JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology has grown exponentially in the recent years. One of the primary worries by medical students is that AI will cause the roles of a radiologist to become automated and thus, obsolete. Therefore, there is a greater hesitance by medical students to choose radiology as a specialty. However, it is in this time of change that the specialty needs new thinkers and leaders. In this succinct article, two medical students involved in AI and two radiologists specializing in AI/clinical informatics argue that not only are these fears false, but that the field of radiology will be transformed in such a way due to AI that there will be novel reasons to choose radiology. These new factors include greater impact on patient care, new space for innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, increased patient contact, becoming master diagnosticians, and greater opportunity for global health initiatives, among others. Finally, since medical students view mentorship as a critical resource when deciding their career path, medical educators must also be cognizant of these changes and not put much weight to the prevalent fearmongering. As the field and practice of radiology continue to undergo significant change due to AI, it is urgent and necessary for the conversation to switch from expert-to-expert to expert-to-student. Medical students should be encouraged to choose radiology specifically because of the changes brought on by AI, rather than be deterred by it.