Radiology Interview Questions

Talk to the hiring manager about a time when you really hit it off well with a patient. What was the situation and why do you feel you two connected?

"My favorite patient so far has been a young woman who was battling cancer. She was so strong and always positive. She was thankful for the care that she received and rarely ever had a frown. It was very inspiring to meet someone so young, with such an incredible attitude - even in the face of death."

As a medical professional, you will be required to work alongside a variety of strong personalities. Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to get along well with many different personality types.

"I work best with professionals who are focused, dedicated and have a strong level of morale. I understand that in the medical field I will come across a lot of strong personalities, opinions and ego's. I am very prepared for that as well."

Assure the hiring manager that you are able to handle a change in priorities, and roll with the punches, seamlessly. Give an example if you have one. Be sure to display your strong level of patience and ability to adapt.

"Working in the medical field requires adaptability. I completely understand that, as a Radiologist, my daily schedule can be turned upside down quite quickly. My mindset has always been to complete any task that is given to me, based on an urgency basis."

Talk to the hiring manager about your greatest strengths and list the top 3 ways in which you feel you would make an impact on their unit, should you be the successful candidate.

"My 3 biggest assets are my attention to detail, my bedside manner, and the fact that I am willing to learn from my colleagues. These are all helpful qualities that I promise to bring your facility, should I be the successful candidate."

Working with children is much different than working with adult patients. Assure the hiring manager that you are able to work with children as patients. Give an example if you can.

"I have worked with children as patients for much of my career. My first Radiology role was at a Children's hospital. I find working with adolescent patients to be very rewarding."

Getting along well with other physicians is an important part of success in your role. Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to get along with others on the job.

"I have strong relationships with other physicians. I truly believe that everyone can teach you something and I am happy to learn from others. In my current team, we all get along very well. Despite multiple personalities being present, we all have a mutual respect for one another."

"I have a great working relationship with the other medical professional in our hospital. I'm a member of two multidisciplinary teams so effective communication is imperative."

Talk to the interviewer about your ability to keep busy in the workplace, even when it is a bit slower. Assure the hiring manager that you are able to keep busy and remain productive no matter what the circumstances.

"I really enjoy staying busy and productive. In a medical setting, there is rarely downtime, however; if I were to have downtime I would first ask a colleague if they needed any assistance. Second, I would read additional research papers to improve my knowledge in my field. Being productive is very important to me."

" In my downtime I enjoy reading research papers and articles in medical journals to improve my knowledge in the field."

Talk to the hiring manager about an important and rewarding moment that you have experienced as a Radiologist. How did it make you feel?

"I have had so many rewarding experiences as a Radiologist but the one that stands out most to me was a 15 year old patient that I had, earlier on in my career. I detected an abnormality around her heart. This teen had a long road to recovery after being diagnosed with a heart abnormality but her attitude was so amazing and inspiring. Her great attitude will stick with me throughout my career."

Share with the interviewer what your proudest characteristic is. How does this characteristic help you in your daily success?

"My proudest characteristic is my ability to draw empathy for everyone that I come across, no matter their attitude. It greatly helps me in my success because my patients are able to connect with me, and I with them."

"My best character trait is my patience. I've found that needing patience is vital to effectively working with colleagues as well as patients."

"My best character trait is my patience. I've found that needing patience is vital to effectively working with colleagues as well as patients."

Do you feel that you will be exposed to radiation during your career, causing negative health effects in the long term? Discuss this with the hiring manager.

"I am not concerned about working in an environment that may expose me to radiation. I believe that my work is important and am willing to take that risk. There are many professions who take larger risks than this on a daily basis."

Not all work situations are ideal. Talk to the interviewer about how you would handle working in tough situations with limited resources and/or low morale. Here is a sample answer "I have been accustomed to working in ideal work situations where morale is high and resources are plenty. I have, however, worked as a volunteer in third world situations. It's important to work in situations like this so that we can appreciate what we have here in America. During this volunteer time I was able to really think outside of the box when it came to care of patients. You have to utilized what you are given and keep a positive attitude."

"I have been accustomed to working in ideal work situations where morale is high and resources are plenty. I have, however, worked as a volunteer in third world situations. It's important to work in situations like this so that we can appreciate what we have here in America. During this volunteer time I was able to really think outside of the box when it came to care of patients. You have to utilized what you are given and keep a positive attitude."

