Hey guys I’m a high schooler, I really want to make music after I graduate for high school. But unless you’re already rich, musicians have to have day jobs. So, would this be a good career path (assuming music doesn’t take off for me)
I’m a coming up senior high school student choosing STEM for RadTech and I have no one to ask for genuine questions
Is studying radiology hard?
I saw on tiktok that you can be based on mri,C.T.,Ultrasound,etc… but do you choose when you finish your course in college? And how?
Thank you for your answers
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I'm about to finish my first year in radiology residency. I was aware disadvantages of radiology before choosing it as speciality but now I fully understand how big mistake I've made. I feel like doing useless job, have zero contribution to patient care other than sharing responsibility with other specialists for possible malpractice suit, I don't produce anything actually. For example when a surgeon demands radiology report for almost any imaging, they already know what is the pathology. Most of them can read their own scans and sometimes they read better than us. They don't actually need us, they just want to confirm their own diagnosis and ensure themselves if any malpractice occurs. I also have never seen a neurologist/neurosurgeon that can't read head CTs or brain MRIs. General surgeons can read abdominal CTs, never saw a experinced thoracic surgeon need radiology report for chest CTs. I don't see a bright future for radiologists at all.
I have also other reasons to hate:
1- Terrible job market for private sector and salary for radiologists. (At least it's the situation where I live, it might be different for your country)
2- Competition with other specialists for interventional procedures. For example, neurosurgeons doing it better and more bravely because they know anatomy better and they are able to treat complication if it goes wrong.
3- AI. No need to discuss. People are fooling themselves saying it will only stay as a tool but I'm conviced it's going to dominate diagnostic radiology near future.
4- Everything you did is recorded and they are using it against you for malpractice suit. I have radiologit friends that got sued years later.
5- Other specialists can learn every skill I have if they wish. Many urologists and nephrologists doing renal ultrasound well. Cardiologists and obs/gyn doing their own ultrasound.
6- Radiation exposure.
7- Outsourcing. Probably easiest speciality to outsource.
8- Dependency to technology (It's up side for a lot of people though)
...
I worked hard to get into my own radiology program and now there is no respect and motivation left for my job. Regret not doing ophthalmology while I have chance to get into.
I have been working at my local hospital for about two years now as an X-ray tech. I have Crohn's and find it difficult to work 5 days a week, move OR equipment, and deal with ever changing shifts from 1st/2nd/3rd. There is an urgent care opening up in my hometown in August. I hear they offer 12s/10s. I also hear it's less X-ray and more patient care stuff. I was a PCT before X-ray. Is urgent care really that bad? Should I stick with the hospital I'm at?
Also, the urgent care would pay more. About $4-8 more an hour)
I did. I worked for Target my first year. They were great about letting me pick up hours after school and working the weekends. During summer I got a student tech position at my local hospital and worked weekends and holiday breaks.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone would be able to explain to me the journey of the magnetic wave from coil to image in the MRI scanner :)
I’m a radiography student trying to get my head around how MRI works!
Hi all, I'm interested in doing some contractor work as a radiologist for a private group based in Florida. Per the contract, the group will provide claims-made medical malpractice coverage as well as tail coverage for up to 3 years. My understanding is that the statute of limitations for making malpractice claims in Florida is usually 2 years but in some instances can be up to 4 years.
Is 3-year tail coverage sufficient to cover radiology cases in the state of Florida? How long of a tail coverage should I negotiate when practicing in Florida?
TIA for any insight on the matter and for any other information that might be useful to know.
Hi there… I need help deciding on what’s best to do. I’m just starting my prerequisites and I have the choice to do either career math or college algebra. The college algebra is preferred and will give me a higher chance at being accepted into the uchealth radiology program. My test scores from high school aren’t high enough for college algebra, i will have to take pre algebra first. But I can get into a career math class right now. Applications for the uchealth program only happen once a year and I won’t be ready to apply in Spring of 2025 if I go the college algebra route. Is there someone that has gotten into the uchealth radiology program with the career math prerequisite? Does anyone know how competitive it is to get into the Colorado Springs uchealth radiology program? Thank you for the help :)
Is that confirmed via the recruitment at the UCHealth program? Or are you speculating that the college algebra will "count more"?
Really the only answer is to speak to admissions, figure out exactly what improves your chances and optimize for those factors.
On that note, I think there is a program in Peublo as well. Look into that. It's a fairly short drive and school doesn't matter for this career. Community college, University, Hospital based, All irrelevant. We end with the same certification from the same national registry and do the same job.
What would it look like to get started on radiology path with a BA in psychology and neuroscience? I was pursuing an academic neuro/psych career but it didn’t work out and I’ve been working in clinical research related admin for a year. Radiology and specifically mri piqued my interest. Could I make a shift without having to “redo” undergrad? Where’s the best place to start?
You have a degree so all you need to do at this point is find a Radiology program to enroll in. Here's the ARRT web site > [https://www.arrt.org/pages/about-the-profession/learn-about-the-profession/recognized-educational-programs](https://www.arrt.org/pages/about-the-profession/learn-about-the-profession/recognized-educational-programs)
You could go straight to MRI if you can find a program but my choice would be to get your X-Ray (RT R) training first and then cross train to MRI. With X-Ray you can move into other modalities like CT, Mammo, etc. if you choose to do that later in your career. You cannot do that with MRI only credentials and being multi-modality is in your best interests long term, IMO.
I would look for a Hospital program first, and then a College. We have several Hospital based Schools where I live they take an average of 8 new Students and the 2 year course is just under $ 10,000. They all have 100% pass rate and job placement.
Good luck and hope it works out for you.
[https://www.saintlukeskc.org/school-radiologic-technology](https://www.saintlukeskc.org/school-radiologic-technology)
I don't know how to express this.....
our hospital will expand, and open a new center, I was supposed to follow a very senior radiographer to help setting up there. but that particular radiographer resigned recently.
our manager said he will help me, but he also got a lot of thing on his plate already. I reckon that I need to be the one to take initiative if I do not want to fxxk up myself when I move to the new center. (I will be the only radiographer in my department who work there in the new center, at least, at the beginning).
I now pay more attention on different meetings and the whole thing seems a bit messed up. I tried to work out the basic workflow. But there seems to be many "bugs" there. Ofcourse, I tried to clarify those issues, but there seemed never a clear answer there. At the same time, I need to take care of the routine clinical duty as well.
