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Archive for August, 2011

The field of radiology offers a multitude of options for the aspiring medical imaging professional. How many people have thought about getting into radiology, but couldn’t get past the clich? of the option of becoming an x-ray technician or waving a wand around a pregnant woman’s belly, viewing a fetus in the womb. Then there are the lucky ones who have a friend or a relative who are in the profession and give them some insight; help them get past the clich?s about the profession. Hopefully, this article will get past the common ideas about the field and provide some insight into a field that offers endless possibilities for growth.

The field of radiology, broadly speaking, can be broken down into three main components. The first is general radiography. The second is Ultrasound, which is properly referred to as Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The third is Nuclear Medicine.

General radiography is often an entry point into the field of radiology, although, you can choose to enter the field from any one point. General radiography entails being the professional who takes pictures of the inside of the body. The area being imaged is predetermined by the ordering physician based on the clues they have about what might be wrong with a patient. This could be something as simple as determining whether a bone is broken or fractured or it could be to locate an unusual growth. The picture taken is called a radiograph. A radiograph, also known as an x-ray is produced using small doses of ionizing radiation to produce the images. The use of x-ray technology is used on other related procedures as well. The most commonly used are MRI’s (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), CT (Computed Tomography), and Mammography. All of these procedures use the same technology of ionizing radiation in order to obtain the images.

When you make the decision to take path of general radiography, you can either start as a limited scope x-ray technician or you can become certified as a Radiologic Technologist. Limited Scope X-Ray Tech’s often perform multiple roles such as Medical Assisting along with their x-ray duties. Being a Limited Scope X-Ray Tech often requires that you become licensed through the state that you work in and sometimes involves a test that ensures you understand the basic fundamentals of x-ray and radiation safety. If you want to become a Radiologic Technologist, or R.T., as it is often referred, you will need to complete an associates degree and pass an exam administered through the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists).

Being a Radiologic Technologist requires that you have compassion and understanding for patients with a variety of conditions and circumstances. It is your job to position the patient properly so that the best possible image can be obtained for diagnosis and to keep the patient calm when anxiety may be running high.

Another entry point into a career in radiology and medical imaging is Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Becoming an Ultrasound Tech, now properly called a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, is achieved when you complete an associates degree and pass an exam administered by the ARDMS (American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers). The technology used in sonography is different than radiography; ionizing radiation is not used, but instead high frequency sound wave technology is used to capture images.

There is a common misconception that being an Ultrasound Tech is a simple procedure in which someone moves a wand-like device around the body, while images are magically captured on a screen. The reality is that being an Ultrasound Tech requires a keen sense of anatomical structures and their location and relation to one another. A highly developed understanding of anatomy and above average hand eye coordination are a must for anyone considering a career in ultrasound. You must be able to understand what you are looking at on the screen in order to get the best image for the physician to review.

The field of ultrasound branches off into many sub-specialties. Some of the more common are abdominal sonography, obstetrics, gynecological, cardiac, and vascular sonography. Abdominal sonography focuses on the many complex organs and tissues within the abdominal area such as the liver, pancreas, spleen, gall bladder, and kidneys. Obstetrics and gynecological sonography, often abbreviated as “ob-gyn” is what usually comes to mind when the subject of ultrasound comes up. This is the branch of ultrasound that focuses on the health and progress of a pregnancy and monitoring of the female reproductive organs. Cardiac sonography is all about monitoring heart and valve function. Closely related to cardiac, is vascular sonography, which monitors the flow of blood to and from the heart and throughout the blood vessels. The uses of ultrasound technology are always evolving and offer several interesting paths of work and study in itself.

Nuclear Medicine is the least commonly known branch of radiology and is often misunderstood. Because the term “nuclear” has negative connotations attached to it, the work is sometimes misunderstood or thought to be dangerous. Quite to the contrary, nuclear medicine is a safe method of peering into the cellular function and physiology of a patient. In a nutshell, radioactive isotopes, known as radionuclides are combined with various pharmaceuticals, which are administered to a patient. The way in which these substances react in the body provides clues to problems and helps to identify the source of illness and diseases. The difference between nuclear medicine and the two other branches of radiology, is that it uses chemicals that actually react at the cellular level, rather than just snapping pictures. Careers in nuclear medicine range from the highly specialized pharmacists who prepares the radionuclides to the individuals who actually administer and interpret the reactions. Becoming a Nuclear Medicine Tech starts with an associates degree and it is recommended that you become licensed through the NMTCB (Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board).

Choosing a career in radiology and medical imaging can seem overwhelming, given all the options. Usually, one of the main paths will spark your interest more than another. If you’re not sure about it, contact a local diagnostic medical imaging center or the radiology unit in a local hospital and ask if there are any volunteers who would be willing to talk about what it is like to be in their shoes. Finding out first hand about the challenges and realities as well as what is rewarding about the job can be eye opening. You should also talk to representatives from schools offering radiology programs and be prepared with a list of questions about the programs to ensure it matches your unique skills and unique desires. I hope this article has given you some insight into the options within the field of radiology.

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You can choose from several Radiology courses depending upon your interests and the kind of job you like. Radiography is one branch which is popular and practiced widely. Several radiological technologist schools carry out good quality courses for their students so they get good knowledge and experience in Radiography and go ahead to become successful X-ray technicians. Many damaged bones and tumors living inside the body show no signs of pain and can only be identified using X-ray technology or other medical imaging. You can add weight to your radiography degree by getting additional training before you practice as an X-ray technician.

Another very lucrative career option in Radiology is to take up studies which will lead you to become a successful Radiological Technologist. The JCERT accredited associate degree holds great value for radiology studies. Once you get the degree and clear the AART assessment, you can get your license as a qualified Radiological Technologist. You will be highly satisfied with the pay in comparison to X-ray technicians and will also get the benefit to learn and work with some other medical imaging technologies. This will help you enhance your quality as an imaging specialist.

Taking proper education and training from the right places is very essential in the field of Radiology as it is concerned with human life. Get a degree from a well renowned school, institute or university so that you get a rewarding job. The time-span of various courses may vary from different universities and may also depend on the program you opt for. Going for a Radiologist degree as an associate is one of the preferred options these days. It takes 2 years of study to achieve the associate degree level. The one year certificate programs are also good, but usually beneficial to those who are already acquainted with Radiology or any other medical field.

Getting a bachelor and then a masters degree in Radiology is not a bad option for students looking forward to becoming teachers in this field. With these degrees you can even opt to be an administrator or a supervisor of some of the technologies which are widely used these days in Radiology. Sonography using ultrasound radiations is extensively used these days, so getting an additional training in it after your Radiology studies could be a very good option. The more knowledge in Radiology you can acquire, the better will be your job and earning potential.