Riddhi Patel / Radiology
FBLA Career Portfolio · 2026–27

Riddhi Patel
Future Diagnostic Radiologist

Every scan holds an answer someone is waiting for. I want to be the physician who finds it, and one day run my own imaging practice.

Health advocateFounder, KnowYourRareUF Radiology researchHOSAFBLA Junior ExecutiveGujarati · Spanish
200K+
people reached through KnowYourRare
1st
Inspire Award, FIRST World Championship (Vanta Robotics)
2nd
overall, Harvard Science Olympiad Invitational
70+
volunteer hours, Summer STEM Camp counselor
00
About me

Why radiology

A lot of conditions go years without a diagnosis. Radiologists are often the ones who finally see what's wrong.

I started KnowYourRare as a tribute to my dad. Researching conditions like POTS, endometriosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and ovarian cysts, I kept running into the same pattern: people suffer for years before someone figures out what's going on, and imaging is so often how that answer shows up.

That pulled me toward diagnostic medicine, and specifically radiology. It mixes the things I'm best at: reading closely, working with technology, explaining complicated information clearly, and leading. Radiology also has a business side, and owning a practice one day connects my medical goals with everything I've learned in FBLA.

Mission statement

To become a board-certified diagnostic radiologist who gives patients faster, clearer answers, uses new technology like AI responsibly, and builds an imaging practice that serves Central Florida's diverse community.

01
Resume review Rubric: Resume · 10 pts

My resume, and how it lines up with radiology

Three visual aids here: my full resume, a skills matrix that matches each experience to what radiologists actually need, and a breakdown of how each resume item connects to the job.

Visual aid 1 · Resume

Riddhi Patel

Aspiring Diagnostic Radiologist · Orlando, FL
knowyourrare.org
Orlando Science Middle/High Charter School

Leadership & experience

Founder & Content LeadPresent
KnowYourRare · Health awareness initiative
  • Research and publish content on under-recognized conditions; reached 200,000+ people
  • Write and produce weekly short-form health education videos
  • Built knowyourrare.org from scratch (HTML/CSS/JS, Google Sheets data backend, Netlify)
Research Volunteer, SaveLungSept 2026 to present
University of Florida, Department of Radiology
  • Help test SaveLung, an app in development to prevent smoking and reduce lung cancer
  • Helping build the project's website
  • Work with UF student Aron Tocaj on a team led by Dr. Bruno Hochhegger, MD, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of Research
Business LeadUntil Sept 2026
Vanta Robotics, FTC Team #31000
  • Led outreach, grant writing and business operations for a FIRST Tech Challenge nonprofit team
  • Team won 1st place Inspire Award and Finalist Alliance at the FIRST World Championship
  • Ran community outreach including a partnership idea with Orange County Library
Junior ExecutivePresent
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
  • Chapter officer, on track for chapter president
  • National competitor, Exploration in Career Research (8th grade)
Grade Level RepresentativePresent
Student Government Association (SGA)
  • Represent my class in student government, on track for SGA president
Camp Counselor (Volunteer)70+ hours
Orlando Science Elementary Summer STEM Camp
  • Led groups of elementary students through hands-on STEM activities

Education

  • Orlando Science Middle/High Charter School

Organizations

  • UF Radiology research team (SaveLung)
  • HOSA Future Health Professionals, Florida (Secondary)
  • FBLA
  • SGA

Awards

  • FIRST Inspire Award, 1st Place, World Championship
  • 2nd Overall, Harvard Science Olympiad
  • FBLA National Qualifier

Skills

  • Medical research & health writing
  • Web development (HTML, CSS, JS)
  • Video scripting & social media
  • Grant writing & outreach
  • Public speaking

Languages

  • English (fluent)
  • Gujarati (fluent)
  • Spanish (basic)
Visual aid 2 · Skills match matrix

Rows are the top skills O*NET lists for radiologists[6] plus the skills I need for my practice goal. Columns are my experiences.

Radiologist skillKnow
YourRare		SaveLung
(UF)		Vanta
Robotics		Science
Olympiad		FBLASGASTEM
Camp		HOSA
Reading comprehensionreading studies, records, research
Writingclear diagnostic reports
Speaking & active listeningconsults, patients
Science knowledgeanatomy, physics, biology
Technology & AIPACS, imaging software, AI tools
Critical thinkingspotting what's abnormal
Leadership & businessrunning a practice
Patient communicationcalm, clear, multilingual
Strong evidence Some evidence
Visual aid 3 · Skill strength
Health research & communicationAdvanced

Weekly content for 200K+ people

Leadership & teamworkAdvanced

FBLA, SGA, Vanta business lead

Technology & webStrong

Built a full website and data backend

ScienceStrong

Harvard Science Olympiad, HOSA

Clinical patient careBuilding

Next: CPR/AED and CNA training

LanguagesStrong

Gujarati fluent, Spanish basic

Resume item → career requirement
My experience

KnowYourRare research & videos

Turning medical research into clear, accurate content.

