Single Center Experience of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Education and Career Outlook of Radiologists

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic mandated social distancing and contact isolation. There is limited data on the impact of such changes on the clinical and educational experience of radiologists. This study aims to understand how the pandemic affected the education, careers, and mental well-being of resident and attending radiologists. Methods: A 17-item questionnaire was distributed to resident and attending radiologists at a single academic center. Responses were collected from October 2020 to January 2021 and a follow-up survey was distributed in December 2021. Outcome measures were analyzed using measures of central tendency in Microsoft Excel. Results: There were 26 responses, 20 from attending physicians and 6 from residents. Of these, 70% of attendings and 66.7% of residents perceived a negative impact on educational experiences. Among those who completed the depression questionnaire, 85% denied symptoms in themselves or colleagues. In the follow-up survey, all participants reported increased imaging volume, and 57% were working remotely. While 57% saw no impact on mentorship from remote interactions, 29% reported a negative effect. A sense of being overworked was noted by 86%, and 43% reported reduced job satisfaction. Depressive symptoms related to the pandemic were endorsed by 71%. Discussion: While schedule flexibility was a notable benefit to remote work, a significant negative impact on educational experiences was reported. Career dissatisfaction was also significant in the follow-up questionnaire, likely due to sustained increased volume and remote education. Future studies should explore workload, mental health, and career satisfaction to improve structuring of radiology workflows.