Radiologic Technologist Education and Career Pathway

This post provides detailed information on the radiologic technologist education and career pathway, to help you become one, including how to find a good school, advance your career, and be successful.

Why Choose Radiologic Technologist Career?

There are many reasons why you should choose radiologic technologist career as a profession, including:

1. You can work with different types of technology like CT Scanner, X-Ray machine, Ultrasound machine etc.

2. You get paid more than other medical professionals.

3. You have unlimited opportunities for growth and development.

4. You get to work on exciting projects.

5. You get to learn new skills every day.

6. Your job is very interesting and challenging.

7. You get to travel around the world.

8. You get to meet people from different cultures.

9. You get to help patients.

10. You get to be part of an amazing team.

Radiologic Technologist Education Requirements

To become a radiologic technologist, you need to complete high school education and pass the required exams.

In addition to that, there are some additional requirements which include:

1. A minimum 2 years of college level coursework in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics.

2. Passing the National Board exam for certification.

3. Completion of at least one year of internship training.

4. Passing the state board examination for certification.

5. Completing a radiology residency program.

6. Passing the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) exam.

7. Completion of continuing education courses through ARRT.

Radiologic Technologist Continuing Education

The purpose of continuing education is to keep up with changes in the field. It also helps in improving your knowledge base.

There are two ways by which you can pursue your continuing education; either online or face to face.

The most important thing to remember while pursuing continuing education is to make sure it is relevant to your current practice.

Radiologic Technologist Certification/License

If you want to become certified in any particular area, then you must first obtain a license.

For example if you want to become certified as a cardiac technician, then you must first apply for a cardiology tech certificate and then once you receive it, you must take the test to become certified.

Once you are certified, you can use the designation CCRT (Certified Cardiac Registered Technologist).

Radiologic Technologist Career Opportunities

There are several career opportunities for a radiologic technologist. They include:

1. Diagnostic Medical Imaging

Diagnostic medical imaging includes X-ray, ultrasound, mammography, nuclear medicine, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and digital subtraction angiography.

2. Interventional Radiology

Interventional radiology involves using minimally invasive procedures, such as biopsies, stents, embolizations, abscess drainage, and vascular access placement.

3. Radiation Oncology

Radiation oncology involves treatment of cancer using radiation therapy.

4. Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine involves using radioactive tracers to detect diseases.

5. Cardiovascular Technology

Cardiovascular technology involves using various types of equipment to treat patients with heart problems.

Others include:

• Ultrasound
• Mammography
• Pediatric Radiology
• Neurodiagnostics
• Gastroenterology
• Emergency Radiology
• General Radiology
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Positron Emission Tomography.

How to Advance your Radiologic Technologist Career

These are some of the things that will help you advance your career as a radiologic technologist:

1. Get involved in professional organizations

The best way to get ahead in this profession is to join a professional association. You should be an active member because they provide opportunities to network with other professionals in your field.

Also, they offer scholarships and grants for educational expenses.

2. Take part in research projects

Researching new techniques and technologies is one of the best ways to stay at the top of your game.

You can do this through volunteering for a research project.

Researching new techniques and technologies will not only give you an edge over others but will also increase your chances of getting hired.

3. Be a team player

This is very important when working in a medical facility. You need to work well with all members of staff including doctors, nurses, technicians, etc. It is critical to be able to interact well with them.

4. Learn new skills

You need to learn new skills every day so that you can improve your performance.

As a radiologic technologist, you need to master certain skills like computerized tomography, MRI, ultrasound, etc.

5. Network

Networking is another great tool that can help you advance your career.

Through networking, you can meet people with same interests as you and exchange information with them about your jobs.

This will help you find out what kind of job openings there are in your city or state.

How to Find a Good Radiologic Technologist School

Here are some tips on how to find a good school to train as a radiologic technologist:

1. Ask friends and family

Ask your friends and family if they know any school that offers programs related to your area of interest.

If you don’t have anyone to ask, then you can always search online. There are many websites that offer reviews of different colleges and universities.

2. Check local newspapers

If you want to start your education right after high school graduation, then you might want to check local newspapers for advertisements offering programs related to your area.

3. Search online

If you already graduated from college, then you can use the internet to look for schools that offer programs related your area of interest.

4. Attend open houses

Open houses are usually held by schools where prospective students can visit and talk to representatives from the school.

These events are usually free and you may even receive scholarship offers.

5. Visit the campus

Visit the campus of the school that interests you to see if it meets your requirements to train as a radiologic tech. You can also make sure that the school is accredited.

Accreditation means that the school meets certain standards set by the accrediting body.

How to be Successful in your Radiologic Technologist Career

Want to be successful in your radiologic technologist career? If yes, then here are some tips to apply:

1. Get involved

The first step towards being successful is to get involved in something. It can be a club or a volunteer organization, it doesn’t matter what it is. All you need to do is to just get involved in something.

2. Stay positive

When things go wrong, it’s easy to grow pessimistic. But staying positive is much more beneficial than becoming negative.

When you stay positive, you will attract positive energy which will lead to success.

3. Have goals

Setting goals is another way to achieve success. You should ensure that your goal is realistic and achievable.

Make sure that your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).

4. Be persistent

Persistence is one of the most important qualities that an individual needs to succeed in life.

Persistence is needed because sometimes we encounter challenges that are difficult to overcome.

So, persistence is required to keep trying until you succeed.

5. Learn from others

Learn as much as possible from other people. They have been through the same ordeal that you have.

By learning from them, you will be able to avoid making mistakes that they made.

What Does a Radiologic Technologist Do?

A radiologic technologist is a healthcare professional who performs imaging procedures to diagnose disease, evaluate injuries or other conditions in humans using x-ray equipment.

The radiologic technologist’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the patient receives safe and effective care.

The radiologic technologist assists the physician by performing various tasks, such as positioning patients for proper exposure to radiation, operating the x-ray machine, monitoring the quality of images produced, and interpreting results.

Qualities of a Good Radiologic Technologist

A good radiologic technologist should have the following qualities:

1. Knowledge

You must always be aware of what you are doing. Always ask questions before starting any procedure.

2. Patience

Patience is essential since there will always be unexpected situations during work.

3. Accuracy

Accuracy is very important since errors can cause harm to the patient.

4. Responsibility

Responsibility is an important quality since you are responsible for the health of the patient.

5. Communication skills

Communication with the patient, physicians, nurses, technicians, etc., is very important.

Radiologic Technologist Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for radiologic technologists is $55,522.

Radiologic Technologist Job Outlook

According to information from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total employment of radiologic and MRI technologists is expected to increase by 9% between 2020 and 2030.

Conclusion

There are many opportunities for radiologic technologists. You can choose to work in hospitals, clinics, medical centers, universities, research institutions, government agencies, and private companies.

There are also different specialties within this field. For example, you may specialize in mammography, ultrasound, CT scans, MRIs, nuclear medicine, and PET/CT.

If you are interested in becoming a radiologic technologist, then this post has provided all you need to know about the educational and training requirements to get into the career.

It has also provided other relevant information to help you build a successful radiologic technologist career.