"A heart felt thank you and compliment to a co-worker can mean a lot during a time of stress."

"A heart felt thank you and compliment to a co-worker can mean a lot during a time of stress."

Display to the hiring manager that you have strong knowledge in all things related to radiation. Keep your answer short and to the point.

"We measure radiation in microsieverts (uSv) and from my understanding, radiation measured at 2 Sv can become fatal without proper care. Fatality can certainly occur at 4 Sv without immediate treatment, and will occur 100% of the time at 8 Sv."

Talk to the hiring manager about aspects from your education that may not be listed on your resume.

"My best course in school was on interventional radiology. I found the concepts to be very exciting and interesting. My most challenging course was on collimators for nuclear medicine. Since graduating, I have worked on multiple case studies surrounding this topic in order to strengthen my skills in this area."

"I was most interested in my Pediatric courses. The ones that were the most difficult were in my last year because I was working part time in addition to finishing up my coursework."

Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to handle conflict in the workplace. Give a specific example of a time when you resolved a conflict with a co-worker.

"Not too long ago I witnessed a workplace conflict between a nurse and a fellow Radiologist. I wasn't personally involved but unfortunately I was dragged into the issue because I witnessed the conversation. I kept things professional and simply gave the facts without bias or emotion. I really try to stay out of all workplace conflict and drama."

As a Radiologist, it is generally expected that you will be available for a variety of shifts and long hours. How do you feel about that?

"My schedule is very flexible and I am more than happy to offer my time to this profession. If a job needed to be done and I was asked to cover for a colleague, the answer would be 'Absolutely.' I realize that long hours, overtime, evenings and holidays are part of what I signed up for when I became a Doctor."

Discuss with the hiring manager how you feel 24/7 radiology services would impact your work and patient care.

"I do think that radiology services should be available 24/7. It would help to fast forward a lot of the wait lists and increase our ability, as physicians, to help patients in a much shorter timeline."

Talk to the hiring manager about your opinion on the short term effects of radiation exposure.

"Short term effects of radiation exposure could be diagnosed as Acute Radiation Syndrome but usually only if the person is exposed to very high levels of radiation. Symptoms of ARS may include nausea, vomiting, headache, and diarrhea."

Do you have an ego? Can it get in the way? Tell the hiring manager how you would process receiving critical feedback from another physician. If this has happened before, you can use that case as an example.

"If a fellow physician criticized my work, I would react in a way that was professional and would give the criticism or feedback some honest thought. I would try to understand the nature of the criticism. Did they criticize my work in order to challenge me professionally, or were they simply being spiteful? I am always open to feedback and love to be challenged."

Assure the hiring manager that you are able to take new research and implement it into your practice. Talk about a time when you have done so. Keep your answer to a couple of main points and be sure to pause for the interviewer to join in, creating a healthy discussion on the research. This can be a great opportunity for you to bond with the hiring manager on a shared opinion.

"After reading more about Pediatric Radiology from my MEDLinx app, I was able to learn some new tips to calm children when getting an MRI. I was able to use them on one of our last patients and it worked perfectly!"

What does initiative mean to you, and how do you demonstrate that? Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to take initiative in the workplace.

"To me, initiative means taking control of a situation or job without being asked. It means exercising your ability to be in the know when it comes to your teams needs. I demonstrate initiative through keeping a pulse on the needs of my team and taking action without being asked."

"Taking initiative to me is being a good leader. I've shown my past leadership that I'm a good leader and have been asked numerous times to lead before I can volunteer to do so."

How do you react when your day turns out differently than you expected? Talk to the interviewer about how you would react to sudden changes in your schedule.

"As a Radiologist, there are days that will not turn out how you expect them to. I understand that completely. If I were to have 8 patients booked and only 5 showed up, I would take it in stride. If possible, I would ask my administrator to call our wait list and book additional patients last minute. My focus would certainly be to have as productive of a day as possible."

"When 5 out of 8 patients show for the day that means that I can get a bit of administrative work done."

Tell the interviewer about feedback you have been given during your performance reviews and what you think may be a common theme for improvement. What are you doing to better yourself in this area?

