The 20,000 Student Problem: Reimagining Radiology Education Pathways with Geoffrey Roche

Episode notes

The imaging workforce shortage is not a pipeline problem. It is a systems problem. Geoffrey Roche joins Rethink Imaging to unpack why thousands of students want to enter imaging every year but never get the chance, and how that bottleneck directly affects patient access, technologist burnout, and long-term retention. He explains why imaging remains one of healthcare’s most essential yet least visible professions, even excluded from “essential worker” recognition during COVID. Geoffrey outlines how rigid educational models and accreditation rules have prevented imaging from adopting the same apprenticeship and learn-and-earn pathways that nursing and respiratory therapy already use. The discussion dives into practical solutions, including imaging medical assistants, employer-sponsored education, and workforce pathways that allow students to work while earning credentials. Geoffrey also addresses why retention matters just as much as recruitment, and how shift work, physical demands, and life-stage realities impact technologists today. Throughout the episode, the focus stays grounded in access to care.