Steven A. Bell, M.D.                  

Bradley A. Brown, M.D.

James J. Rohlfing, M.D.M.D.

The physicians of Olympic Radiology are committed to providing quality imaging to patients and their referring clinicians.¬Ý

Each of our radiologists has been serving Kitsap County for over 13 years.

What is a radiologist?

A radiologist is a medical doctor (M.D.) who specializes in diagnosing and treating disease and injury by using medical imaging techniques.¬Ý Radiologists have completed at least 13 years of training, including medical school, licensing, a four-year residency, and often a one- to two-year fellowship of specialized training, and are at the forefront of imaging technology.

What do radiologists actually do?

Radiologists play an important role in your health care in several different ways.

First, they act as an expert consultant to your referring physician (the doctor who sent you to the radiology department or clinic for testing). They will aid him or her in choosing the examination that fits your needs. Then the radiologist will assist by interpreting the resulting medical images and recommending further scans or treatments when necessary.

When referring doctors say they have reviewed the radiology scans and reports, they usually mean they have gone over the study with the attending radiologist.

What kind of training and education has a radiologist completed?

Radiologists graduate from accredited medical schools, pass a licensing examination, and then go on to complete a residency of at least four years. A residency focuses on specific medical education in such fields as quality interpretation of medical imaging examinations and radiation safety. Radiologists also often complete a fellowship ’Äî one to two additional years of specialized training ’Äî in a particular subspecialty of radiology, such as breast imaging, cardiovascular radiology, or nuclear medicine. If you take into account four years of undergraduate education, the average radiologist has more than 13 years of training.

Why should I choose to have a radiologist conduct my imaging procedures?

Radiological procedures are just like any other prescribed medical technique. That means they should only be conducted by appropriately trained physicians who have access to the best technology. Radiologists have four to six years of unique, specific, post-medical school training in radiation safety to ensure the optimal performance of radiological procedures and interpretation of medical images. Other medical specialties mandate far less imaging education, ranging from a few days to a maximum of 10 months.

At the end of the day, your radiologist is THE expert in medical imaging.

From: MyRadiologist.com