David Rothfield is a Diagnostic Radiologist at his practice, Shady Grove Radiology.
1. What made you choose your job?
The opportunity to combine a high tech field with the ability to help patients and their doctors figure out the puzzle of what may be wrong with them.
2. How long have you been a diagnostic radiologist?
23 years
3. When did you realize this was the career path you were going to take?
During my third year of medical school. I had been a chemistry major in college and was always fascinated by the analytical equipment we used in the lab. I was reading a medical journal about a new imaging procedure using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. This had previously been used as a tool to identify chemical compounds. I was drawn to this cool application of being able to see inside the human body using this technology.
4. What type of education did you receive?
I graduated [from] Springbrook High School and went on to Case Western Reserve University where I received a BA and MS in chemistry during my four years. I then went to Wayne State University School of Medicine for four years and after medical school I was a resident in Diagnostic Radiology for four years. Medicine involves a continuing in education, and to that end I still take education courses to remain current. I also developed an interest in the business of Medicine and recently completed an MBA in Healthcare at the George Washington University.
5. Describe a typical day at work
As radiologists, we sit in front of a bank of computer monitors interpreting patient studies. I review these studies and make reports which then go to the patient’s doctors. I also read a large number of mammograms screening women for breast cancer. In my practice at Shady Grove Radiology, we give our mammogram patients their results before they walk out the door of our office. In the case of a women who we suspect has breast cancer or who needs a biopsy to exclude the diagnosis, I will talk to the patient about the test results. I also spend time answering other doctors’ questions about which is the right test to order for their patient. In addition to patient care duties, I also am a key person in practice administration. I find myself recruiting new physicians, reviewing contracts and overseeing our business operations.
6. What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is being able to tell parents that their child is okay or watching the expectant mother’s face beam when she hears that the ultrasound of her baby looks normal.
7. What is your least favorite part of the job?
Telling a patient they may have cancer or a mother that they have miscarried a pregnancy.
8. If you could go back in time, what would you have done differently?
When I finished my residency in 1988, most radiologists did not partake in fellowships (one to two years of additional training). If my crystal ball concerning the way medicine has evolved was more accurate, I would have done a fellowship. A fellowship does not necessarily mean that one is a better doctor, but it becomes about the paper one has on their wall, not just in medicine, but in all parts of their lives. I guess the moral of the story is you can never have enough education.
9. Is there anything else about your career that you would like to share?
Radiology is a rewarding speciality which is constantly changing.
