Radiologist representation in cinema

Rationale and Objectives: There is limited representation of radiologists in the media, which has been proposed to be a factor in the lack of patient awareness towards radiologist. This study is attempt to look into radiology representation in film.

Materials and Methods

The IMDb website was searched for feature films containing the words “radiologist” and “radiology” in the plot summaries. The resulting titles were reviewed for availability, and if available, for content analysis to demonstrate the representation of radiology. Additional medical specialties were also searched for comparison.

Results

Of the 19 titles returned, only 9 were available on major streaming platforms and of those, 7 were available in English or with English subtitles. Among these, due to plot summary writers confusing radiologists with radiology technologists or other non-radiologist physicians, only 3 actually featured radiologists, and one of these was an extremely negative portrayal of radiologists. Only one film featured an accurate portrayal of a radiologist performing the job of a radiologist.

Conclusions

Accurate and positive radiologist representation in film is extremely limited and if public awareness is the goal, conscious effort is needed in this area.