So you are interested in becoming a radiologic technologist (rad tech)? You have no idea what it takes, what the pay is, what education you need or what a rad tech really is. Your looking for a career that is the perfect fit and you think being a rad tech might be your answer. Well you have definitely come to the right place! On this site you can find out what a rad tech is and does, the steps that you take to become a rad tech, the pros of becoming a rad tech and other resources you can look at for more information. This site is your guide to find out if being a rad tech is for you and how you can get there.
Rad techs are a hot commodity these days with almost every college student graduating with a four year degree landing a job. The job outlook for rad techs is predicted to increase by 21% from the year 2010-2020. This is a higher than average job increase which means that now is your time! 63% of rad techs have a four year degree. 28% have some college to none [1]. By looking at the stats you can either go to school and be guaranteed to land a job or work your way up the scale.
If you have any questions whatsoever about the rad tech work environment, areas in which you can upgrade in or even what a day in the life a rad tech would be like you can find it here on this site.
1.Mammograms: this x-ray type produces images of breast tissue. This screening is especially valuable because it can identify tumors that are not noticeable or felt. Mammograms can identify deposits of calcium which is a possible identifier of breast cancer. It is specific to women who have found no signs of breast cancer and have no idea if they carry the cancer. Mammograms are essentially important because they can detect cancer before it has spread too far. Facts show that mammograms help reduce the number of deaths for women 40-75 years old.
Mammograms were invented by a German scientist, Albert Salomon. However the modern mammograms have only been in existence since the 1960s. Due to science the mammogram has advanced and changed drastically from the 1960s to today.
2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging: this imaging uses resonance of a magnetic field and radio waves to formulate intricate images of the inside of your body, tissues and organs.This type of x-ray imaging is usually used to determine internal damage that may have occurred because of a car accident or some other dangerous incident.
This concept may be somewhat difficult to understand since it involves extensive science and chemistry to take an MRI image. This video below gives a brief but easy to understand explanation of how MRI’s work and a little of the chemistry behind the magic. It even explains what an MRI image looks like and how you can read one
3.Sonograms: sonograms use ultrasound waves to take images of objects inside the human body. We usually see this happen for pregnant woman who get ultrasounds to see the fetus of their unborn baby. The sonogram produces ultrasound waves that bounce off organs and tissues inside of the body, which then the machine uses to create and calculate and image. A transducer is used to send the wave across the body part of interest. Sometimes a jelly is applied before the transducer is set upon the body part to enhance the waves and make for easy movement. It also helps create a clearer ultrasound image.
An example of an ultrasound image
4.CT (Computed Tomography) Scan: this scan is specifically used to see the soft tissues inside of the body. It produces a cross sectional picture of the bones and soft tissues in the body. A CT scan can take pictures of the liver, pancreas, intestines, kidney, bladder, lungs, heart and adrenal glands. This type of x-ray image can also see bones, blood vessels, and the spinal cord. The CT machine is shaped like a large “o” in which a table slides through the center. a contrast material or “dye” can sometimes be used to see specific areas of the body better. This dye can either be injected into the specific area or sometimes drunk.
The x-ray images were discovered by German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. This discovery was made while he was at the University of Würzburg. Research was being conducted concerning electron beams in a gas discharge tube. The florescent screen in his lab began to glow once the tube was on. This lead Wilhelm to question why the light continue to shine through the heavy cardboard surrounding the tube. After placing several things between the tube and the screen, Wilhelm placed his hand between the two. The resulting image was an silhouette of his bones.
The first image ever taken was a picture of Mrs. Röntgen’s hand, as you can see her wedding ring is shown clearly on the image. The other three images that Röntgen took were of weights, a piece of metal and a compass.
This discovery is used in many different applications to this day, but the most effective was the use of seeing bone imaging.
This is video is a brief interview with a current radiologic technologist. She describes the steps she went through to become a rad tech and what her average day consists of. She introduces what schooling she went through, what college she attended and what the clinical work was like. She gives advice to those interested in the rad tech job and encourages them to pursue this career. This radiologist explains all the specific areas of the hospital that rad techs are required to work and the different demands of each one. She explains what is required to keep your license and that as a rad tech you are always required to learn about the new advances in technology and how they work.
Radiologic Technologist 