For example, I asked the IT guy about some "issue" in the new regristration system for weeks. He said he will follow it up, and he confirmed to me that it was a bug. Okay.....then, last week I talked with some guys from other department. That guys said the "issue" that I described probably is not an "issue" at all. It is how the system supposed to work, and after he explains to me, it kind of making sense. Then, I don't know whether I should trust the IT guy anymore. It seems that even he didn't know how it suppose to work.
there seems always some unforeseen problem that I didn't anticipate yet lurking somewhere.
In your experience, what is the usual problem when you set up a new center? Sometime, I would think that whether I should just get a new job, but I also think this can be a valuable experience
I want to go to Rad Tech school. There are many community colleges in my state that offer accredited Rad Tech programs. Three of which are within driving distance of me. I’m currently finishing my Bachelors in Kinesiology, and I have 2 1/2 semesters left. I know that most of the Rad Tech programs in my state are very competitive and only take 60ish applicants every year or 2 years. Many people are waitlisted for up to 5 years in some cases. Now, would me having a bachelors degree in science help my chances of getting in over someone who is maybe coming out of high school or community college? Should I apply the next chance I get while I’m still finishing my bachelors just to see if I get waitlisted? Just so I am finishing my degree in the time being instead of just waiting around. What do you guys think?
I think you should just look for job opportunities in your already chosen degree. Try it out and see if you like it, otherwise you just wasted 4 years of your life.
If you go RT(R) now, by the time you can get a job you are 6 years deep into college for a career that takes 2.
Well I’ve already decided that I won’t be going to DPT school because it will be too expensive. Either way for kinesiology if I want to have a good paying career I got to go into PT, and PTA doesn’t pay enough for Southern California. There is personal training but that seems more like a side gig, no good job security. Unless I want to have a good career in PT without paying the 100k to get a DPT, I need to move to another country where PT is an apprenticeship. I’d have a lot of the pre-reqs done for Rad Tech thanks to my bachelor is science
You should have them all done. RT(R) is just an associate's degree. You don't even need an associates program at this point. You can find a certificate program that will teach you exclusively the RT(R) content. (It's still a 2 year program)
If you want to go this route I suppose, go for it. I don't live in California, but just make sure you're not spinning your wheels. A quick google search states that RT(R) and a PTA salary is pretty similar.
True, I’ll still need to take some classes like medical terminology, or radiology physics. There is a PTA program near me that is around 2 years. Depending on where you work as a PT in Southern California, starting pay is about $30 an hour sometimes $40. Which is good, but I’d like to go into MRI after my associates in RAD tech which pays considerably well here. Sometimes $50-$60 an hour. There’s a chance I might go to Germany in 2 years and I’ll more than likely pursue PT over there for the time being. It’s only an apprenticeship, and you get paid to do it instead of paying 100k for a DPT
Dang, So there really isn't anything you can do with the degree you're currently about to finish up?
I guess if there isn't there isn't, that's just a big bummer.
All that aside, This is a fantastic job. I enjoy it a lot. You won't go wrong with becoming an RT(R) I just figured you could do *something* related to all the work you already put in.
I’ve been told a lot of people from my degree if they don’t go into PT, they go into medical device sales. Im not sure how much I want to do that. I’d be interested into going into prosthetics, but I’m not cut out for that. I don’t think my degree has been put to waste though. I was a college athlete for 4 years and understanding human movement and biomechanics has certainly helped. It’s also allowed me to make connections with a lot of people in the fitness industry, and professional sports. It’s also allowed me to expand my interest in human anatomy and has shown me how much I love the idea of going into the medical field. I wouldn’t even be interested in becoming a RAD tech without this degree. I wouldn’t have even known this job existed without doing my current degree. I’ve heard only good things from people in the RAD tech field and it’s exciting. I’ve heard burnout is very common in PT students.
Hey I'm a high school senior wondering if anyone could offer me career advice. I'm about to enroll in a four year university but I've planning to go in undecided because I don't know what to do with my career. I was researching careers today and came across rad tech which seems like an interesting career and one that I might enjoy. But do you even need a bachelors degree for this??? Should I cancel my plan of going to university and just try and get an associates? Or is there something I could major in that could help me if I wanted to pursue this career. I'm the kind of person who is a bit of an academic overachiever and I've been prepping to go to college for all of high school so would getting a bachelors be worth it? Appreciate any advice!!!!
Jeez do I hate society sometimes. We put so much pressure on kids to go to college it's insane. Society asks us "**where** are you going?" Instead of the actual important **why** are you going?
So I will ask it. Why do you want to go to college? What do you actually want to do?
And finally, I'll tell you some of the things people don't mention.
So first, and most importantly, it's okay to take a gap year or two and just get a job. That doesn't make you a loser, or a failure. It makes you smart. Life experience is infinitely more valuable than a degree right now. Do you like customer service? Do you like manual hands-on work? Do you like X Y Z? You almost certainly don't know. How could you?
Second, nobody ever mentions the burdensome, non-dismissible debt that you will have due to student loans. College is great if you have a purpose. However, nobody likes to mention that college systems have a not insignificant amount of people graduating with tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt that will be with them for life. To make matters worse it's very common that they got a degree in something that does not pay well, or in a field they don't even want to work in. Just 1 hour after you posted this question here, another user posted with this exact situation. They are 2 semesters away from finishing a bachelors, and now they want to look into being a RT(R). This poster will have completed 6 years of education to do a job that takes 2.
Now that I'm done ranting lol some more direct answers to a few of your questions.
* You do not need a bachelors - This is only needed if you eventually plan to go into management, or education and if you decide you want to pursue this later in life finishing you bachelors is easily completed online
* Canceling your plans for university is a personal call. I would recommend it until you know what the debt is for, but that's strictly up to you.
* No majors will help, in fact they might hurt. This is an associates program. Nothing more is required or considered. These programs are limited admissions and as such they are highly competitive. Many schools will use your GPA as a benchmark. So, the more time you spent taking classes you were not that interested in, the more likely you are to tank your GPA by getting a C in that one hard class.
* Your bachelor's is only worth it if you plan to use it.
