[National Cheng Kung University Department of Biomedical Engineering] [Introduction to Clinical Medicine - Imaging Medicine] [Academic Exchange] 2026-01-02

I am grateful to the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University and Professor Ming-Lung Yeh for the invitation to give a lecture on basic medical science to third-year students in the Department of Biomedical Engineering—[Introduction to Clinical Medicine—Imaging Medicine].

The goal of this course is actually quite simple: to enable non-medical students to understand "what radiologists/imaging medicine physicians actually do in clinical practice."

The course begins by discussing the composition of a medical team, including the roles of radiologists, radiographers, nurses, and front desk staff. It then introduces basic and advanced imaging tools, including X-rays, ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (MRI) image interpretation. The course further extends to interventional radiology (IR), explaining how radiologists move from "reading images" to "directly treating patients."

The course also discussed a question of great interest to the students: Will AI replace radiologists?

From the pessimistic prediction made in 2016 by computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, hailed as the "godfather of AI," to actual manpower needs and clinical observations in 2024–2025, the current demand for radiology personnel is still far from sufficient. In the United States, for example, the number of radiology resident positions is expected to reach a record high in 2025, while the average annual salary of American radiologists has grown by approximately 48% since 2015, making it the second highest-paid specialty.

Personally, I believe that the future of imaging medicine/radiology will be based on the development and application of AI (Artificial Intelligence) + IR (Intervention Radiology).

Seeing the focused eyes and enthusiastic questions filling the classroom—covering topics like image selection, AI assistance, and even future career paths—was incredibly rewarding for me. It also helped me better understand the real concerns of non-medical professionals. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will organize these questions into an article to share with everyone.