Radiology is intensely competitive and stressful. If you aren't the best of the best, you could end up in Bucharest—that's an old, and true, saying. (No, it's not.) If you aren't super-competitive, you might not get your first choice for job locations, and you might find yourself in much more frantic, stressful conditions. 

The leap from school to work is akin to a trip from the frying pan to the fire. Get ready for lots of ER work, a heavy daily rotation, and a massive work load.

 

At least the toys you get to play with are pretty cool. (Source)

If you're a woman, you might find yourself fighting an uphill battle in radiology. As you move up the educational and career ladder, the playing field gets pretty manly—to the tune of a three-to-one ratio (source). Of course, there's no reason that has to be the case, and the numbers can change at any time.

Before retiring, many radiologists go part-time, or choose to join academia, or consult on a case-by-case basis. At that point, though, they've already been hanging on for quite a while.

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