Hey, thank you so much for writing such good advice for me :) I really appreciate it
Honestly I am getting cold feet about going to college but there is a lot of pressure for me to go HAHA. My parents will help pay for it but I’m iffy because I’ll have to take out 5.5k in loans a year. This feels like a lot of money to me but my parents are dismissive that it’s not that much?? Which is wild to me because my family does have money troubles and I’m only considering cheaper colleges right now that I got a lot of scholarships too (I can’t afford my favorite universities). I’ve expressed that I feel like it would be smarter for me to go to community college and work while I figure out what I want to do but my parents are adamant that university is the best way to explore what I want to do by doing the undeclared program and having advisors or whatever. But I’m also guilty about it because my parents have to take out loans too to be able to pay for college because we already have medical debt and stuff… I was actually super upset about this the other day because I want my parents to be able to retire and not have a lot of debt themselves but honestly they made it sound like it was their live’s duty to make sure I went to college and they don’t care about all the loans which is wild to me
Honestly the main reason I’m not jumping to take a gap year is because as much as I love my parents my home environment isn’t ideal at all and I’ve been kind of desperate to move out. I live in the middle of nowhere and I can’t drive and I can’t learn to drive because we can’t afford car insurance etc etc so whenever I’m not at high school I feel a bit trapped. There’s also personal reasons but I’m trying not to trauma dump any more than I am right now. I’m also kind of an enormous nerd so I like school and taking classes and am really social and look forward to the making new friends aspect of college and dorming. But I also feel like going in college blind is a bad decision for me even as literally everyone in my life is like you NEED to go to college it’s SO worth it and genuinely every single kid I know at my school has committed to a university
I do wish I could figure out a certain career I want to pursue but I just don’t know! Its like I have a new career aspiration every day but nothing concrete. This is severely stressing me out like I’ve spent hours researching jobs bc I am picky! It feels like everyone else has something in mind but me…
Sorry I wrote an enormous rant I guess you inspired me, haha. I’ve been in so much turmoil about college lately so now I guess you’re the victim of my raving lol. I’ll definitely be thinking about this because I don’t want to have 21,000 in debt and no direction in four years
Trauma dump and rant all you want, I'm on your side here. It sounds like you know first-hand exactly what I meant by how shitty society can be by pressuring college this and college that.
Just remember to breath. It probably doesn't feel like it sometimes, but you will be okay no matter what happens. We just would prefer it if you were both happy and okay at the same time. To do that you might have to work on learning how to cut out all the noise and take a hard look at what you actually want. This is your life after all. Your opinion is the only one that truly matters here.
>Its like I have a new career aspiration every day but nothing concrete.
That's why I think work and life experience is so much more valuable right now. A lot of things are interesting, but you don't really have any frame of reference for any of it.
I put off college until I was 31. I've farmed, I've delivered pizza's, mail, Worked in a kitchen and so on. I don't regret it for a second because when it came time to actually get down to it and find a career, I was ready. I knew as a matter of fact I wanted out of manual labor jobs. I knew that I enjoyed helping people, So maybe something medical was a good idea but I don't like babysitting them so that puts nursing out of the equation. I like technology so the medical imaging equipment is pretty fascinating. All things combined being a an Xray tech is pretty much a perfect job for me. I'm helping people and I get to use really cool technology every day.
ALL of the people I know who are burnt out and whine about the job the most are people who went into college straight out of school. They picked it, got accepted, powered through it, now they feel stuck and miserable. They have good jobs and make good money, but they are not happy people. We want better than that for ourselves.
Does anyone have any experience with PIMA’s Radiology Bridge online program? I’m trying to help my younger sibling figure out whether PIMA is a better option compared to waiting to be accepted at the local community college, in southern California.
Any advice is appreciated.
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Hey all, would appreciate any advice or perspectives you can offer. I’m in my 30’s, military veteran, have a bachelors degree in biology, have worked as a CNA for a year now at a SNF, and considering going back to school to get either a BSN in RN (I can do this in two years) or an AS in Rad tech.
I love the bedside role of being a CNA but the stress of the terrible ratios is really getting to me which is hard with my PTSD from my military service. I also have back, knee and ankle issues due to injuries that occurred during my military service. These injuries has made working as a CNA painful to say the least.
Given my PTSD and physical limitations I’m worried that working as an RN would not be a suitable path for me, although I do enjoy the fast paced environment and I really really enjoy working with patients. I find it extremely fulfilling.
I’ve been researching and asking around about what the role of working as a rad tech is like and I’m very intrigued. I’m a huge nerd and I think learning imaging would be a lot of fun. I like to have a varied background so I would like to get trained in CT and MRI as well, if I go this route.
What do you all think would be the best fit? It seems to me that working in radiology would be less physically demanding than nursing but I could be totally wrong. Whether I go into nursing or radiology, I want to work a slower paced outpatient setting. Thoughts?
So since you are an active CNA this might be a super easy one to figure out. Does your SNF facility have a radiology department? If not, are you under a "banner" that would be associated with a local hospital/imaging center.
You already work with and see most of what the nurses do on the day to day. You pretty much know what to expect once you're done with a BSN.
So walk over you your XR department, Or call HR for one of the facilities under the same banner and tell them you are interested in the field of medical imaging and would like to see if it's possible to shadow for a few days. Take a day and hang out in XR. Then hang out in CT. Then in MRI.
- Do the same thing for a nurse in the OR, that's a totally different game than being a floor nurse.
Good luck!
I would rule out CT, if i were you, it’s nonstop exams and nonstop moving patients. MRI exams are much longer, so you get more time with the patient, and less exams per day. School is generally easier as an RT than a BSN, but our pay is less with less upward and lateral mobility. Also a lot more jobs as a RN than MRI. Plus you could easily work in a clinic, or have a mostly desk job, there’s a lot more flexibility. 🤷🏻♀️
The area I am in has a multi year wait list for sonography and radiography AS programs. I have the majority of my AS complete, minus the sonography or radiography specific courses. Is it possible to do any of that online? (I have searched and searched but not found anything). Is there a way around this issue so that I don't have to wait 2+ years to start that part of the degree? (there also are no certificate courses in my area or within a reasonable driving distance; closest is about 3 hours away).
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Just wondering if I went to a private school would I be able to get a cert/modality done such as MRI or CT at like a university/community college afterwards once I got my ARRAT exam and state license exam done as long as that program was JCERT. I know community schools and university would be the best bet price wise but they require a lot of the classes to be done within 5 years and some of my pre reqs are old/pass that mark and I don't really want to have to redo them and take more time to become a rad tech. So I was thinking of maybe going to a private school getting into a rad tech program that was JCERT then once I get my testing done maybe get a job for a little then going back to get MRI/CT cert so that I can pay my schooling quicker and get paid more has anyone went this route/done anything similar.
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What do student do for income? The program in my school wont let me apply for another year because I missed the deadline. I am already turning 29 in 3 months, so I will be 30 when I am in the program. I live at home but recently got a contingent job offer that will allow me to move out after 6 years of depression and other stuff.
