Recruiting the Radiologists of Tomorrow

Early exposure, mentorship and pathway programs spark interest in medical imaging careers

BY DENISE WILLIAMS September 10, 2026

Bryant-Smith

Armato

As radiology faces persistent workforce shortages and seeks a physician pipeline that better reflects the patients it serves, educators, institutions and professional organizations are expanding efforts to introduce students to medical imaging earlier in their academic careers.

Programs ranging from local mentorship initiatives to partnerships between professional associations like RSNA and student pathway organizations are designed to raise awareness of a specialty that many future physicians might otherwise overlook.

For Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, MD, that early exposure almost didn’t happen. A professor of radiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and director of both its breast center and mobile mammography program, she was already in medical school and planning a career in cardiology when a radiology interest group session changed her trajectory.

“Like any med student, my true motivation at the time was the promise of a free lunch,” Dr. Bryant-Smith admitted. “I could not have predicted that the information and experiences shared by the speakers that day would have such a dramatic influence on my career trajectory.”

That experience continues to shape how she thinks about recruiting the next generation of imaging specialists.

Raising Visibility at the Practice Level...

According to Dr. Bryant-Smith, more and earlier exposures like her own experience as a medical student are needed not only to raise the profession’s profile but to dispel the stereotypes attached to it. She emphasized the importance, for example, of tomorrow’s healthcare providers observing imaging specialists doing work outside of the reading room, like performing breast biopsies and interacting with patients, perhaps sharing an encouraging hug.

“People frequently believe radiologists are antisocial—that we work in a dark room, that we can't talk to people,” she said. “There’s a place in radiology for the introvert who doesn’t necessarily want to be patient-facing every day, but it is so much more multifaceted than that.”

Whether their interests lie in constant collaboration with referring physicians, hands-on procedures or reading studies remotely, radiologists can find a career path that fits their goals and strengths. “You’re able to tailor your career to what suits you,” Dr. Bryant-Smith said, “But students can only consider those possibilities if they are exposed to them.”

… and at the Institutional Level

Part of the campaign to stoke early interest in radiology involves introducing students to a broader view beyond the single-practice or single-facility experience.

Examples include the I Am Abel Foundation and the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) pathways programs, both of which partner with RSNA to help raise the profession’s visibility among students.

Sam Armato, PhD, associate director of education at UCCCC, explains that the programs there are designed to open horizons related to science broadly (including radiology) and cancer science specifically.

Several dozen trainees, some undergraduates and some still in high school, are selected out of hundreds of applications submitted per cycle and paired with faculty members who have volunteered to take on a student for the summer. Later that fall, participants—no matter the specialty of their assigned lab—are invited to spend a day at the RSNA Annual Meeting.

Several years ago, after developing connections with RSNA through educational outreach, Dr. Armato helped establish the collaboration between the Society and UCCCC.

RSNA 2026 will see a fourth cohort gather at Chicago’s McCormick Place for exploration, learning and, as Dr. Bryant-Smith can appreciate, a complimentary lunch. The experience is curated to emphasize exposure to annual meeting programming combined with targeted and exclusive activities.

“Presenters from across the spectrum offer broad perspective on all the players in this field, from radiologists and technologists to medical physicists, researchers and others,” Dr. Armato said.

Just as important, students are exposed to the tools and innovations that make medical imaging such a technology-driven specialty. Dr. Armato said another highlight of the experience is the tour of the exhibit floor and face time with technology vendors that have been strategically selected to interact with the young visitors.

“The exhibitors provide an overview of equipment like fluoroscopy units and the CT scanners,” he shared. “It’s the cutting-edge technology that we all love about the exhibit floor. The idea is to engage them, get them entranced with all the innovations happening in our field and hopefully make an impression.”

Beyond generating enthusiasm, organizers say the experience leaves students with a lasting and positive impression of radiology. Survey results showed that participants gained more knowledge about the field and the experience changed their impression of radiology. Many showed interest in considering a career in the field.

“Getting exposure even earlier on, being able to connect with students in their high school and college years to get the terms ‘radiology’ and ‘medical imaging’ in their vocabulary, is huge,” Dr. Armato said. “It’s not enough to simply talk about the field. Students need opportunities to see it firsthand on the exhibit floor and from imaging professionals, including prominent radiologists who are RSNA board members.”

“It’s not enough to simply talk about the field. Students need opportunities to see it firsthand on the exhibit floor and from imaging professionals, including prominent radiologists who are RSNA board members.”

— SAM ARMATO, PHD

Priming the Profession to Match the Population

The benefits of early exposure extend beyond recruitment numbers. According to Dr. Bryant-Smith, expanding awareness of radiology is not only about growing the workforce; it is also about ensuring the next generation of imaging professionals better reflects the patients they serve.

“Traditionally, radiology has not been as diverse as we would like, but patients find comfort in seeing themselves represented,” she observed. “When they see people who they relate to, they're more likely to engage more fully. So, part of our push to become more patient-centered is to make sure we bring in all different types of talent that can take care of different patients in different ways.”

RSNA’s partnership with the Chicago-based I Am Abel Foundation embodies that mindset. I Am Abel is a nonprofit organization that supports diverse students who are interested in medical, STEM or legal careers. Like the UCCCC pathways program, the organization takes a contingent of students to the RSNA Annual Meeting. Most are undergraduates or recent graduates readying themselves for the MCAT exam, and mentorship and coursework through I Am Abel gives them a window into different specialties.

“Their experience at the conference mirrors that of the UCCCC group,” Dr. Bryant-Smith said. “Participants enjoy special programming, speakers from different specialties and a field trip to the exhibit floor. Both cohorts are able to see for themselves the vastness of radiology, along with the latest technology.”

It is crucial to inspire would-be imaging professionals who are currently underrepresented in the field, Dr. Bryant-Smith emphasized, especially amid a troublesome shortage of radiologists and a drive for improved patient outcomes.

“Maybe we haven't always exposed enough people to bring in more diverse talent,” she acknowledged. “But we know that diversity in thought, diversity in experiences, diversity in gender and diversity in ethnicity make institutions stronger and make the specialty stronger.”

The takeaway for educators and imaging leaders alike is that early awareness is critical. Students are more likely to pursue radiology when they better understand all it encompasses and can envision a place for themselves in the field.