Radiologist requirement

Interpretive reports

Radiologists write reports that turn complex images into findings other doctors act on.

My experience

SaveLung research at UF Radiology

Testing a lung cancer prevention app with a chest radiologist's team.

Radiologist requirement

Research & prevention

Radiologists lead lung cancer screening and research, and residency programs look for research experience.

My experience

Robotics + building my website

Comfortable with engineering, software and data.

Radiologist requirement

Tech fluency

Radiology runs on CT, MRI, PACS software and now AI tools.

My experience

FBLA, SGA, Vanta business lead

Grants, budgets, outreach and running meetings.

Radiologist requirement

Practice leadership

Owning a practice means managing staff, money and contracts.

My experience

STEM Camp + Gujarati/Spanish

Patient, clear communicator across ages and languages.

Radiologist requirement

Patient communication

Explaining procedures and keeping patients calm during scans and biopsies.

02
Comprehensive career research Rubric: Career Research · 10 pts

The radiologist career, in detail

What radiologists do, how long it takes, what they earn, where the field is heading, and the obstacles I'll need to get through.

What a radiologist does

Radiologists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating disease using medical imaging: X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammography and nuclear medicine. They read the images, write the reports other physicians rely on, recommend the right scan for each patient, and perform image-guided procedures like biopsies.

They're often called "the doctor's doctor" because almost every specialty depends on imaging to make decisions, from the ER to oncology to surgery.

Radiology is also one of the most technology-driven fields in medicine, and it's where AI is having some of its biggest early impact.

Fast facts

Typical entry educationDoctoral degree (M.D./D.O.)
On-the-job trainingInternship + residency
Years after high school13 to 15
Board certificationAmerican Board of Radiology
Career clusterHealth Science
Top O*NET skillsReading, listening, speaking, writing
Sources: BLS / My Next Move [2], O*NET via WageDex [6]
Subspecialties
NEURO

Neuroradiology

Brain, spine, head and neck. Strokes, tumors, spine injuries.

MSK

Musculoskeletal

Bones, joints, muscles. Sports injuries and arthritis.

IR

Interventional

Minimally invasive procedures guided by imaging.

BREAST

Breast Imaging

Mammography and early cancer detection.

PEDS

Pediatric

Imaging for babies, kids and teens.

BODY

Abdominal / Body

Liver, kidneys, GI tract, reproductive organs.

CHEST

Cardiothoracic

Heart and lungs, including lung cancer screening.

NUC

Nuclear Medicine

PET and SPECT scans using radioactive tracers.

A typical day
7:30 AM

Case review

Check overnight studies and urgent ER scans.

8:00 AM

Reading block

Interpret CT, MRI and X-ray studies and dictate reports.

11:00 AM

Procedures

Image-guided biopsies or injections with patients.

1:00 PM

Tumor board

Meet with oncologists and surgeons to plan care.

2:00 PM

Consults

Answer calls from doctors about findings.

4:30 PM

Teaching & admin

Train residents, review quality and practice operations.

Salary over time

Mean annual wage, U.S. radiologists

Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS
$0 $100K $200K $300K $400K $301,720 $329,080 $353,960 2021 2022 2023

BLS mean wage rose about 17% in two years[1]. Doximity's 2025 physician survey puts average radiology pay even higher, at $571,749, up 7.5%[7].

Education & training pathway
Now

High school

  • Science courses
  • HOSA, FBLA
  • CPR, CNA prep
4 yrs

Bachelor's

  • Pre-med track
  • Research, shadowing
  • MCAT
4 yrs

Medical school

  • M.D. or D.O.
  • USMLE Steps 1 and 2
  • Radiology rotations
1 yr

Internship

  • Clinical year (PGY-1)
  • USMLE Step 3
4 yrs

Residency

  • Diagnostic radiology
  • ABR Core Exam
1–2 yrs

Fellowship

  • Subspecialty (optional)
  • ABR Certifying Exam
Total after high schoolAbout 13 to 15 years
Outlook & workforce data
31,960
radiologists employed in the U.S.
BLS, May 2023 [1]
+3%
projected job growth, 2024 to 2034
BLS projections [2]
~800
openings projected each year
BLS projections [2]
1,400+
open radiologist jobs listed at any time
ACR Career Center [3]

Supply vs. demand to 2055

Projected % growth, Neiman Health Policy Institute / JACR
0% 15% 30% Radiologists 25.7% Imaging use 16.9–26.9%

If residency slots stay flat, the shortage is expected to continue for decades[4].