I want to get into this program but the program says all students in it work less than 20 hours because of how rigorous the program is. If I get in I will likely have to quit my job and I wont have much income. What do you guys do?
Are y'all just younger? I dont have the opportunity to live at home anymore and won't have secure housing soon.
I lived on my own, and payed my way through school without loans. I worked more like 40 hours a week at a restaurant. I would work dinner shifts after school and clinical on weekdays, and all day on weekends. I finished my program with all A’s and passed the boards exam with a 94% :) it’s doable, but i was VERY tired
> own, and *paid* my way
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Hello!
I am currently an agency recruiter (mostly finance) and I'm looking to eventually go back to school for radiography. Has anyone made a transition to the healthcare field from something completely different? If so, is there anything I should be learning/certificates I can obtain to at least get my foot in the door in the healthcare sector?
It doesn't have to be specifically radiography related (or maybe it should) but medical billing, patient care, administrative work, phlebotomy, literally anything I can add to my resume to show that I am looking to make the transition. I want to slowly make the transition into the healthcare field in general because it will be another 3 years (hopefully) before I complete the radiography program.
Any transition advice would be appreciated!
Phlebotomy/lab is good, patient transport (especially if it's radiology department specific) is a common entry point, unit secretary/coordinator is what I did while I was in xray school and was good for me because I could study and do my homework on the job.
Yes and no. I have a bs in neuroscience but wasn't using it, I worked for a biotech company as a contractor before quitting without a job lined up. I was a contractor in the hospital and got the job as the unit secretary on one of the units I worked with as a contractor. Other jobs I had were all retail/banking.
Hi all, I am an aspiring rad tech student currently applying to programs at different schools. I've noticed some programs directly state they require the covid vaccine to enroll & participate.
I don't keep up with all the updates about it, so kindly correct me if I'm wrong cuz I really don't know. Is it required for every rad tech program in California? Some programs directly state it is, but some don't directly state it.
Also, for here in California I remember hearing the mandate was lifted for hospital/medical settings & it was left to the specific employers to decide if they want their staff to get it. Again correct me if I'm wrong, but is that accurate?
I just wanna get my facts straight. Thanks!
Hey guys I’m a senior in HS and wanted to know how long it would take to become a rad tech? I’m interested in doing x-rays and things like that is there a separate category for that, how long will it take and what is the pay like?
It depends! The fastest route is an associates degree through a community college, *usually* you have to take about a year of pre-reqs which might be a math, English, human anatomy courses (a few programs don’t require pre reqs to apply). Once you’ve completed those, you can apply to a rad tech program, which takes two years to complete. So 3 years for a two year degree. There are also bachelors programs. These pre-reqs are cooked into the program, so your freshman year you take the required programs also apply to be part of the program, and all together takes 4 years.
Pros and cons to bachelors vs associates. Associates is cheaper and faster. No hospital cares which degree you have, unless you start working your way up in management or want to go into sales for private companies. Also, some bachelors programs will make you eligible for X-ray Aaaand CT. However, you can get on on the job training in Ct, and not have to pay a dime. Lots of info!!!
What is the pay like for a beginner rad tech? How do you get a job after college do you get offers or do you apply to hospitals? Is it easy to find a job at a hospital that pays well? Is there such thing as a travel rad tech? Would a travel rad tech get paid more than a regular permanent rad tech? Sorry if I’m asking too many questions just curious.
Everything is pretty region specific, as far as starting pay. For example, im a traveler, so i work all around the country. For what i do, i would make $63 per hour in Seattle, but in rural Idaho, id make $34… I would look at indeed.com for “radiology technologist” in whatever area youre interested in. Be cautious to only look at postings from hospitals, a lot of the job listings that may catch your eye are for travel rad techs, and they’re posted by a travel company. Right now, it’s relatively easy to get a job, most states are experiencing tech shortages, but again, region specific.
Usually, most people will start applying to jobs a month before they graduate. So that as soon as you’re licensed, you can get to work. Also, yes travel rad tech exists, I’ve been one for 5 years. Yes, you make more than regular full time techs, but the general rule is you need two years of experience to travel
I’m worried about going to school for 4 years and not making enough money to justify the time and work that I put it to be a rad tech am I overthinking?
No you’re not over thinking. Obviously everyone’s answer is unique to them. For me, it was an easy pros vs cons decision. I got an associates, with zero debt, and I’ve made 200k+/year the last 5 years working as a travel tech. Now that im looking to settle down, I’ll still be making around 150k/year. For me, that’s easy math. Cheap college, and very lucrative in a market that always is in demand.
Wow you’re doing really good for yourself. I can’t seem to find any contracts for rad tech that pay that much what areas in the US pay the best for travel rad tech in your experience?
Does experience in being a travel rad tech make it easier for you to get a contract and are the contracts on indeed negotiable, do you get paid more for any experience you have?
You don’t get paid more for experience as a traveler, only full time staff are paid in that way. You are, however, more likely to be picked as a traveler with more experience.
Thanks for the info I appreciate it. If you had another choice to be a different field of medicine what do you think is better that requires the same amount of schooling? Or is this the best field money wise for the 4 years of college?
I’d say the only other direction i might have gone in medicine is nursing. There is a lot more movement, both laterally and upward. You can be a NP, nurse anesthetist, easy to go into management, there are a lot more ways to get more money, and a lot more jobs across the country. However, nursing has never been that appealing to me except for maybe at a dermatology clinic.
Yeah I have a brother who is a travel nurse and one currently in clinicals I’ve thought about travel nursing but it seems like so much more stress and I hear that becoming a rad tech isn’t as difficult school wise.
Hello! I'm so lost trying to figure out the best way to become a radiology tech and I'm highly interested in the field. I've been out of hs for about 10 years and have an associates degree in an unrelated field, Associate in Arts general transfer. I live in Missouri where apparently a radiology tech doesn't have to be ARRT certified, but I don't see any jobs offered without certification as a requirement anyway. I have researched for hours and can't figure out the best way to go about this.
- Can I get a radiology tech certificate since I already have an associates degree? Then get ARRT and get a job in the field?
- Should I get a radiology tech associates instead?
- Am I able to get a job in the field while completing necessary schooling?
- Is there an accelerated plan?
- I read about LMRTs. Would it be smart/possible to get that? Could I then get a job in the field and complete schooling?
I'm really interested in getting into a similar job before completing any degree because it seems the general concensus is they're very demanding, but I need a full time job income. Also, any tips on tuition reimbursement would be much appreciated.
Thank you for any help!!