"In my performance reviews, my supervisor has discussed some strategies and given me suggestions on how to slow down a little bit. I need to take more time to thoroughly explain any medical diagnosis to the residents and patients. Sometimes I just get into my own head a little bit and move at my own pace."

"All of my performance reviews have been positive and constructive. I've been reminded that I need to break for lunches and leave on time each day. I have a habit of getting caught up in my work and working through lunch. I've realized that I need a break each day. I've made a point to take my lunch breaks away from the office, outside or with friends. Its gives me chance to decompress even when I don't think I need to."

Talk to the hiring manager about your schedule and flexibility in hours.

"I understand that as a Radiologist, my hours may be sporadic and not always pre-determined. I went into this field with a strong understanding that I would be expected to work a wide range of hours. I can make myself available whenever needed."

"I am looking for a full-time schedule ideally working Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. I am available to work later into the evenings, and I am available to pull call as necessary."

Display to the hiring manager that you have a strong knowledge regarding the side-effects of radiation exposure on the human body.

"Radiation impacts the entire body, however; the most damage can be felt but the tissue and organs. I feel that the parts most affected by radiation are the hair, the brain, thyroid, blood system, heart, gastrointestinal tract and the reproductive tract."

As a Radiologist you will often come across decisions and choices that perhaps you do not understand or agree with. Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to deal with this type of situation in a professional manner.

"In my current position, the hospital administrator often makes choices that we do not all agree with when it comes to the hospital network. Understanding that we all have our strengths and areas of expertise, I do try to just roll with the decisions and keep my focus on my work."

"A recent managers decision was to not grant leave to a fellow co-worker. I assured the manager that I was going to be available and would take the on-call phone. After helping the manager rearrange the schedule my co-worker was able to go on vacation after all."

Patients who are in chronic pain can be challenging. Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to manage these types of situations where chronic pain is present.

"I treat all patients the same, no matter the mood they are in. My role as a Radiologist is to provide patients with the utmost care, no matter the emotions or feelings that are being presented. Any patients who are in chronic pain will alway receive the most care and attention from me."

Talk to the hiring manager about your opinion on the long term effects of radiation exposure.

"There are a few consequences of long term radiation exposure. People who receive high doses of radiation could have a greater risk of developing cancer later in life, depending on the radiation exposure.This can also cause abnormalities and deformities if radiation exposure occurs prenatally."

Discuss with the hiring manager what you feel are important qualities for strong leadership. Have you had a memorable leader? Perhaps you have been a good leader.

"During my Fellowship, I had a really amazing leader. She was thoughtful, attentive, and thorough. I believe these qualities are what made her team want to listen, and learn, from her. I always told myself that when I am in a leadership function, I would try to emulate those qualities as well."

Being able to endure to the end, despite the level of difficulty in a project, is an important and difficult task at times. Assure the hiring manager that you are able to endure to the end.

"I have always been one to finish what I start, no matter how difficult or daunting the task my seem. Being in Radiology, I have found that there are many moving parts at a time which can make it difficult to see everything to completion. I will utilize my resources as much as necessary in order to ensure that the job is complete before moving on."

It's always nice to be heard in the workplace. Talk to the hiring manager about what you would change, if you could, in your current work place. Be sure to keep your answer positive and brief. This is not a time to complain or talk negatively about your current workplace.

"If I could change anything about my current role, I would say that it would be easier access to patient files. We do not have the most updated digital system which can make it difficult to streamline communication and organization. They certainly do the best they can there, which I do appreciate."

Display to the hiring manager that you have knowledge in this area of treatment. Keep your answer concise and to the point.

"Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a type of radiation therapy used to treat tumors, vascular malformations and other abnormalities in the brain. Gamma knife treatment is excellent because no incision is actually required."

Why are you passionate about Radiology? The hiring manager would like to know what drives you to succeed in this position so that they can be assured that when the going gets tough, your passion will keep you present.

"I have always wanted to be a doctor. When I was in medical school and it was time for me to choose my specialty, radiology really stood out to me because it is a unique and highly technical avenue in medicine. I loved how I could interpret an x-ray like an engineer would interpret a schematic drawing or blueprint. I am very passionate about what I do and have never looked back."

The compensation question can be very difficult to answer. It's always best to start with what you are currently earning and then discuss what your future compensation goals look like.

