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Archive for the ‘Radiology Technologist’ Category

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.

For one to qualify in this field, one needs to complete any of the national accredited educational training programs that are available. Doing this will entitle one to get a title in the field of radiology. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists administers the courses that are offered by the various learning institutions.

Similar to other industries people with higher levels of education will generally earn more money. The standard salary for a titled technician is about forty one thousand dollars. A technologist will earn around ten thousand dollars more per annum. While this increase may not seem to be much more, it does make a difference over the years.

Different people in this line of work do different work and have varied responsibilities and therefore earnings will also vary. Staff that work in laboratories involving medical imaging will be paid higher salaries than their counterparts who work in hospitals and for doctors. Other positions are available too that will offer varying salaries.

Doctors are not that insistent that the rad techs in their employ are licensed. They are more interested in people who have a range of skills. Doctors are usually happy to employ people with limited x-ray licenses.

Where people live also affects how much they are able to earn. This is no different to many other professions. Individuals based in metropolitan areas will most often earn more than those who work in rural areas. Work is more freely available in the city. This is because there are larger laboratories and hospitals in major cities. In these cities, a rad tech is able to earn more than eighty thousand dollars per year.

The best way to get a good paying radiologic technologist salary is to become as educated as possible. Experience also goes a long way to helping one get a good job. Coupling education with experience is a sure way to get paid top dollar.

Trying to figure out which radiology school or degree is going to get you the job you want? Before you choose a school, you must first understand what the requirements are to get a job in radiology. This article is speaking to those of you who know very little about radiologic careers and will hopefully get you on the right track. The radiologic sciences can be overwhelming from the outside looking in. We will start by getting acquainted with the basics of radiology careers and school options.

First, you need to determine what it is about medical imaging that interests you. Typically, the type of person that enters into a radiology career is passionate about being a part of the healing process and is intrigued by the idea of looking into the human body in three-dimensional Technicolor to finding diseases and ailments.

Understand Your Options When Choosing Radiologic Schools

Radiology careers are typically divided into three main branches of practice. The first branch is general radiography. Most radiologic schools offer programs for general radiography or x-ray technician training. This is the use of x-ray technology to image the body to find things like broken bones, tumors, and diseases. If you want to be able to perform basic x-ray’s, you might want to check out some of the radiology certificate programs and associates degrees that will provide you with the level of education and skill you will need to get certified through The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), licensed with your state radiation safety department, and get a job as an entry level x-ray technician.

Find Radiologic Schools That Will Prepare You For Certification

If you want to gain the title of Radiologic Technologist, or RT, or Rad Tech, as it is referred to, you will need to get an Associates degree in Radiologic Technology and attend a radiologic school that is accredited through the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JCERT). Then, you can take the ARRT exam, get licensed through the state you live and work in, and become an RT. RT’s generally get higher salaries than general x-ray tech’s and have greater opportunity to learn additional imaging techniques and work your way up the radiology ladder.

Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, & Other Paths in Radiology

If you want to learn the art of Ultrasound or Nuclear Medicine, you will need to get additional training. Maybe you know for sure that your calling in the medical imaging world is Nuclear Medicine or Sonography. If this is the case, you can simply start by getting an Associates of Applied Science in Sonography or Nuclear Medicine and getting certified. To become a Radiologic Tech, you will need to request information from radiologic schools that will prepare you for certification and licensing in your state.

Best of luck in your career & education.