Something happened to the field of Radiology.
Actually, a lot of things have happened and are happening to Radiology all the time, but one of those things has been that the proliferation of corporate and private equity-backed radiology practices over the past decade has been followed by a historic radiologist shortage, a subsequent piping-hot radiology job market, and a challenging zero-sum game to hire on-site and even remote radiologists.
There are thousands of rad jobs available in the country and more work than the field can handle, but only a fraction of those positions are at independent radiologist-owned and controlled private practices. A lot are not.
That’s why I’ve temporarily been posting a radiology job ad on this otherwise very personal site, and that’s why I’ve just launched Independent Radiology.
From the “Why?” page:
The thriving independent private practice of radiology is critical to the future of the field. True private practice–where doctors control the organization, are responsible to their peers and patients, and earn the full fruits of their labor–is the benchmark that sets the market and provides the anchor against exploitation from unscrupulous employers.
This site exists to help those radiologists looking for the real deal.
You don’t have to agree with me, and you also don’t have to care. Not everyone needs or wants to work in private practice, and of course that’s fine. I also believe in the academic mission, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with being an employee. I also don’t want to just glamorize a practice model. Models aren’t destiny, and a private practice isn’t necessarily a good practice.
But, I do believe every radiologist should hope for the success of independent radiologist-owned private practices. The ability to join a thriving independent practice where doctors get paid for the full amount of their professional work and have the autonomy to choose how to do it is what forces employers to compete. It’s the anchor. It’s the BATNA that every hospital and corporate suit knows you have. It’s what keeps them honest.
By another analogy, the employment model is the renting to a partnership’s buying. There’s nothing wrong with renting. Renting can be great! Sometimes, based on your finances, the available options, and the local factors, renting is simply a better, safer option than buying. It’s undeniable. Not every house is a good purchase. And, when you have a good landlord, who charges you a fair market rate and is quick to fix the things that break down, renting can be an easy low-friction experience.
But we are stronger as a field when ownership is a real possibility. And, like homeownership, when you buy a good property, in the long run, you generally end up ahead. You have to deal with some upfront costs and the upkeep–oh, the upkeep!–but you also have more say about the property and you’re not reliant on someone else’s goodwill or business savvy. You have a good place to live: a home, not just a house. For the renter, the landlord can always change. They can always call your bluff and see how far they can push you before you decide to move. That’s why viable options are important for the whole market.
So, I wanted to make some space online to help those who want to join and help build a practice to find what they’re looking for. And, I wanted to build a place to showcase true independent radiologist-owned private practices in order to help them find radiologists in this challenging market.
I hope it’s helpful.