The Difference Between a DVM Radiologist and an MD Radiologist
And 6 Reasons a Board-Certified Vet Radiologist is a MUST When it Comes to Your Pet’s Health
Veterinarians often get asked if they are “real doctors”. This question is all too common, and we give it up to vets for fielding this question all the time. And while it’s generally not said with any ill intent, we understand the misconception. Because vets work with animals, their work and education are sometimes perceived as less “real” than their counterparts in human medicine.
There are many veterinary doctors, varying in degrees of specialization and training. This creates confusion around the difference between human medicine and veterinary medicine. There are radiologists in both fields. There are surgeons in both fields. There are oncologists in both fields. Yep - so many titles that overlap!
To dissect the differences between a radiologist for animals and an MD radiologist, you need to know more about these worlds of science, the education for each path, and why you want a board-certified DVM radiologist in your corner when it comes to your pet’s health.
Are veterinarians MDs?
Veterinarians (aka DVMs) are not MDs. MD stands for Doctor of Medicine or Medical Doctor. DVMs stands for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. While MDs and DVMs are both doctors, the simple difference is that one works with humans and the other works with animals.
Dr. Curtis preparing a dog for a CT scan
Education requirements for both MDs and DVMs are similar in some ways. The complete education for a DVM can take eight years, including four years of undergraduate study and four years of graduate school. To specialize, many DVMs will enter a residency program that can take anywhere from two to four years, depending on the program.
Some DVM radiologists specialize in a specific area of the field. For example, a radiation oncologist develops cancer treatment plans. And a board-certified DVM radiologist has additional specialized training to work with diagnostic imaging equipment.
Similarly, an MD requires four years of undergraduate education, plus an additional four years in medical school. Residency training takes somewhere between an additional three and seven years of school.
Although the time spent in school is comparable, it should be noted that veterinarians have to learn anatomy, physiology, medicine, and surgical techniques for seven species. In the same number of years of school, MDs learn the same subject matter for only one species.[1]
Each degree requires a considerable amount of studying and clinical experience. And both types of doctors walk away with a degree that allows them to diagnose patients, recommend treatments, and prescribe medications.
What is a board-certified veterinary radiologist?
A board-certified DVM radiologist evaluates CT and MRI scans, ultrasound, and x-ray images. These images help develop the best course of treatment for your pet. Diagnostic images show what’s going on inside your pet, what is causing mysterious symptoms, and possibly find any underlying disease that may need additional treatment.
There are several cases requiring a DVM radiologist. From the good: ensuring your dog mom and her future pups are in good health – to the bad: finding what the heck your kitten swallowed and is causing her to cough. Vet radiologists use images and x-rays to get a glimpse into what’s happening in your dog or cat.
Additional duties include:
Overseeing different diagnostic equipment with different software and procedures
Providing consultations and offering treatment plans to other veterinarians
Supervising and educating veterinary technicians
Training radiology residents and interns
Writing detailed case reports
Interacting with other veterinarians and clients regularly requires strong communication skills
Dr. Olivia Shoup at Sage Veterinary Imaging in Sandy, Utah
6 Reasons You Want a Board-Certified Veterinary Radiologist for Your Pet
Not all vet clinics are made the same. While a lot of clinics have some diagnostic imaging equipment, it’s usually limited to an x-ray machine or ultrasound (no CT or MRI). In addition, they rarely have staff experienced or certified in diagnostic imaging. Veterinarians generally do a good job with basic x-ray and ultrasound cases, but sometimes when things get a little more complicated, they need help with diagnostics.
In patients that have serious injuries, mysterious symptoms, or complex diagnoses, advanced diagnostic imaging is needed. In this situation, your vet calls on the services of a board-certified veterinary radiologist. It may be the best tool!
When seeking out care for your animal, a board-certified radiologist is wanted because:
You receive the highest quality care and examination available from a trained professional.
The interpretation and subtleties in a radiograph, CT, MRI, or Ultrasound require a highly trained eye and years of experience.
They have the specialized experience to know what to look for in images and provide highly accurate assessments.
The rigorous education they receive gives them a deep understanding of how radiology results fit into the complete health profile of your pet.
They are experienced in many procedures, which means these procedures are minimally invasive for your pet, and most importantly as safe as possible.
Their education prepares them to diagnose and recommend treatment for all types of animals and diseases.
Some MRI or CT images and radiographs are more challenging than others, so if you already have had these images done for your pet, but have not found an answer, an “overread consult” (AKA “second opinion”) can be incredibly helpful. Let your vet send your pet’s existing images to a board-certified radiologist, or seek the help of Sage Veterinary Imaging.
What is a veterinary radiologist salary?
There are around 600 board-certified vet radiologists in the US and only about 30 passing boards each year.[3] This makes competition fierce in this field.
The numbers for DVM radiologists are quite higher and in contrast with an estimated 23,000 practicing MD radiologists.[4] Pay varies greatly in both paths.
