Radiology Education Boost Amid Workforce, Budget Strains

Journal explores funding, teaching productivity, and investing in pre-clinical radiology education

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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The Journal of the American College of Radiology's Focus on Economics of Education issue explores a range of topics related to the challenges radiologists face in balancing high-quality, high-volume patient care with training the next generation of physicians, including radiology education funding, resident teaching while maintaining productivity, alternative approaches to resident education, trends in radiology residency applications, and investing in radiology medical education in the pre-clinical years.

Why it matters

Healthcare delivery is rapidly changing, leading to increased pressure on radiologists to maximize clinical productivity while also fulfilling their responsibilities for communication, documentation, and citizenship activities within health systems. This pressure is resulting in less time for traditional methods of radiology education delivery, prompting the need to explore innovative solutions at the crossroads of education and economics.

The details

The seven articles in the journal issue explore topics such as alternative educational approaches, trends in diagnostic radiology applications and match rates, educational debt among U.S. medical graduates entering radiology, and the business case for investing in foundational radiology education. Across practice settings, educators and clinical leaders are challenged to balance maximizing productivity with dedicating time, funding, and institutional resources to resident education.

  • The Journal of the American College of Radiology's Focus on Economics of Education issue was published on February 4, 2026.

The players

Tara Catanzano

Professor and Vice Chair of Operations, Chief Abdominal Imaging at Stony Brook Medicine, and guest editor of the journal issue.

Fatima Elahi

Henry Ford Health, and guest editor of the journal issue.

American College of Radiology

The professional organization that publishes the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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What they’re saying

“Healthcare delivery is changing rapidly, leading to alterations in how radiologists function as part of the care delivery team.”

— Tara Catanzano, Professor and Vice Chair of Operations, Chief Abdominal Imaging at Stony Brook Medicine (Journal of the American College of Radiology)

“Across practice settings, educators and clinical leaders alike are pulled between maximizing productivity and dedicating time, funding and institutional resources to resident education.”

— Fatima Elahi, Henry Ford Health (Journal of the American College of Radiology)

The takeaway

The journal issue highlights the need for innovative solutions to address the challenges radiologists face in balancing high-quality, high-volume patient care with providing robust radiology education, as healthcare delivery continues to evolve rapidly. Exploring alternative approaches, funding models, and investments in pre-clinical radiology education could help maintain the pipeline of future radiologists while also supporting current practitioners.