Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

A Radiology Technician is much in demand today and commands a lot of respect in the health care industry. Employment options are expected to grow further in the near future and that’s a dramatic change from many other career options that have seen a lull in recent times. It’s a fantastic opportunity for youngsters who want to make a career in the dynamic health care sector and professionals who want to make a career change in their lives.

As a Radiological Technician, your employment options grow manifold, if you possess more than the basic knowledge of diagnostic procedures. There are many options to hone your skills as you can get a certificate and degree programs from hospitals, universities and reputed educational institutions. And there is no dearth for job opportunities either as you can easily find work with a hospital, a doctor’s clinic or with any diagnostic center. Prospects for growth are quite high too, which makes it one of the most sought after career choices today.

What does your job as a Radiology Technician entail?

Broadly, you will be responsible for performing diagnostic procedures like X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging – MRI, Computer Tomography and Mammography. Given the importance of these tests and diagnostic techniques in assessing an individual’s health condition, your role is quite challenging and significant, to say the least.

It will be your job to get X-ray images of different parts of people’s bodies to understand the exact nature of their physical condition. Only with the help of these images can the physician determine the course of medication or treatment that a patient needs to go through. As a part of your job, you will need to explain the procedure involved to patients and, get them prepared for the X-ray.

You will ensure that the patient is rightly positioned to be able to radiograph the exact part of the body required. Radiographic equipment required for the procedure will have to be adjusted at the right height to ensure that the appropriate part of the body is X-rayed.

You also need to understand the risks involved in the job, especially in regards to unwanted exposure to radiations. You will see a Radiologic Technician shielding the exposed area with lead sheets. In some cases, the size of the X-ray beam might need to be limited, which is something you will look after as well.

You will also have to get accustomed to measuring instruments used to read the thickness of the part of a patient’s body that has to be x-rayed. Getting good results also means getting acquainted with the machine you are working with and adjusting controls so that you get x-rays of right density and detail.

Every Radiologist will have to work according to the instructions given by the physician. Moreover, they have to ensure that they maintain safe working conditions for themselves, their coworkers and their patients too.

Your tasks will also include certain managerial and organizational duties like keeping patients’ records for example, and maintaining the equipment in its best possible condition. Overall you will be managing the radiology section, make necessary equipment purchases and set work schedules too.

Getting x-ray images however is just one of the many diagnostic procedures that a Radiology Tech will have to conduct. In case you have to do a fluoroscopy, it will be your job to prepare a special drink for patients. Only after drinking this solution can the procedure be carried out and the physician will be able to see soft tissues in the patient’s body.

There are technicians, who could gain expertise in Computer Tomography or CT scans, which allow you to take a large number of cross sectional x-rays from a particular part of a patient’s body. A 3D image is then created using these X-rays to assess a patient’s health condition.

MRI Scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) work on a similar principle as CT scans, however they don’t use ionizing radiation like the latter does, or X-rays for that matter. As a Radiology Technician, you can also specialize in Mammography, where x-ray systems are used to get images of breasts. A physician might advice this procedure if lumps are noticed in a patient’s breast. It’s also used as a screening test for breast cancer.

Work hours, professional setup and safety risks involved with the job of a Radiology Technologist

As a Radiologic Tech, you have the option of working full time with a hospital or a diagnostic center. In that case, you will probably end up working for about 40 hours a week, and your work hours could include weekends and evenings. There will be times when you might have to fill in for other technicians or work longer hours in case of emergencies.

As a part time technician, you can work for more than one employer. You can also pick and choose the number of hours you want to work with a particular employer. However, when you are considering the hours of work per week, you will have to account for travel time from one facility to another.

Your physical abilities will be tested on the job as you will have to work long hours and often have to stay on your feet. If you are working with disabled patients, you might have to lift them and position them appropriately. And although you will work with your equipment in your lab on most occasions, there are times when you are required to perform the procedures from a patient’s bedside. In some cases, you will also have to work with portable, advanced equipment as you travel to your patients to get these diagnostic procedures done.

Every Radiological Tech and X Ray Technician has to be aware of the risks involved in their job, which there are bound to be, given that you are working in proximity with radiations. However, these risks are significantly reduced because technicians use lead gloves and aprons. You will also have access to shielding equipment, which will protect you from overexposure. Moreover, there are instruments to keep a check on exposure to radiation. You will be wearing badges that keep a tab on radiation in the area and you will also keep a record of collective dose through your lifetime

What do you need to do to become a Radiology Tech?

If you want to choose this as your future career, you can take one of the many paths in front of you. Many hospitals and universities offer degree and certificate courses, which will help you get a foothold into this profession. Most states will need you to have an appropriate license for work although requirements could differ from state to state.

What’s the training and educational qualification required?

If you go through a training program, you can get an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or a certificate. There are several certificate programs that last for about two years, while associate degrees are the most commonly followed route by many technicians to get a job. You can choose a degree course or a certificate program after weighing in all your options and what the course has to offer you.

There were about 213 accredited certificate courses, 397 associate degree programs and 35 bachelor’s degree programs in 2009. You can find out more about these programs before making your decision about which course to enroll for.

Your education as a Radiological Technologist will include classroom training, where you will be trained under expert professionals and academics. You will also be given clinical education in physiology and anatomy. Principles of imaging, radiation protection and physics and patient care procedures will also be a part of your training. During your training you will also learn about pathology, different medical terminology that you will need to get acquainted with and ethical medical procedures, which will always hold you in good stead.