Training seats vs. working radiologists

Growth from 2010 to 2025, Yale study
0% 20% 40% Residency seats +33% Radiologists +12%

More people are training, but the number of working radiologists barely kept up with population growth[5].

Competition & cost
1,083
diagnostic radiology residency spots (PGY-2) in the 2026 Match
NRMP via AuntMinnie [8]
98.4%
of those spots filled, so it's competitive
NRMP via AuntMinnie [8]
$286K
median 4-year cost of public med school, in-state
AAMC, class of 2025 [9]
$205K
median education debt for med grads who borrow (71% do)
AAMC, class of 2024 [9]
Obstacles, and my plan for each
Obstacle

Very long training

13 to 15 years after high school before practicing on my own.

My plan

Start early, stay focused

Get clinical experience now (CNA, HOSA), look at BS/MD or accelerated programs, and keep my "why" front and center through KnowYourRare.

Obstacle

High cost and debt

Med school can cost $286K to $390K, and most grads borrow.

My plan

Scholarships and smart choices

Use Florida Bright Futures and in-state public options like UF and UCF, apply for scholarships, and use the financial literacy I've built in FBLA.

Obstacle

Competitive residency

Nearly every radiology seat fills each year.

My plan

Research and a strong record

I'm already doing research with UF Radiology on SaveLung, a lung cancer prevention app. Early research makes applications stand out.

Obstacle

Burnout and workload

Imaging volume keeps growing faster than the workforce.

My plan

Build good habits

Learn time management now while balancing school, leadership and KnowYourRare, and build a practice culture that protects its doctors.

Obstacle

AI changing the field

AI tools are reshaping how scans are read.

My plan

Learn to work with it

My coding background and work with a UF radiology research team put me in a good spot to use AI as a tool, not compete with it.

03
Career-related education Rubric: Career Related Education · 15 pts

School, work, and how they shaped my path

For each experience: what I did, what I learned, and how it directly prepares me for radiology.

My journey so far
8th grade

FBLA nationals in Career Research and 2nd overall at Harvard Science Olympiad. First real taste of competing at a national level.

High school

Joined Vanta Robotics as business lead; team won the Inspire Award at Worlds. Joined HOSA.

KnowYourRare

Started my health page as a tribute to my dad, grew it to 200K+ reach, and built the website myself.

Now

Doing research with UF Radiology on SaveLung since September, and preparing for CPR/AED and CNA.

Experience breakdown
Health advocacy · Leadership

KnowYourRare

Founder · ongoing
What I did

Research under-recognized conditions, write weekly video scripts, and run a website with a structured data backend.

What I learned

How to read medical sources critically, cite accurately, and explain hard topics to everyday people.

Impact on my career

This is literally why I want radiology. It showed me how much a correct diagnosis changes someone's life.

STEM · Business

Vanta Robotics #31000

Business Lead · until Sept 2026
What I did

Ran grants, outreach and business planning for a world-championship FTC team.

What I learned

Working with engineers, budgeting, writing proposals, and leading under deadlines.

Impact on my career

Radiology is engineering-heavy medicine, and owning a practice is a business. This gave me both sides.

Research · Radiology

SaveLung, UF Radiology

Research volunteer · Sept 2026 to present
What I do

Help test SaveLung, an app in development to keep people from smoking and lower lung cancer risk, and help build its website. I work with UF student Aron Tocaj on Dr. Bruno Hochhegger's team[13].

What I'm learning

How real medical research works, from testing and feedback to getting a project ready to launch, inside an actual radiology department.

Impact on my career

Dr. Hochhegger is a chest radiologist who researches lung cancer and AI nodule detection. This is the exact kind of work I want to do, and it confirmed radiology is right for me.

Health science

HOSA Future Health Professionals

Florida · Secondary division
What I do

Health science competitions and leadership through Florida HOSA.

What I learned

Medical terminology and how the healthcare system works.

Impact on my career

Connects me to other future health professionals and clinical learning.

Leadership

FBLA & SGA

Junior Executive · Grade Rep
What I do

Help run my FBLA chapter and represent my grade in student government.

What I learned

Public speaking, running meetings, managing projects and people.

Impact on my career

Leading a radiology group or my own practice will take these exact skills.

Service

Summer STEM Camp

Counselor · 70+ hours
What I did

Led elementary students through hands-on STEM activities.

What I learned

Patience and adjusting how I explain things to who I'm talking to.

Impact on my career

Pediatric imaging and nervous patients need the same calm, clear communication.

Coursework that supports this career
Biology / AnatomyThe body systems I'll be reading on every scan
ChemistryContrast agents and how tracers work
PhysicsHow X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound actually work
Health ScienceTerminology and patient care basics
04
Skills, awards & certifications Rubric: Special Skills · 15 pts

What I've earned, and the credentials I'm working toward

Each one is tied to a skill radiologists need, and where it applies, to a formal certification or endorsement.

