As a member of the military, Radiologists belong to the Medical Specialist occupation in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and provide diagnostic and consultative patient care services for CAF members. They work closely with Medical Radiation Technicians and have the opportunity to be a leader within the CAF Health Services and serve as mentor and educator to the full spectrum of military health care providers.
Their primary responsibilities are to:
Ensure accurate, rapid radiological interpretation of multimodality imaging, including computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US) and X-ray;
Help guide surgical and medical treatment at a Canadian Forces Health Services Clinic or while deployed on international, peacekeeping or humanitarian operations;
Maintain a high level of clinical currency, by holding a position within a civilian health care facility;
In specific circumstances, provide interventional skills for minimally invasive therapeutic treatment of injuries on overseas missions; and
Contribute to the development and application of health care policies within the CAF.
Radiologists in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) maintain their clinical readiness by being embedded as staff in tertiary care civilian hospitals across Canada, working alongside their civilian colleagues. Part of their time may be spent providing in-house or remote radiological interpretation to support Primary Care Services at Canadian Forces Health Services Clinics in Canada. Participation in education and training tasks, as well as research opportunities, occur nationally and internationally.
They belong to 1 Canadian Field Hospital and maintain their operational readiness by participating in annual military skills training and field exercises. When required, they will be called upon to deploy to unique and challenging environments as part of the Health Services team on domestic and international operations.
If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.
