If you’re interested in a career in the world of medicine, but do not want to work as a nurse or doctor, one of your options is to earn a radiology tech degree. These programs are relatively short, especially compared to the years of education you’d need to become a doctor, but you’ll still be able to do important work with patients as part of a medical staff that helps diagnose and treat diseases.
Radiology is the field of medicine that uses various types of imaging in order to see inside the patient’s body to diagnose and treat disease. Radiologists produces images through:
With a radiology tech degree, you have a few options you can consider in terms of a career path. First, you can become a radiology technician, working with x-ray machines to help understand a patient’s medical condition. You can also work as a radiology technologist, working with other types of imagining machines that could help doctors assess a patient. As a radiology tech, you could specialize, which allows you to work with a certain type of advanced machine. For example, MRI technicians work with magnetic resonance imaging while CT technologists work with computerized tomography. This depends on which specialty interests you; in many circumstances, radiology techs who choose to specialize make themselves more appealing to future employers, as well as improve their earnings salary potential.
No matter what you position in the field of radiology tech, your primary responsibility will be to maintain and use equipment, which will help patients receive the care they need. Some radiology techs work one-on-one with patients, preparing them to use the machines, positioning their bodies for the best images, and explaining to them the process if necessary. Others work with the machine controls, and still others work with doctors, helping to analyze the results. At larger facilities, you may do just one of these tasks, while at smaller facilities, you may be the only team member in radiology.
Are you interested in working as a radiology tech? If so, getting your degree can take anywhere from one to four years, depending on the program you choose. Most radiology techs join one of the nearly 400 radiology tech associate’s degree programs, though some employers look more favorably on job candidates with a bachelor’s degree in this field. Your classes in this kind of program will cover skills that you need to run the machines, analyze the images, maintain and clean the patients, communicate with patients, and more.
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Adventist University of Health Sciences — The Adventist University of Health Sciences' BS in radiological science degree covers everything the professional radiologist needs to know about mammography, computed tomography, MRI, advanced patient care issues, and medical imaging. Coursework also covers issues and trends in health care and case studies, with a focus on providing the tools and insights students need to become marketable job applicants. |
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