4 Steps to Become a Medical Radiologic Technologist
Most of the professionals already in medical industry, will agree that there has never been a better time or age in the entire medical profession, to become a radiologic technologist than today. A career as a radiographer is fast growing in demand not only in major hospitals, but also in many physician offices opening up in several cities as well as in military. A rad tech is a healthcare professional who administers radiation in the form of x-rays in order to obtain diagnostic images. To provide quality care and accurate diagnostic images, one must have a thorough knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, radiation safety, physics, proper patient handling in terms of their positioning and preparation for imaging with the state-of-the-art equipment that they handle on a day-to-day basis.
Salary and Jobs Information
The job outlook for radiologic technologists is very vibrant and continues to increase in demand all around the world. The expected salaries for radiographer in the current job market is upwards of $65,000, it also depends on one's locality or region of employment, you can check this page for more information: http://radiologytechniciansalarysource.com/. This is a very rewarding career not only from a financial point of view, but also from a personal POV as getting to help otherpeople heal from their diseases or injuries is a very fulfilling achievement in life.
Step 1
The first step is to obtain a required and necessary education to launch oneself into the profession. Several 2-year community colleges and 4-year colleges all over the country offer courses in several radiology programs specifically tailored to equip and prepare students to handle the rigors of the profession with great ease. For most of these courses, one needs a high school diploma or a GED certificate to register for the courses.
Step 2
After gaining some relevant knowledge in your class, a student will be required to step into the clinical arena to horn their newly-acquired skills. They are put through a rigorous and supervised clinical experience mostly in a major hospital that handles a variety of patients with different radiological imaging needs. Many state-accredited colleges have many well-accomplished and experienced radiologists at hand not only to assist new students in performing well in these clinicals, but also to mentor them in the profession.
Step 3
After the first two steps, one is required to obtain a license be recognized in this field and handle a wide variety of responsibilities. The licensing required to practice as a general radiographer, is governed by the Joint Review Committee on Radiology Technology, and most states require that the technicians be accredited by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists: ARRT. This licensing stage provides some level of assurance that one is well-trained to obtain proper and accurate imaging without significant or costly errors.
Step 4
At this point, one gets to choose whether they would like to work in a hospital or a physicians office, the military or wherever they may find an opportunity. At this stage, one will have acquired the necessary knowledge and licenses required to enable them to practice and perform the imaging modalities required for radiology. One should expect to deal more frequently not only with patients, but also with several physicians and other specialists that need the imaging for their own analysis of the patient's medical condition.