While your previous academic background won’t come in the way of getting trained as a technician, if you have made up your mind to be one at any early stage, then you are better off taking chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics as your high school courses.

What is the licensure required to become a Radiologist Technician?

Most states will need you to have requisite license to practice your profession and the requirement can vary from state to state. You can find out more about the licensure required for the state you want to work in, through the health board of the state. These measures are taken to ensure that people are protected from unwanted exposure to radiation. That’s why, it’s mandatory that all technicians are appropriately and adequately trained to handle these equipments and procedures.

Is there any certification required?

A Radiologist Technologist can get a voluntary certification from The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. There are other ARRT conducted exams, which can get you state licenses. To get the required certification, you’d have to have done your graduation from an ARRT accredited program. Moreover, you will have to pass an examination.

This certificate can well be your ticket to better employment opportunities and future growth because many employers tend to hire technicians with this certification. You will also do well by holding on to this accreditation and you can do that by going through 24 hours of continuing education after every two years.

Are there any other skills required to become a Radiology Technician?

Radiology Technician Skills Radiology Technician Career Outlook in 2012

Radiologic Technologist Must Understand Patient's Needs

1) You will have to be understanding of a patient’s needs, both emotional and psychological. Hence you will be needed to handle your patients with complete sensitivity and care.

2) Paying attention to minute details will make you better at your job and you will also have to be a team player. Often you will be taking instructions from physicians, and you should be able to follow them to the T.

3) It will be your responsibility to handle and look after advanced and expensive equipment. Hence you will have to be mentally agile and have an understanding of how machines work. It will be a test of your mechanical abilities.

Professional Growth:

Once you start gaining experience in your chose field and hone your skills, you will have many lucrative career opportunities in front of you. You can also boost your prospects by getting advanced training, which will hold you in good stead. You can specialize in CT or MRI scans or Mammography for that matter. Others have gained expertise in Bone densitometry and secured their long term career prospects.

As a Radiologist Tech, you can also get further education and certification. It will enable you to become a radiologist assistant. You can get the necessary certification or gain specialization in a certain field of radiography through ARRT recognized specialty certification.

There are many technicians who have worked their way up the success ladder after gaining years of experience in their chosen career. Your experience counts for a lot here and you could earn promotions to become supervisors, chief technician and subsequently, department head. To get to the position of a department head in some establishments, you might need to have a master’s degree in business administration or health administration for that matter. However, it’s not a prerequisite to become a department director.

There are many who have found their calling in radiology technology educational institutes and have become renowned trainers. Others use their knowledge of radiology and complex equipments to work with manufacturers as instructors. You could also explore your options as sales representatives.

Job opportunities for a Radiologic Technologist:

Radiology Technician Jobs Radiology Technician Career Outlook in 2012

Job opportunities for a Radiology Technician

There is no dearth of jobs for these technicians all over the country or in foreign countries as well. Most of your job opportunities will come from hospitals while there are a substantial number of posts to be filled in doctors’ clinics, diagnostic centers, medical labs and outpatient care centers.

Job opportunities in this particular field are growing faster than the average, which is a heartening sign. Those who have some kind of specialization in CT, MRI or Mammography, have significantly better job opportunities ahead of them.

A Radiation Technician will always be in demand because these diagnostic imaging procedures are crucial for every individual’s health. With advancing age comes the fear of ailments and diseases. These procedures help doctors assess a patient’s physical condition and arrive at proper diagnosis. Besides diagnosis, these procedures are also needed to determine the success of a particular treatment on a patient. That’s where you play a crucial role in helping medical professionals understand and realize the full extent of benefit of their treatments.

And as new medical treatments are making their way due to scientific advances, diagnostic imaging will be more important than ever before. It might be true that these procedures are often carried out based on financial constraints, but it’s also true that early diagnosis can reduce cost of treatments. That’s why many third party payers often choose to use these diagnostic procedures, which means you will always be sought after.

Hospitals will always be major employers for a Radiology Tech, however given that the cost of these procedures has substantially reduced; they have become more feasible for a doctor’s clinic. Hence you can easily find jobs with physicians in your area or other medical facilities as well.

Besides the natural job growth that is expected in coming years, there will also be opportunities stemming from the fact that current technicians, who leave their jobs will have to be replaced.

You will also often find that these job opportunities can be regional. Some parts of the country might have more and better job prospects for you than others. Hence it’s not uncommon to find technicians moving from one region to another for better career prospects.

How much can a Radiologic Technician earn?

In May 2008, the average annual wage of a Radiology Technologist was around $52,210. While the highest 10% of the lot earned about $74,970 and the lowest 10% around $35,100, the middle 50% earned from $42’710 to $63,100.

Average annual salaries in some of the biggest employers for these technicians, according to figures in 2008 were, $55,210 for technicians working in medical and diagnostic laboratories, and $53,650 for those working in Federal Executive Branch. Technicians working in Outpatient care Centers earned $50,840 while those working with physicians made $48,530. Technicians who worked with medical and surgical hospitals earned $52,890.

As a Radiology Tech you can earn handsomely and you also have the satisfaction of making a difference to the lives of many patients. You have many job opportunities, which are only growing with time and there are brilliant prospects for advancement in your chosen field too.

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Become a Radiology Technician

Radiology Technician Career Outlook in 2012