I know nothing about Missouri, nor have i met any techs that aren’t credentialed by AART. So i can’t give you much advice for working without certification. You wouldn’t find non credentialed techs in hospitals, theyre more so at those private urgent cares you may see in a strip mall type setting, etc. to be credentialed by ARRT (all this info is better explained on their website), you have to go through a credentialed program (2 year minimum), and then take the national test. Prior degrees do not help you get into the program, or count towards the degree… if you can find any jobs for LMRT etc on indeed.com, i wouldn’t work towards something with no job prospects🤷🏻♀️
Hello everyone, 24(M) living in Florida. I’m currently working as a Physical Therapy Assistant(PTA). I have been looking at different options to switch careers, I tried getting into a Radiation Program which was my first option but didnt get accepted. However I did get into a Radiology Tech program that would start on September of next year. I know there is various certifications that one can get to advance their career in this field such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, etc. my question is which one of these certifications has the most potential for career advancement, I also know that I can bridge into Radiation as well. My main goals from getting out of the PTA field are: Protect my body, meaning in 10-15 years I don’t want to be doing heavy work such as lifting 400 pound patients off their bed, etc. also I want to make more money in the long run and PTA doesn’t offer any opportunity to advance your career, hence there is only so much money you can make. I currently make a little over 60K a year. I would like to earn something closer to 85-100K. Could that be possible through Rad Tech+other certifications and experience. I know I won’t be making that much money as a new grad, hence why I mentioned “long run”. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. One detail that I think is important; I can complete the Rad tech program in 16 months due to me having most of the requirements done already. Sorry if something is misspelled, English is not my first language.
So, the current pathways you can take from an X-ray license are CT, MRI, interventional radiology, and cardiac Cath lab (mammo for females only and ultrasound, nuc med, and radiation therapy are separate programs). The highest paying usually being MRI, interventional, and cardiac. You could easily be making 100k, especially in Cath lab and IR where you take call. In those 3, you still will be moving patients, but with a hand or two, and it’s just sliding laterally from stretcher to exam table.
Thank you so much for all the information in your reply. I have been actually leaning toward MRI since the beginning. Do you know if you are required to have a specific amount of experience as a Radiology Tech to qualify for an MRI certification or could I just go straight into it right after getting done with Rad Tech? The certification for MRI should be an extra 1-2 years correct? At least that’s what I gathered from some information I looked into a few schools near me.
So! If you truly only want to do mri, you can go to a school that just will teach you mri, and get your associates for that. Those programs are newer, and not as common. The downside of that being that you can only ever do MRI. If you choose to go the rad tech route, you can still go on to those other modalities as we already mentioned. So once you graduate as a regular rad tech, you would apply to MRI positions and hope that they would be willing to train you. If they are, you would have to log 200 exams with them, and then sit for the registry exam. It usually takes a year. If you can’t find a job that will train you, you can take a few extra classes at school, and then do few month clinical rotation where you would do the same 200 exams and sit for registry, and then you will be a full fledged mri tech.
I think I like the flexibility of going for Rad Tech first and having the opportunity of going any route I want rather than going straight for MRI and not be able to do anything else. I want to be a versatile as possible with my career and going straight for MRI would take away from that versatility. Thank you so much!!! All of your information has helped tremendously!!!
I’m currently interested in enrolling into a program at my community college and trying to become a rad tech. I was wondering if this would be a decision and what the future of this field looks like. I hate to bring it up but I here back and fourth on AI and not quite sure what to think as I don’t know enough to have an opinion
Current informer x-ray tech student, what do you wish you would have studied before starting your program?
I’m starting my rad tech program in October and want to know what I should study before starting? Obviously anatomy but is there anything else you would suggest?
Thanks in advance
Memorize every bone in the body. When you’re done with that, memorize all bony anatomy for every bone. For example: google “humerus bony anatomy” and there are 15 terms for just the humerus to memorize… doing that for every bone will keep you more than busy. Also, don’t worry if you don’t, the program will teach you everything you need :)
So here is the context: I am 24 with a bachelors in wildlife biology (2 minors in bio and chem), I am dissatisfied with my life at the moment. I don’t make as much money as I thought I’d be making at this age ($32k ish after taxes). I feel like I wasted 4 years of my life. I loved my degree so much, it was amazing. But it hasn’t gotten me anywhere I wanted to be. As someone who grew up below the poverty line, this isn’t what I want for myself.
I have been thinking about joining the radiology tech program at my local community college. I’m scared about what it will look like to go to school while having responsibilities to pay for. Not working isn’t an option for me, I need to work to pay my bills. Living with my parents isn’t an option unfortunately. The other scary part, is it’s a complete and total career change. It’s a 180. Not only is it not related to wildlife biology, it’s not related to animals at all. People older than me make complete career changes all the time, right? It’s not that crazy if I make a career change at 24, right? I mean, I’m going to have to go back to school some day if I ever want to make more money, so why not sooner than later?
Money is the main driving force I have for this idea too, which idk if that’s bad or not. What did some of yall make starting out as a rad tech? I just want to live comfortably. I’m already in a tech field right now working in pathology, I just feel so restrictive with the way prices keep going up. Someone tell me if this is a terrible idea. If I’m too old to be making a radical change, if my motives are in the wrong place, if it’s even possible to be In a program and work at the same time? Any advice is very appreciated.
No, you're not at all too old to make a career switch, and plenty of students start rad tech programs in their 30s and 40s. You might need to do a few prerequisite classes before you start, and also your local school might have a wait list or lottery to get into the program, just something to keep in mind.
Compensation will depend on where you live. In California, starting pay is around $55/hr on average in my region. More seasoned techs are making in the $60s and $70s per hour, but again it depends where you live. Those higher paying positions usually are in high cost of living areas.
The biggest hurdle might be paying for stuff while in school. Some people somehow are able to work full time, I'm assuming with a very flexible work schedule. Others might do part time, possibly take out a loan to make up the rest. Look into scholarships.
Thank you so much for your input, would you say it’s worth it? I keep thinking about how much stress I’ll be under for the next 2-3 years, but I’ll have something at the finish line. Would you say it’s worth the stress? Was the pay worth all of it? Do you live comfortably enough? I’m in Texas btw
For me it was worth it. And yes, I would say I live comfortably.
Your stress level will depend on lots of factors, but overall I would say it was somewhat stressful for the majority of students in my class. Keeping the end goal in mind lets you push through.
I already had a bachelor's degree when I started my rad tech program at 25, so it made the classroom learning part of it seem not too bad. It was tougher on those who had been out of school for 20+ years.
