Retirement in Radiology

A widespread problem with radiologists and retirement is that they don’t start preparing soon enough, Bruce Barron, MD, MHA, FACNM, of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, told Diagnostic Imaging at RSNA 2014.

Radiologists tend to retire later in life, Barron said, and mostly for economical reasons. Reimbursement cuts in the last several years have made it harder for radiologists to plan for long-term needs. These radiologists might benefit from a gradual retirement with a slowly decreasing workload, Barron said.

It’s also better for radiologists not to delay retirement because of the physiological and psychological issues that develop with older age. Barron cited specifically cataracts, visual acuity, and visual discrimination between two objects and contrast, and cognitive changes.

Barron recommended that radiologists identify when it’s an appropriate time to retire, whether for physiological issues or quality of life. Regardless of when it’s time, though, Barron said if you aren’t preparing for retirement now, it’s time to start.