What does an interventional radiologist do?
Interventional radiologist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real interventional radiologist resumes:
- Order necessary pre-operative labs and radiology and advise patients of pre-operative prep.
- Assist floor secretaries with pertinent and immediate documentations necessary for patients undergoing surgery or those being transfer to other facilities.
- Admit outpatient clients for same day epidural injections, ablations, implant surgery.
Interventional radiologist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 47% of Interventional Radiologists are proficient in Radiology, IR, and MRI. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Interventional Radiologists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Radiology, 47%
Performed a vast array of Interventional Radiology procedures.
- IR, 23%
Provided more hands on support to the IR nurses on preparing sedation documents, pre /post procedures etc.
- MRI, 17%
Observed reading results from CT scan, MRI, Nuclear Imagining, Ultra sound and X-ray test.
- GI, 4%
Worked in the GI department, and provided Elbow support to Anesthesiologists, Surgeons, Providers, CRNA's.
- Interventional Procedures, 4%
Performed majority of MRI/MRA and interventional procedures for the group.
- Catheter, 2%
Have not performed catheter angiography / intervention for over 10 years and do not read MRI.
Most interventional radiologists use their skills in "radiology," "ir," and "mri" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential interventional radiologist responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an interventional radiologist to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what interventional radiologists do because "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Additionally, an interventional radiologist resume shows how interventional radiologists use communication skills: "front desk receptionist serves as the front line of communication with a great focus on customer service. "
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform interventional radiologist duties is detail oriented. Interventional radiologists responsibilities require that "patients must receive appropriate treatment and medications." Interventional radiologists also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided debtors/ patients with the detailed information needed to collect payment on the debt. "
Dexterity. This is an important skill for interventional radiologists to perform their duties. For an example of how interventional radiologist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "physicians and surgeons may work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an interventional radiologist: "provided more hands on support to the ir nurses on preparing sedation documents, pre /post procedures etc. ".
Physical stamina. For certain interventional radiologist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical stamina." The day-to-day duties of an interventional radiologist rely on this skill, as "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what interventional radiologists do: "assume responsibility for the safety, mental and physical comfort of patients while they are in the sonographer's care. "
The three companies that hire the most interventional radiologists are:
- HealthTrust6 interventional radiologists jobs
- Cleveland Clinic5 interventional radiologists jobs
- Baylor Scott & White Health4 interventional radiologists jobs
Compare different interventional radiologists
Interventional radiologist vs. Radiology resident
A radiologist is responsible for interpreting and evaluating medical image results to diagnose medical conditions and refer to medical professionals for immediate treatment plans. Radiologists analyze the patient's medical history to determine their medical conditions before the radiology procedure. They utilize various high-level machinery, requiring them to have strong knowledge of operating the equipment to ensure accurate results and reports. A radiologist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in discussing the medical processes to the patients and responding to any inquiries and concerns they may have.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between interventional radiologists and radiology resident. For instance, interventional radiologist responsibilities require skills such as "ir," "mri," "health system," and "gi." Whereas a radiology resident is skilled in "ultrasound," "diagnosis," "diagnostic images," and "nuclear medicine." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Radiology residents tend to reach higher levels of education than interventional radiologists. In fact, radiology residents are 8.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 20.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Interventional radiologist vs. Radiologist physician
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, interventional radiologist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "radiology," "ir," "health system," and "gi." Meanwhile, a radiologist physician has duties that require skills in areas such as "ultrasound," "pacs," "nuclear medicine," and "patient care." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Radiologist physicians earn higher levels of education than interventional radiologists in general. They're 45.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 20.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Interventional radiologist vs. Resident in diagnostic radiology
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from interventional radiologist resumes include skills like "ir," "health system," "gi," and "interventional procedures," whereas a resident in diagnostic radiology is more likely to list skills in "ultrasound," "ct scan," "clinical expertise," and "radiographic procedures. "
Most residents in diagnostic radiology achieve a higher degree level compared to interventional radiologists. For example, they're 9.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 20.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Interventional radiologist vs. Radiologist
Even though a few skill sets overlap between interventional radiologists and radiologists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an interventional radiologist might have more use for skills like "radiology," "mri," "health system," and "gi." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of radiologists require skills like "patients," "pacs," "patient care," and "pet. "
In general, radiologists hold higher degree levels compared to interventional radiologists. Radiologists are 5.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 22.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of interventional radiologist
Updated January 8, 2025