Awards
FIRST Tech Challenge

Inspire Award, 1st Place, World Championship

FIRST's top honor, for a team that's a role model in tech, outreach and teamwork. Also Finalist Alliance.

8th grade

2nd Overall, Harvard Science Olympiad

Science knowledge and problem solving under time pressure.

8th grade

FBLA National Qualifier

Exploration in Career Research. Research and presentation at a national level.

Certification & endorsement roadmap
Special skill

Health research & communication

200K+ reach with KnowYourRare.

Career linkWriting clear radiology reports
Proven
Special skill

Web development

Built knowyourrare.org from scratch.

Career linkTech fluency for PACS and AI tools
Proven
Proficiency

Gujarati & Spanish

Fluent Gujarati, basic Spanish.

Career linkCommunicating with diverse patients
Building
Certification

CPR / AED (American Heart Association)

Required for CNA licensing in Florida[10].

Career linkBasic life support is required in every clinical role
Next step
Certification

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Florida programs are about 120 hours: 80 classroom, 40 clinical. Exam candidates are typically 18[11].

Career linkHands-on patient care before med school
Planned
Licensure

USMLE Steps 1 to 3

Taken during med school and internship.

Career linkRequired for a U.S. medical license
Future
Board cert

American Board of Radiology (ABR)

Core Exam in residency, then Certifying Exam.

Career linkMakes me a board-certified radiologist
Future
05
Career goals

Where I'm headed

Short term · high school

Get clinical

  • Earn CPR/AED certification
  • Start CNA training when eligible
  • Help launch SaveLung with UF Radiology
  • Lead FBLA and SGA as president
  • Keep growing KnowYourRare
Mid term · college & med school

Build the foundation

  • Pre-med at a Florida university
  • Keep doing imaging research and shadow radiologists
  • Strong MCAT and med school admission
  • Match into diagnostic radiology
Long term · career

Own my practice

  • Board-certified diagnostic radiologist
  • Use AI responsibly to read faster and more accurately
  • Open an imaging practice serving Central Florida
  • Keep educating the public about rare conditions
06
Rubric map

Where each scoring area is covered

A quick guide to how this portfolio meets every part of the FBLA Career Portfolio rating sheet[12].

Rating sheet itemPointsWhere to find it
Resume review with multiple visual aids, linked to the career1001 Resume: resume, skills matrix, skill bars, requirement cards
Career research with statistics, data, salary and obstacles1002 Career Research: salary chart, outlook, workforce charts, cost, obstacles and plans
Career related education: school activities, work experience, impact on future1503 Education & Experience: journey timeline, SaveLung research at UF Radiology, did / learned / impact breakdowns, coursework
Special skill, award or proficiency linked to a certification or endorsement1504 Skills & Certs: awards plus CPR/AED, CNA, USMLE and ABR roadmap
Professionally legitimate sources cited10Sources: BLS, AAMC, NRMP, ACR, JACR and more, numbered in the text
Portfolio used to enhance the presentation10I navigate this site live as my visual aid throughout the presentation
Organization: logical sequence, well-organized statements10Sections 00 to 05 follow the order of my 7-minute presentation
Confidence, body language, eye contact, voice projection10Live presentation
Question & answer10Live presentation
Presentation protocols10Live presentation
07
Works cited

Sources

  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages: Radiologists (29-1224), May 2021, 2022 and 2023. bls.gov/oes/2023/May/oes291224.htm
  2. BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034, via CareerOneStop / My Next Move: Radiologists. mynextmove.org
  3. American College of Radiology Career Center data, reported by Rad365 (2026). rad365.com
  4. Christensen et al., Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, Journal of the American College of Radiology (2025). newswise.com
  5. Malhotra et al., Yale School of Medicine, reported by AuntMinnie. auntminnie.com
  6. O*NET OnLine skills profile for Radiologists, via WageDex. wagedex.com
  7. Doximity 2025 Physician Compensation Report, reported by AuntMinnie. auntminnie.com
  8. National Resident Matching Program 2026 Main Match, reported by AuntMinnie. auntminnie.com
  9. Association of American Medical Colleges, Medical Student Education: Debt, Costs, and Loan Repayment Fact Card (Oct 2024). students-residents.aamc.org
  10. Florida CNA Requirements, NursingLicensure.org. nursinglicensure.org
  11. Florida CNA Requirements, NursingHome411; Nursing Assistant Training, Florida State College at Jacksonville. nursinghome411.org · fscj.edu
  12. National FBLA, 2026–2027 Competitive Events Guidelines: Career Portfolio (updated August 2026). fbla.org guidelines (PDF)
  13. University of Florida Department of Radiology, faculty profile: Bruno Hochhegger, MD, PhD. xray.ufl.edu