to supplement your income.

1. Work from anywhere.

Getting a job as a teleradiologist is easy. All you need is a laptop or a computer and a stable internet connection. You can work from any location you like. You can set up a home office or you can hole up in a coffee shop and start working. You no longer have to spend so much money on gas and transportation. You no longer need to worry about wasting time on traffic.

Do you suddenly have an urge to travel? Working as a full time teleradiologist means you can work as you relax in a resort somewhere. There is no need to file for a leave and you don't need to ask anyone for permission. As long as you have access to the internet, you are good to go.You can travel to any part of the world and live in various cities while you pursue your career.

2. Supplement your income.

There are days where you absolutely love your job and there are days when you don't. It could be because of a lot of things. It could be because of the stressful work environment or it could be because of colleagues that are hard to work with, but more often than not, it is usually because of those times you feel like you are not paid enough for your work. It's not always easy to ask for a raise.  

Sometimes, with all the bills to pay, you might feel like your salary is not enough to last you and your family for a month. Not everyone can just leave their job and look for a better-paying one. The good news is you can work as a part time teleradiologist to supplement your income. This means you get to earn more money without leaving your job and missing out on the benefits your regular job has to offer.

3. Be your own boss.​

 Teleradiologists are basically freelancers which means they don't have to commit to a single client or company. They work independently and they don't have to answer to anyone. They are their own bosses. As a freelance teleradiologist, you have the option to work for a single client or for several companies. 

4. Work flexible hours.​

Balance Professional and Personal Life

 The best thing about freelance teleradiologist is time flexibility. You have the option to work as a teleradiologist full time or part time. Choose whatever makes the most sense for you and your goals. If you have a full time job in the hospital or clinic, you can choose to work part time to supplement your income.

Do you want to spend more time on a hobby or spend more time with your family? As a teleradiologist, you have the power to decide how much time you spend working. The freedom and flexibility this career has is not present in a regular 9-5 office job.

5. Focus on your speciality. 

When you work as a radiologist in a hospital, you are sometimes given general cases. Sometimes, you are given cases that are outside of your speciality. If you want to focus on your specialty to hone your skills and develop them, you should consider a career in teleradiology. ​

Teleradiologists have more control in what cases they would accept and interpret. This means that neuro-radiologists will only do reports on the CNS or the spine and cardiac radiologists will only work on the heart.

6. Be omnipresent.​

Like we said, teleradiology allows radiologists to view and interpret cases from anywhere in the world without having to go there. You can view these cases and learn from them without leaving the comfort of your home. 

7. Decide your own reporting fees.​

In the hospital, there are days when you feel like you are not paid enough for what you do. As a teleradiologist, you get to decide how much to charge your clients. Experts have the freedom to charge higher fees. If you are the best in you field, you are entitled to a higher professional fee. 

8. Decide how much you earn.​

Teleradiologists get to decide how much they earn. The more efficient you are the more cases you view and the more money you earn. You can negotiate with your clients whether you get paid on an hourly basis or on a case to case basis. You can also charge extra for emergency cases and urgent ones. 

9. Balance life with family and work. ​

For parents—especially mothers—it is very hard to leave your kids when you go to work. Some would even prefer quitting their jobs than letting strangers take care of their children. Working from home as a teleradiologist allows mothers to spend time with their kids and take care of them while working. This way, they can monitor their children while they earn money. This is also helpful for pregnant women, because they won't have to worry about radiation exposure and harming their baby. They can also work flexible hours to avoid fatigue.

You no longer have to miss out on the wonderful milestones in your child's life, because you are too busy working. The flexibility in the schedule of teleradiologists allows them to spend more time with their family while they earn.

This allows you to be more hands on in the raising of your children. This way, you get to be more involved in their day to day lives without sacrificing your career.

10. Take advantage of educational opportunities.

Every case is unique. Each case carries with it a lesson. With numerous cases all over the world, teleradiologists have the opportunity to learn from ordinary cases and also extraordinary cases that they might not commonly see in their locality. Learning from seniors and your peers is an invaluable perk in this job. This job will teach you a lot of things you can't find in textbooks. This will help you hone your skills as a radiologist.

11. Discuss cases with peers.​

When faced with complicated cases, it is always helpful to have fresh eyes to look at it with you. Teleradiologists work with peers and have discussions with them during complicated cases. Your colleagues can help you learn more about the case. Discussing cases with colleagues allows teleradiologists to share knowledge with each other, so they can tackle cases effectively in different angles and approaches.

12. Do charity work.​

Not everyone can afford the services of a radiologist. This is true for non-profit charity medical institutions and government hospitals in rural areas. Teleradiologists have the option to lend a helping hand to these institutions by offering their services for free or for a very, very low price. It's a very good way to give back and share your talents and skills to those in need.

13. Earn working experience as a teleradiologist.​

There is no specific retirement age for radiologists. As long as you feel that you are strong and well enough to work, you can work in your old age. This is not really a problem except for the fact that it can make it harder for fresh graduates to find jobs, because clinics and diagnostic centers will tend to prefer radiologists who already have years of experience.

Since it is difficult for fresh graduates to find jobs as radiologists, they consider other options like working as a clinical associate for a senior radiologist, working as a sonologist, or moving somewhere else and finding jobs in small cities and other states. These are also good options, but not everyone can just uproot their lives and move somewhere else to find a job which is why working as a teleradiologist is a very ideal career for fresh graduates of radiology.

There is a very high demand for junior teleradiologists. You can work as a virtual clinical associate under an expert senior radiologist. The increased demand in medical imaging also means an increased in the workload of these senior radiologists. They find it hard to tend to each and every case which is why they need junior radiologists to draft preliminary reports. Radiologists who have just graduated are given the opportunity to work hand in hand with senior radiologists with many expertise and years of experience. This is a very good learning opportunity as this will give them the chance to learn things that could not be found in textbooks. 

We would like to know if you have any more point from your side? Can you add an 14th point in the comments section?

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