Medical Schools for Radiology

The competitiveness of diagnostic radiology residencies is on the rise and if this is a field you might be interested in pursuing, you should know that hiring is on the rise for this specialty. Radiologists are doctors who evaluate medical images, such as MRIs and X-rays, and determine what kind of treatment a patient will need. According to U.S. News & World Report, these are some notable medical schools for radiology. A Diagnostic Radiology Residency lasts five years: one year in a preliminary medicine, transitional year, or preliminary surgery program then four years in radiology at the same or different institution. Advanced programs, which are the most common will have residents start at PGY 2 and apply to PGY 1 year separately. There are more than 200 PGY 2 programs in radiology available. Of the 1,000 US seniors who applied in 2018 match, 683 found their match.

[RELATED:  Browse MCAT Class and Test Options by State ]
 

Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons exposes medical students to the study and practice of radiology in a number of ways. In their third year, students can choose to take specialized one-week courses in radiation and/or radiation oncology, and they can participate in a 4-week elective clerkship in global health radiology. In their fourth year, medical students can choose from 5 different radiology electives. In 2019, 9 VP&S students matched with radiation oncology, diagnostic radiology, and interventional radiology residencies. An MCAT score around 520 will make you a competitive applicant.
[ Learn more about Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons ]

Match Day sent 8 Duke seniors into various radiology residencies. The MD program attracts over 8,000 applications. Students accepted in 2019 had an average MCAT score of 520 (the full range was 513-525) and an average GPA of 3.8 (full range: 3.6-4.0). Students follow a four-week Clinical Core Clerkship in radiology in their second year, giving them plenty of time and additional opportunities for clerkship before choosing whether to pursue a radiology residency. Students also have an opportunity to further deepen their interest in radiology with electives such as Breast Imaging and Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
[ Learn more about Duke School of Medicine ]

A whopping 13 of Harvard Medical School’s 2018 match participants chose to continue their specializations with radiology residencies. The radiology clerkship through Massachusetts General Hospital is designed to teach fundamentals of diagnostic image interpretation and clinical indications for imaging examinations and special procedures and is required for third-year HMS students. This radiology clerkship is formally structured with didactic lectures, problem-based learning exercises, programmed audio-visual teaching seminars, tutorials, conferences, observation of film interpretation and observation of special procedures. Students are introduced to digital imaging and the management, storage and presentation of electronic radiologic images. The Harvard Med 2019 entering class of 165 students was made up of close to 60% women and matriculants have a median GPA of 3.9 and a median MCAT score of 519.
Learn more about Harvard Medical School ]
In 2018, 4 Johns Hopkins seniors matched into radiology residencies. The prestigious MD program offered admission to just 256 of 4,654 applicants in 2019, of which 120 matriculated. The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at Hopkins offers a one-month basic medical student clinical elective, the most popular elective in the School of Medicine for the past 10 years. It introduces students to imaging both as potential future consultants and future residents. Students spend one or two half days per week in various divisions seeing how studies are obtained, how patient care is delivered and attending readouts and teaching sessions. The basic elective course emphasizes not only the usual basics of interpretation and identifying urgent or life-threatening findings but also focuses on appropriate medical language and comportment, interview skills, and more. Students who want a more advanced or subspecialized experience can choose a radiology subspecialty observership, a second month on interventional radiology, pediatrics, musculoskeletal or with a specific mentor/faculty. Second months usually involve research opportunities.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins Medical School ]
During your clerkship year at NYU, two four-week blocks are dedicated to selective and elective rotations, which allow you to customize your education based on your professional interests. Selective and elective areas of study include radiology, as well as geriatric and palliative care, healthcare policy, global health, and more. The 2018 match saw at least 2 NYU seniors head into radiology residencies. NYU’s 2019 entering class of 101 students has some of the strongest median GPAs and MCAT scores, especially considering that its tuition-free policy attracts a large number of applicants
[ Learn more about NYU School of Medicine ]

Four Stanford matched into radiology residencies in 2018. The Department of Radiology at Stanford offers several elective clerkships designed to familiarize students with the interpretation of medical images and nuclear medicine studies, as well as to provide opportunities for observation and research in various subspecialty areas of radiology, including a Pediatric Radiology Clerkship. You will be exposed to all radiologic imaging modalities including MRI, CT, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, and plain radiography and will have the unique opportunity to participate in perinatal imaging including prenatal ultrasound and fetal MRI.
[ Learn more about Stanford School of Medicine ]

Radiology is integrated into all of the components of the core medical school curriculum at UCSF that spans the first two years of medical school. In conjunction with gross anatomy, radiologic anatomy and the applications of radiology are taught during the Prologue, Cardiopulmonary, Renal, Cancer: Bench to Bedside, Brain, Mind & Behavior, Metabolism & Nutrition and Life Cycle courses. Radiology electives are offered in every year, including more specialized radiology electives in third and fourth years, with an opportunity to do research. The average GPA for admitted students in 2019 was 3.8 and the average MCAT score percentile ranking was 94. The school received more than 7,800 applications and boasts a focus on admitting students traditionally underrepresented in medicine.
Learn more about UCSF School of Medicine ]
Michigan saw nine of its 2018 seniors match into radiology residencies. The Michigan Radiology Interest Group (MRIG) coordinates “case based” introduction to radiology and ultrasound lectures. The department has also coordinated six electives for second-year Michigan medical students: Emergency Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Women’s Imaging, Pediatric Radiology, Neuroradiology, and Ultrasound. By introducing the importance of radiology early in their medical student experience students learn to appreciate the importance of the radiologist and the large role they play in patient care. The entering class in 2019 had an average GPA of 3.78 and a class average MCAT percentile of 90.77.
[ Learn more about University of Michigan Medical School ]

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is one of the most competitive schools in the US with GPA and MCAT medians of 3.89 and 52, respectively, for its 2019 entering class. There are several opportunities for radiology electives, including Breast Imaging, Cardiovascular Imaging, Gastrointestinal Radiology, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Neuroradiology, Nuclear Medicine, Pediatric Radiology, and Vascular and Interventional Radiology. There is an additional elective that focuses on women’s imaging with an emphasis on breast imaging as well as imaging of the female pelvis. The elective allows students the opportunity to be exposed to radiologic procedures and image interpretation. During the rotation, the student observes the daily schedule in the Women’s Imaging Center, including digital mammography, tomosynthesis, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and minimally invasive image-guided procedures. There are opportunities to participate in clinical research. In the 2018 match, five Perelman students matched into various radiology residencies.
Learn more about Perelman ]

In the 2018 residency match, three WashU students matched into radiology residencies. The Edward Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (more commonly known as Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology or MIR) serves as the Department of Radiology for Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Several radiology electives are offered to WashU students, including a four-week general radiology clerkship and more advanced options such as thoracic imaging.
[ Learn more about Washington University School of Medicine ]
 

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE MCAT STUDY GUIDES

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 1 Month

Only have a month to prep? You can still earn the score you need by following this week-by-week plan.

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 2 months

Planning on taking the MCAT in two months? You’ll need to put aside a significant amount of study time each week.

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 3 months

Three months might seem like plenty of time, but you’ll still need to set aside many hours of study time each week.

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 6 months

Let’s take a look at how the next six months should shape up for you.