Editor's note: In his regular column, Europe's very own maverick radiologist, Dr. Peter Rinck, addresses the latest controversial topic. Find out now what's on his mind.
Medicine has a long history as a stomping ground for men, radiology being one of the salient disciplines. However, according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, women today make up 54% of physicians younger than age 35 in the U.S., 58% in France, and 64% in Spain.1
In 2009, women constituted only 27% of practicing radiologists in the U.S.,2 but looking at radiologists in training, women came up to 80% in Latvia, Estonia, and Belarus; more than 60% in other East and Southeast European countries; 60% in France, Croatia, Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, and Hungary; and in the 50% range in Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Finland, and Poland. The U.K., Germany, the Netherlands, and Albania still had more male than female radiologists in training.3 However, also in these countries the trend is going up and women will surpass men soon.
Dr. Peter Rinck, PhD, Maître de Conférence and visiting professor of medical imaging at the University of Mons, Belgium.
Let's have a short look into the future at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in 2020: At the Grand Opening Session, the president of the congress, Maria Theresia Rubens, congratulates the ex-president, Jules Bocuse from France, for his contributions to French radiology and cuisine, and hints that he is not only intelligent but also rather handsome. At the end of her introductory talk, she suggests all women stand up and give a round of applause for him and men in radiology -- those few men left in the field.
Is this appropriate and acceptable behavior? Not in my book. Could it happen? It's rather unlikely. Has it happened? Yes, though the other way around. There was much rolling of eyes when this occurred at the ECR 2011 in Vienna. The suggestion that all men stand up and give a round of applause for a female award recipient and women in radiology in general did not go down smoothly with the women in the audience.
Official European or global radiology speeches at the ECR easily turn into eulogies of national radiological societies, some locally well-known radiologists -- mostly elderly men -- and a list of tourist attractions and pictures of young women in "typical" traditional costumes.
Earlier this year, the New York Times had several contributions on the "Female Factor," examining where women stand in the early 21st century. In an article about women in medicine, the author asked the following:
Will the feminization of medicine lead to losses in income and status? Will countries need to train and pay for more doctors to make up for maternity leaves, part-time schedules, and job sharing, which are often sought by female doctors trying to balance work with their personal lives?
Women in medicine are usually dedicated and have no problems working long days. In addition, they are more cautious and avoid unnecessary risks. They also seek help and discuss issues with their colleagues; they seem to be less anxious than men to lose face.
Yes, there will be maternity leaves and job sharing; however, if a department is well organized, such fluctuations are easily (and happily) adjusted to. All it takes is a grain of good will.
By the way, German researchers also detected signs of a female factor in treatment. A 2008 study in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that patients with type 2 diabetes responded better under the care of women, showing more improvement in blood pressure and cholesterol counts and taking their medicine doses. The researchers said female doctors were more likely to communicate well and involve patients in their own care.4
References
Carvajal D. The changing face of Western medicine. International Herald Tribune, Paris. Front page. 8 March 2011.
Boechat MI. Women in pediatric radiology. Pediatric Radiology. 2010;40(4):484-487.
Gould P. Data show shift toward more women in radiology departments. Diagnostic Imaging Europe. 2009;25(4):9.
Berthold HK, Gouni-Berthold I, Bestehorn KP, Böhm M, Krone W. Physician gender is associated with the quality of type 2 diabetes care. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2008;264(4):340-350.
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![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnieeurope.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=100&q=70&w=100)
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnieeurope.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