"Currently, I am earning a salary of X. In my next position, I would like to see an increase to Y. What range are you offering for this position?"

"I've researched the locations salary and have found that it is comparable to what I'm currently making."

Difficult patients will show up in your day every now and then. Tell the hiring manager how you deal with difficult patients.

"I give difficult patients the same care that I give the cooperative ones. As a Radiologist, I work with people who are sick and everyone processes those emotions differently. If they are especially difficult, I will encourage them to take on a more positive attitude by keeping the mood as light as possible and giving them positive things to focus on."

Display to the hiring manager that you have strong knowledge when it comes to the topic of general radiation exposure. You can keep your answer very matter of fact and use an example if possible.

"The amount of radiation from a single chest x-ray is minute. An average 40 year old male will be exposed to approximately .01 mSv from a single chest x0ray. To put that into perspective, it would increase his chance of cancer by 0.0006%."

Tell the hiring manager about the medical journals that you read. Why do you read them?

"I read medical journals quite often because I am able to learn so much from them and I really enjoy hearing about the amazing advances in medical. My favorite reads are The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association, The British Medical Journal and The Lancet."

"I have the MDlinx app on my phone for quick reference. During my downtime, lunch breaks and when I need to reference something I utilize the Journal Summaries quickly at my fingertips."

As a Radiologist, endurance is very important. You spend long hours on your feet and challenge yourself mentally. Discuss with the hiring manager what endurance means to you.

"To me, endurance is being able to forge through a day no matter how difficult it may seem. Being able to take a step back and re-assess difficult situations to overcome trials is another form of endurance, in my opinion."

Display to the hiring manager that you have strong knowledge on the topic of radiation and cell development.

"I believe that there are two significant ways that radiation affects cell development and DNA. The first is when the water in one's body absorbs a large amount of radiation and becomes ionized. This creates free radicals. These free radicals can react with and damage the DNA molecule. The second occurs when radiation collides with the DNA molecule, itself, ionizing and damaging it directly."

Ethics in the hospital are incredibly important. Discuss this with the hiring manager. How do you ensure that ethics are always in consideration, on the job?

"Ethics in the hospital are the most important consideration. We, as physicians, are held to the highest standards and it should always be that way. People put their trust in us and their lives in our hands."

The interviewer is wanting to know how you get your career updates and what groups you are a part of. This question is a great way to strike up a conversation and discuss a particular article or topic recently covered by the organization.

"I am not a member of an organization yet. I've found mentorship and guidance from my peers and leadership over the years."

If giving back to your community through charitable actions and volunteer work is important to you, talk to the hiring manager about your efforts. It's best if you have experience relatable to the past 5 years to current. You want to avoid talking about how you volunteered as a teenager, for instance. That is too far back in time to be relevant.

"I have recently applied to be a volunteer physician with our local women's clinic. I have spent many hours working with our community animal shelter, as well. I believe that volunteer work is incredibly important, especially as someone who is highly trained in the medical field. There are so many options for me to give back and I am happy to do so."

Talk to the hiring manager a little bit about yourself that steps outside of your medical education and work history. This is an opportunity for you to show them a bit about your personality. Circle your answer back to how this skill or experience will benefit you in this role.

"Something about me that many do not know is that I was a competitive dancer for many years. I gave it up once I was accepted into medical school. Despite it being unrelated to medicine, it truly did teach me about discipline and dedication."

Talk to the hiring manager about your residency experience. Did you find the experience rewarding? What was the greatest thing you learned?

"I have a lot of great memories and experiences that come from my residency. I learned so much on the medical side but even more important to me, I learned a lot about bedside manner and patient/doctor relationships. All-in-all, my residency at Hospital XYZ was incredibly rewarding."

This is a time where you can talk a bit about your personal journey to Radiology. Discuss with the hiring manager how you came to this area of specialty and why Radiology is a passion of yours.

"I chose Radiology as my area of specialty because I feel that it is an area of medicine that isn't as popular or talked about. It's incredibly important to me and I realized this at a young age when this practice saved my mother's life."

"I knew Radiology was a growing field and I wanted to be a part of it. I love children and knew I wanted to help them so I chose Pediatric Radiology."

Showing appreciation for your co-workers' accomplishment is an important thing to demonstrate. How do you do that? Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to demonstrate appreciation for someone's qualities in the workplace.

