I have found that when most people think of a chiropractor or a doctor of chiropractic, they think of the traditional physician who palpates and adjusts the spine. One may not often think of chiropractors as radiologists. The fact is the doctor of chiropractic degree allows one to do many different specialties. One specialty that is offered through National University is radiology. The Diagnostic Imaging Residency/Master’s Degree Program is a three-year program at NUHS that one can begin after graduation. I do not intend to go into it, but it is an excellent program.

Currently, I am in Radiology Report Writing. In this class, we must write radiology reports as if we were radiologists diagnosing any pathology on the advanced imaging given to us. It is a unique class because it is good preparation for those of us who might want to pursue a diplomat in radiology. We have two radiologists on our faculty both of whom are practicing radiology with a DC degree. Dr. Rudy Heiser and Dr. Heather Miley are both National University graduates and board-certified.

We have had a plethora of classes about reading radiology and diagnosing films so it is nice to have a class where we can practice the skills and write reports in case any of us want to pursue that specialty. In Radiology Report Writing, there is a systematic way to read films and write reports. One must look at and comment on the alignment, bone, cartilage, and soft tissue. Then, based on the findings, one has to make a diagnosis and recommendation such as referring to an oncologist due to the presence of a metastatic lesion.

Up until this point we have taken:

• Normal Radiological Anatomy and Variants
• Radiation Physics and Technology
• Fundamentals of Imaging: Arthritides and Trauma
• Fundamentals of Imaging: Skeletal Dysplasia, Tumors, Endocrine, and Hematopoietic Disorders
• Orthopedic Musculoskeletal Imagine
• Fundamentals of Imaging: Chest and Abdomen

Currently we are in:

• Radiographic Positioning and Radiology Management
• Report Writing and Advanced Imaging

That’s a total of 14 credits in radiology alone and that doesn’t take into account the multiple times we see films in other classes such as Anatomy or Evaluation and Management. We have to write 30 radiology reports to pass the class. We also have to take 30 X-rays to graduate. The program at NUHS is very strong in radiology, so I highly recommend anyone interested in becoming a radiologist to look at National University. I feel very prepared to read and diagnose films as well as write reports if necessary.

If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]