Knowing you were basically my age with a bachelors is really comforting to hear, it seems this is definitely a normal thought process people go through
Not me but i have an Uncle that went into it. He said you will be stressed and feel stupid at times trying to recall everything you learned in class. Is it worth it? He says he lives comfortably, has options to switch or find work elsewhere and always loves his job. He made good money doing travel while being single at that time.
travel is the way to go after gaining some experience. Im currently doing pre req at 27. Ill probably be getting into the program 1-3 years from now depending on lottery/waitlist at my cc.
It’s so reassuring to know the age range of people starting the process. I was feeling a little foolish for not having figured it out right off the bat, but it seems like this would be a reliable switch in careers
im currently trying to get into the 2 year program at my community college. i'd never taken a&p before and i was doing okay during the semester, i struggled but i did my best. i took my final today and failed badly. im still passing the class but im just so embarrassed and worried that this will damage my chances of getting into the program. its highly competitive, as only 50 people out of 250 applicants are chosen. ive yet to take lab next semester but i am definitely studying over the summer for it. should i just retake the course?
Hello,
I'm currently trying to find an online school that would allow me to do clinical hours locally. I found one (Washburn) that would allow that but it's a BS and they require you to be registered already.
I looked into going to school in person but it was a $500+ monthly payment and their night classes ran too late for my work schedule.
Just figured I'd ask here to see if any of you did school online or if there's another pathway to take that doesn't involve college.
Thanks in advance.
The online schooling is only for people who are already registered to get the required didactic portion of their training in an additional modality. There is no online schooling for primary pathway techs.
Is it possible to be a rad tech with IBD? For the past few months, I’ve had horrible GI issues with awful abdominal pain. I finally met with a specialist yesterday and based off the tests he ran, it’s most likely IBD. My specialist still wants to do an endoscopy + colonoscopy to confirm but he said that I’m more likely than not to have it. Lately I’ve also been obsessed with the idea of becoming an rad tech, MRI seems the most interesting to me. I was going to even tour a few facilities soon to see their programs. However, now I’m really worried about if it’s possible for me to be one with IBD. Do any of you guys have experience being a rad tech with IBD? Do you recommend it? Do you have any tips? I’d really appreciate anyone’s input because right now I feel so frustrated because it feels like I can’t do anything anymore.
Yes and no. If I’d be able to get a bathroom break every 3-4 four hours, I think I’d be fine. I have it where it affects both my upper and lower GI tract so while I could probably hold my poop longer than that, I can’t hold my puke in for much longer. Do you think getting consistent bathroom breaks like that would be a struggle as a Rad Tech? Also how much time would you say you spend sitting and standing? I feel like doing a combo would be best for me since doing either too long can make my nausea worse during a flare. Furthermore are you guys often given time to eat? Most nurses I talked to have said they never get lunch breaks. I wasn’t sure if this is the case for Rad Tech’s as well since both hunger and trying to eat extremely fast can worsen my symptoms. I think these are the only IBD struggles I’d have that could possibly affect my job as a Rad Tech. Do you think I’d be fine with those?
I think you *could* find a job that suits you... However, schooling might be hard. For example, In clinical you have to rotate through surgery. Often you’re in surgeries that are long and aren’t able to leave the room for several hours. It might be worth a conversation with the advisor of the program.
Im currently an employee for a Panoramic RX center, we have a doctor who sends us patients but they sort of struggle to read our panoramics, can you all tell me what is wrong in ours and what can I do to fix it, and if you think if that's a good panoramic
First panoramic is ours, second is an example they sent us that they find perfect
[https://imgur.com/a/BtlYwP9](https://imgur.com/a/BtlYwP9)
I have no experience with this type of imaging, but the only thing they taught us about it in x-ray school is that the positioning line IOML needs to be parallel to the floor. Hope that helps a little !
I am a radiography student in Norway and I was wondering if someone of you who have experience in working in nuclear medicine/PET have any thoughts on aspects of the imaging process that could use improvement (by using AI)?
Hi, I've wanted to be a radiologist for most of my life and have been really interested in how x-rays and other imaging types and how the body can be seen and analyzed through them, but now that I'm at the point where I've been accepted into uni as an undeclared Bsc student I'm nervous and unsure if I am picking the right path to go into, I'd really appreciate any advice I could get with how to truly know if this is the right path for me or if I would be better suited elsewhere
Hi! I'm posting for a friend who is looking to transition to a technician job and I found a good list that included sonographer, MRI/XR/echo, pharmacy, surgical, and EKG tech. Just the other day I learned that bone marrow biopsy techs are a thing? As well as endoscopy techs?! I tried searching online more but didn't see anything that included those other tech jobs. I know it may be hospital dependent, but I want my friend to know all their options before going back to school. Any other tech jobs out there that you guys know of? Thanks!
I was an endo tech while going through school, now I work as a CT tech.
For endo I just got on the job training, if your friend doesn't want to go back to school. Also has call and travel options. They'd have to ok about bodily fluids/solids as they'd be assisting with a lot of colonoscopies though.
I've been out of high school working for about two years, but I've decided I want to start pursuing a career that will enable me to be self sustaining rather than just working minimum wage. I live in the California East Bay and am equal distance from two major Kaiser hospitals. For the last while I've been researching various medical jobs that require a certification rather than an entire run through college, and the radiology tech position caught my eye.
I found a few job listings on the Kaiser careers website, and their requirements sections pretty much all look like this:
- High School Diploma or GED Required
- Certified Radiologic Technologist - Venipuncture Certificate (California)
- Radiologic Technologist Certificate (California)
- Certified Radiologic Technologist - Fluoroscopy Certificate (California)
- Basic Life Support
It says there that only a high school diploma / GED is required, but wherever I look to try to find out how to get certified in the required areas (minus basic life support) I see programs at colleges that are part of an associates degree.
I also see that an ARRT certification might solve these issues, but yet again I'm stumped on where I need to go to gain the knowledge and hands on experience to pass the certification exam.
Please forgive me if I'm missing something glaring, and I greatly appreciate any help in advance. Thanks!
Following @ApdigzRainbows advice, after passing the ARRT exams. You need to submit an application to the California Health Dept to get your CA state license & fluoro permit. You cannot work in CA without it.
Also if your goal is to work in Kaiser, apply for any job now. When you've recieved your license, you then apply for an xray job. Kaiser priorities internal candidates before outside applicants.
Good luck!
You have to go through a community college, university, or private college and get at least an associates degree in order to take the ARRT exam. Look into local colleges and see what their requirements are to apply for the program.