As of Nov 2, 2022, the average annual pay for a Veterinary Radiologist in the United States is $149,993 yearly.[5] While annual salaries as high as $388,500 and as low as $20,000 are seen, most veterinary radiologists' salaries currently range between $52,000 to $195,000. And top earners can make up to $272,000 annually.
As you can see, the average pay range for a veterinary radiologist varies greatly (by as much as $143,000), which suggests there are many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience.[5]
Sage Veterinary Imaging’s ACVR-Accredited Residency Program
Sage Veterinary offers a one-year diagnostic imaging internship. If accepted, this leads to a three-year radiology residency. You will gain an unrivaled level of hands-on experience with daily 3T MRI, 128 CT, ultrasound, special procedures, and nuclear medicine cases, including collaboration with an experienced neurosurgery team.
What really sets our radiology residency apart from others is the intersection of advanced technology and a radiology team that has deeply specialized in 3T MRI. Our unique training methodology blends hands-on learning with academic concepts that will prepare you to pass ACVR boards.
Learn more about our ACVR-Accredited Residency Program.
At Sage Veterinary, we are part of the American College of Veterinary Radiology’s board-certified residency program. This means we offer education for aspiring DVMs with an interest in diagnostic imaging and who resonate with our mission of bringing advanced human-quality diagnostic imaging to pets.
Dr. Rita Echandi performing an ultrasound on a cat at Sage Veterinary Imaging in Round Rock, Texas
How To Become a Veterinary Radiologist
Veterinary radiologists are really no joke! A board-certified veterinary radiologist is a DVM who also completes an internship and residency in animal radiology. Once they have passed the American College of Veterinary Medicine (ACVR) exam, they can begin the work of using several techniques to find animal injuries and diseases that are often complex and hard to see.
The detailed education path for becoming a DVM radiologist is below:
Bachelor’s Degree
Students gain a solid footing in natural sciences and biology. Access to experience working with animals, practicing veterinarians, and other opportunities to learn more about the field parts of an undergraduate degree in veterinary medicine too.
Focus on the coursework and laboratory requirements in undergraduate studies ensures the student is ready to apply for veterinary school and take the required standardized test.
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Vet schools require students to pass either the MCAT or GRE standardized tests.
These tests are no small feat. For at least four to six months, most people need 10-15 hours per week to study for the MCAT. In total, students should aim for at least 200 to 300 hours of MCAT study time.[2]
Veterinary School
There are only 29 accredited veterinary schools in the US as opposed to 141 accredited medical schools in the US, making it just under 5 times harder to get accepted to veterinary school.[1]
Each school has different requirements, but for most this includes (but is not limited to): GPA, experience working in a clinical setting, letters of recommendation, leadership or club involvement, MCAT/GRE scores, and a personal essay. All documents must be submitted with a student’s application and can take several months to get everything together.
During a student’s graduate studies, they will study many subjects such as dermatology, pathology, animal anatomy, cell biology, parasitology, health and disease, small and large animal tissue, microbiology and immunology, and veterinary practice.
Post-Doctoral Training
Once a student receives their DVM degree, they must complete a post-doctoral residency program, working under a teaching veterinary radiologist.
This time is spent getting the hands-on knowledge and training students need for radiology, MRI, CT, and ultrasound. All of this will add up and prepare the student to take the board certification exam offered by the ACVR. When the exam is passed, a DVM receives a veterinarian radiologist board certification.
Sage Veterinary Imaging is an ACVR-accredited teaching facility. We offer a 3-year residency program working with some of the best cross-sectional specialized radiologists in veterinary medicine. We give students access to an unusually high volume of small animal clinical cases, using high-quality, research-grade diagnostic imaging equipment, and the support they need to prepare for the ACVR exam.
Sage Veterinary Imaging: Leaders in Veterinary Radiology
We know it takes an expert to read diagnostic images. With Sage Veterinary’s board-certified radiologists, you can be confident in a diagnosis and trust what our radiologists see. They spend years in education and training to bring you the most accurate results, which leads you to a better outcome for your pet when diagnostic imaging is needed.
Dr. Jaime Sage, the founder, received her veterinary training at Texas A&M. After completing a radiology residency, she received further training as an MRI specialist with Patrick Gavin, Ph.D., DACVR/RO, one of the early pioneers of veterinary MRI.
Dr. Sage is currently president of the CT & MRI Society at ACVR and has issued over 20,000 MRI reports over the past 15 years. She frequently lectures and presents at meetings and conferences worldwide.
For more information on where to get diagnostic imaging done for pets in Texas or Utah, go to our Contact Us page to learn more.
References:
https://web-dvm.net/a-contrast-between-veterinarians-mds/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20practicing%20medicine,the%20course%20 of%20one%20 morning.
http://doctorly.org/how-to-become-a-veterinary-radiologist/
https://howigotintoveterinaryschool.com/veterinary-radiologist/#:~:text=The%20ACVR%20says%20that%20there,certified%20veterinary%20radiologists%20out%20there.https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-veterinary-radiologist
https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/interactive-data/active-physicians-us-doctor-medicine-us-md-degree-specialty-2015
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Veterinary-Radiologist-Salary
