subject: Specializing in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) [print this page] Specializing in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a good choice for a medical doctor who plans on entering the field of radiography. MRI and NMRI, which stands for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, are non-invasive medical imaging techniques that create highly detailed images of the internal structures and some limited functions of a patient's body. Compared to other imaging techniques such as Computed Tomography (CT), this technique produces much higher quality images with greater contrast of the soft tissues.
MRI technology is used most commonly for cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurological and oncological purposes. Being able to help people suffering from cancer and brain issues can be particularly rewarding for a medical doctor in this field. One of the biggest advantages of Magnetic Resonance Imaging is that it does not use ionizing radiation like some other radiologic techniques, so it is much safer for both doctor and patient. Instead, this technology relies on radio frequency fields that ultimately lead to the production of a rotating magnetic field that can be picked up by a scanner to produce images from inside the patient's body.
The option of specializing in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is fairly new. The earliest experiments with MRI technology started in the early 1970s, and it wasn't until 1977 that the first studies on humans were even performed. X-rays, on the other hand, have been around since the late 1890s. Now MRI is also used in some intervention techniques in which the images are used to guide doctors to the specific points in the body where tumors are located in order to mark them for more precise radiation therapies. There are many, many uses for MRI technology; scientists even use it for many types of testing and experimentation that do not involve any human or animal subjects.
Any medical student who wants to specialize in MRI will need to complete medical school, which only comes after completion of a four-year bachelor's degree, followed by a one-year internship, four-year residency program and one or two year fellowship in this specific field. It will take a long time, but the rewards are worth it.