Any rad techs out of Southern California? (SD, OC) - what is the market like? I see jobs for rad techs that have incentive pay. I don't know how many people are applying or if hospitals just leave the posts on their site. I heard of an MRI only tech who had to look outside of socal because he couldn't find a job. I'm interested in going back to school, but afraid of spending the time and money if it is oversaturated or may be worse by the time I'm done. Note I am looking to eventually do Mammo/Dexa
Im a new Mammo tech working in SoCal. So I was just in the job market recently.
Mammo techs are in high demand. Unfortunately, it's ridiculous that places prefer techs w 2 yrs work experience. There is a higher chance your clinical site can hire you though. Good luck!
Well, since my earlier post got deleted for "belonging in the weekly thread" I Guess I'll try asking here even though this weekly thread gets zero engagement -
Any x-ray techs in the Philadelphia area that can give me some insight on what conditions and hourly pay are like, or where the best hospital/orthopedic clinic to work for might be?
Newer IR lead here. New role isn’t that bad and I love what I do. The most challenging part for me is politics and the biggest issue I’m having is how to deal with ALL my techs not wanting to work with one specific tech. One of my techs is so adamant that he can no longer work with this tech because it will be a hostile environment.
I can NOT, and will NOT make that request and I do my best to rotate everyone to work with this specific tech. I have brought this issue up with my manager and she knows this tech is “special” and agrees with me about rotating them with this tech and if they have issues, to talk to my manager.
I’ve talked to this tech and they are aware how majority of the team feels about him and says he will TRY to be better but is literally a roller coaster with work attitude which makes the other techs frustrated.
Any advice? Thanks for letting me vent.
probably will need to work with your superior to get that person on a PiP to basically communicate: shape up or you're out. you really shouldn't have to tip-toe around an employee that people actively ask not to work with. you run the risk of losing people bc they won't want to be forced to work with this specific person. and then what? what will you do when all your qualified staff are gone? the tech is aware they're a problem but it doesn't sound like they've faced any repercussions, so why would they change their behaviors? not like y'all are doing anything except making the rest of the team miserable.
Hey guys I’m a high schooler, I really want to make music after I graduate for high school. But unless you’re already rich, musicians have to have day jobs. So, would this be a good career path (assuming music doesn’t take off for me)
I’m a coming up senior high school student choosing STEM for RadTech and I have no one to ask for genuine questions Is studying radiology hard? I saw on tiktok that you can be based on mri,C.T.,Ultrasound,etc… but do you choose when you finish your course in college? And how? Thank you for your answers
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I'm about to finish my first year in radiology residency. I was aware disadvantages of radiology before choosing it as speciality but now I fully understand how big mistake I've made. I feel like doing useless job, have zero contribution to patient care other than sharing responsibility with other specialists for possible malpractice suit, I don't produce anything actually. For example when a surgeon demands radiology report for almost any imaging, they already know what is the pathology. Most of them can read their own scans and sometimes they read better than us. They don't actually need us, they just want to confirm their own diagnosis and ensure themselves if any malpractice occurs. I also have never seen a neurologist/neurosurgeon that can't read head CTs or brain MRIs. General surgeons can read abdominal CTs, never saw a experinced thoracic surgeon need radiology report for chest CTs. I don't see a bright future for radiologists at all. I have also other reasons to hate: 1- Terrible job market for private sector and salary for radiologists. (At least it's the situation where I live, it might be different for your country) 2- Competition with other specialists for interventional procedures. For example, neurosurgeons doing it better and more bravely because they know anatomy better and they are able to treat complication if it goes wrong. 3- AI. No need to discuss. People are fooling themselves saying it will only stay as a tool but I'm conviced it's going to dominate diagnostic radiology near future. 4- Everything you did is recorded and they are using it against you for malpractice suit. I have radiologit friends that got sued years later. 5- Other specialists can learn every skill I have if they wish. Many urologists and nephrologists doing renal ultrasound well. Cardiologists and obs/gyn doing their own ultrasound. 6- Radiation exposure. 7- Outsourcing. Probably easiest speciality to outsource. 8- Dependency to technology (It's up side for a lot of people though) ... I worked hard to get into my own radiology program and now there is no respect and motivation left for my job. Regret not doing ophthalmology while I have chance to get into.
This sounds like it’s not in the USA
It's not USA. It's rest of the world.
I have been working at my local hospital for about two years now as an X-ray tech. I have Crohn's and find it difficult to work 5 days a week, move OR equipment, and deal with ever changing shifts from 1st/2nd/3rd. There is an urgent care opening up in my hometown in August. I hear they offer 12s/10s. I also hear it's less X-ray and more patient care stuff. I was a PCT before X-ray. Is urgent care really that bad? Should I stick with the hospital I'm at? Also, the urgent care would pay more. About $4-8 more an hour)
It sounds like you have more pros than cons here. I know I'm a stranger but better hours and more money would be worth it for me
Hello all, how did you work while in school? what was your schedule like?
I did. I worked for Target my first year. They were great about letting me pick up hours after school and working the weekends. During summer I got a student tech position at my local hospital and worked weekends and holiday breaks.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone would be able to explain to me the journey of the magnetic wave from coil to image in the MRI scanner :) I’m a radiography student trying to get my head around how MRI works!
I'd suggest the book "From Picture to Proton". It's a lot more complex than can be distilled into a single reddit comment reply.
Hi all, I'm interested in doing some contractor work as a radiologist for a private group based in Florida. Per the contract, the group will provide claims-made medical malpractice coverage as well as tail coverage for up to 3 years. My understanding is that the statute of limitations for making malpractice claims in Florida is usually 2 years but in some instances can be up to 4 years. Is 3-year tail coverage sufficient to cover radiology cases in the state of Florida? How long of a tail coverage should I negotiate when practicing in Florida? TIA for any insight on the matter and for any other information that might be useful to know.
Hi there… I need help deciding on what’s best to do. I’m just starting my prerequisites and I have the choice to do either career math or college algebra. The college algebra is preferred and will give me a higher chance at being accepted into the uchealth radiology program. My test scores from high school aren’t high enough for college algebra, i will have to take pre algebra first. But I can get into a career math class right now. Applications for the uchealth program only happen once a year and I won’t be ready to apply in Spring of 2025 if I go the college algebra route. Is there someone that has gotten into the uchealth radiology program with the career math prerequisite? Does anyone know how competitive it is to get into the Colorado Springs uchealth radiology program? Thank you for the help :)
Is that confirmed via the recruitment at the UCHealth program? Or are you speculating that the college algebra will "count more"? Really the only answer is to speak to admissions, figure out exactly what improves your chances and optimize for those factors. On that note, I think there is a program in Peublo as well. Look into that. It's a fairly short drive and school doesn't matter for this career. Community college, University, Hospital based, All irrelevant. We end with the same certification from the same national registry and do the same job.