"I show appreciation for someone's qualities by telling them. Words of kindness are how I show my co-workers that I appreciate what they accomplish and that I value their contribution."

"I make a point to praise my employees and provide constructive feedback. We all work well together in the positive work environment we've created for ourselves."

Talk to the hiring manager about any areas in which you would like to expand your knowledge.

"I feel there is always room for improvement as a Radiologist. Currently, my focus is on becoming even more skilled at interpreting cross section x-rays. Even though I am strong in this area, I feel I can always be better. I will study older medical cases and interpret the x-rays, and other scans, for practice."

As a Radiologist you are highly specialized in your field. What makes you stand out from the crowd? Talk about a unique skill that you would bring to the job, should you be given the opportunity.

"My greatest strength as a Radiologist is my ability to relate the medical terminology to my patients in a way that they always understand. A patient's diagnosis and treatment plan should always be clear to them. Having this still is very important because as smart as you need to be, you always need to be relatable to others."

There are many branches of Radiology that you can lean towards to. Which one interests you the most?

"I am very interested in all types of Radiology, however; the one area that I am most interested in therapeutic radiology."

"I'm interested in Radiation Oncology. I'm back in school and have 3 months until I finish my specialty."

Discuss with the hiring manager what you feel the top qualities are as a Radiologist.

"I believe that the top 3 qualities a Radiologist should have are compassion, analytical skills and attention to detail. With these primary qualities, you can help any patient and be a successful member of any medical team."

Discuss with the hiring manager where you feel radiological medicine is headed in the next few years. How do you come to those conclusions? What types of medical reports are you reading?

"I have been reading a variety of medical journals. Most recently, I came across XYZ journal and an article about the future of radiology. The article pointed out that..."

Talk to the hiring manager about how you balance work and play. Discuss ways that you ensure you do not experience burnout.

"I am careful to keep a balance in my life in order to prevent personal burnout. Working out regularly and reading books on my downtime is a very helpful way for me to avoid burnout."

Are you skilled when it comes to making decisions? As a Radiologist you will be required to make difficult decisions and recommendations when it comes to patients. Talk to the hiring manager about your ability to do so.

"Yes, I do consider myself a strong decision maker. As a Radiologist, I face incredibly challenging choices every day. I am skilled in this aspect and able to think critically, rather than emotionally, when it comes to patient diagnosis and other difficult topics."

The hiring manager would like to know that you can own up to your mistakes and learn from them. Talk about any error you recall making in your career, and what the outcome was.

"Earlier in my Radiology career I made a perceptual error while reading an x-ray. It lead to a delayed cancer diagnosis which was very difficult for me to come to terms with. I owned up to the error immediately and made sure to study additional cases that were similar in order to ensure the mistake didn't happen again."

Display to the hiring manager that you are knowledgeable when it comes to treatments used for radiation exposure.

"There is treatment available for internal contamination. Some treatments may reduce damage to internal organs but we can only use these treatments when a patient has been exposed to certain types of radiation. The three treatment types that I am aware of are Potassium Iodide, Prussian Blue, and Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)."

Discuss with the hiring manager what your ideal work environment is. Why do you prefer that type of environment?

"To me, an ideal work environment is a place where everyone feels important and a place where everyone can learn openly. I work best in an environment where employees are nurtured and encouraged to grow."

Talk to the hiring manager about the ways in which you are compassionate on the job. Is this an important quality for you to possess?

"I have most definitely been described as a compassionate individual. I believe that everyone should exude compassion, but especially those in the medical field. It's an incredibly important quality to have."

Display to the hiring manager that you are familiar with this type of treatment.

"Radiosurgery delivers a very high dose of radiation to a very small and specific area of the body. Radiosurgery is sometimes a single treatment which makes it very effective."

Display to the hiring manager that you are well versed in this form of treatment. Keep your answer as clear and concise as possible.

"Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a treatment that uses imaging guidance to place a needle electrode through the skin into a liver tumor. High-frequency electrical currents are passed through the electrode, creating heat that destroys the cancer cells. RFA is an effective treatment option for patients who might have difficulty with surgery or those whose tumors are less than one and a half inches in diameter. The success rate for completely eliminating small liver tumors is greater than 85 percent."