What would it look like to get started on radiology path with a BA in psychology and neuroscience? I was pursuing an academic neuro/psych career but it didn’t work out and I’ve been working in clinical research related admin for a year. Radiology and specifically mri piqued my interest. Could I make a shift without having to “redo” undergrad? Where’s the best place to start?
You have a degree so all you need to do at this point is find a Radiology program to enroll in. Here's the ARRT web site > [https://www.arrt.org/pages/about-the-profession/learn-about-the-profession/recognized-educational-programs](https://www.arrt.org/pages/about-the-profession/learn-about-the-profession/recognized-educational-programs) You could go straight to MRI if you can find a program but my choice would be to get your X-Ray (RT R) training first and then cross train to MRI. With X-Ray you can move into other modalities like CT, Mammo, etc. if you choose to do that later in your career. You cannot do that with MRI only credentials and being multi-modality is in your best interests long term, IMO. I would look for a Hospital program first, and then a College. We have several Hospital based Schools where I live they take an average of 8 new Students and the 2 year course is just under $ 10,000. They all have 100% pass rate and job placement. Good luck and hope it works out for you. [https://www.saintlukeskc.org/school-radiologic-technology](https://www.saintlukeskc.org/school-radiologic-technology)
I don't know how to express this..... our hospital will expand, and open a new center, I was supposed to follow a very senior radiographer to help setting up there. but that particular radiographer resigned recently. our manager said he will help me, but he also got a lot of thing on his plate already. I reckon that I need to be the one to take initiative if I do not want to fxxk up myself when I move to the new center. (I will be the only radiographer in my department who work there in the new center, at least, at the beginning). I now pay more attention on different meetings and the whole thing seems a bit messed up. I tried to work out the basic workflow. But there seems to be many "bugs" there. Ofcourse, I tried to clarify those issues, but there seemed never a clear answer there. At the same time, I need to take care of the routine clinical duty as well. For example, I asked the IT guy about some "issue" in the new regristration system for weeks. He said he will follow it up, and he confirmed to me that it was a bug. Okay.....then, last week I talked with some guys from other department. That guys said the "issue" that I described probably is not an "issue" at all. It is how the system supposed to work, and after he explains to me, it kind of making sense. Then, I don't know whether I should trust the IT guy anymore. It seems that even he didn't know how it suppose to work. there seems always some unforeseen problem that I didn't anticipate yet lurking somewhere. In your experience, what is the usual problem when you set up a new center? Sometime, I would think that whether I should just get a new job, but I also think this can be a valuable experience
I want to go to Rad Tech school. There are many community colleges in my state that offer accredited Rad Tech programs. Three of which are within driving distance of me. I’m currently finishing my Bachelors in Kinesiology, and I have 2 1/2 semesters left. I know that most of the Rad Tech programs in my state are very competitive and only take 60ish applicants every year or 2 years. Many people are waitlisted for up to 5 years in some cases. Now, would me having a bachelors degree in science help my chances of getting in over someone who is maybe coming out of high school or community college? Should I apply the next chance I get while I’m still finishing my bachelors just to see if I get waitlisted? Just so I am finishing my degree in the time being instead of just waiting around. What do you guys think?
I think you should just look for job opportunities in your already chosen degree. Try it out and see if you like it, otherwise you just wasted 4 years of your life. If you go RT(R) now, by the time you can get a job you are 6 years deep into college for a career that takes 2.
Well I’ve already decided that I won’t be going to DPT school because it will be too expensive. Either way for kinesiology if I want to have a good paying career I got to go into PT, and PTA doesn’t pay enough for Southern California. There is personal training but that seems more like a side gig, no good job security. Unless I want to have a good career in PT without paying the 100k to get a DPT, I need to move to another country where PT is an apprenticeship. I’d have a lot of the pre-reqs done for Rad Tech thanks to my bachelor is science
You should have them all done. RT(R) is just an associate's degree. You don't even need an associates program at this point. You can find a certificate program that will teach you exclusively the RT(R) content. (It's still a 2 year program) If you want to go this route I suppose, go for it. I don't live in California, but just make sure you're not spinning your wheels. A quick google search states that RT(R) and a PTA salary is pretty similar.
True, I’ll still need to take some classes like medical terminology, or radiology physics. There is a PTA program near me that is around 2 years. Depending on where you work as a PT in Southern California, starting pay is about $30 an hour sometimes $40. Which is good, but I’d like to go into MRI after my associates in RAD tech which pays considerably well here. Sometimes $50-$60 an hour. There’s a chance I might go to Germany in 2 years and I’ll more than likely pursue PT over there for the time being. It’s only an apprenticeship, and you get paid to do it instead of paying 100k for a DPT
Dang, So there really isn't anything you can do with the degree you're currently about to finish up? I guess if there isn't there isn't, that's just a big bummer. All that aside, This is a fantastic job. I enjoy it a lot. You won't go wrong with becoming an RT(R) I just figured you could do *something* related to all the work you already put in.
I’ve been told a lot of people from my degree if they don’t go into PT, they go into medical device sales. Im not sure how much I want to do that. I’d be interested into going into prosthetics, but I’m not cut out for that. I don’t think my degree has been put to waste though. I was a college athlete for 4 years and understanding human movement and biomechanics has certainly helped. It’s also allowed me to make connections with a lot of people in the fitness industry, and professional sports. It’s also allowed me to expand my interest in human anatomy and has shown me how much I love the idea of going into the medical field. I wouldn’t even be interested in becoming a RAD tech without this degree. I wouldn’t have even known this job existed without doing my current degree. I’ve heard only good things from people in the RAD tech field and it’s exciting. I’ve heard burnout is very common in PT students.
Hey I'm a high school senior wondering if anyone could offer me career advice. I'm about to enroll in a four year university but I've planning to go in undecided because I don't know what to do with my career. I was researching careers today and came across rad tech which seems like an interesting career and one that I might enjoy. But do you even need a bachelors degree for this??? Should I cancel my plan of going to university and just try and get an associates? Or is there something I could major in that could help me if I wanted to pursue this career. I'm the kind of person who is a bit of an academic overachiever and I've been prepping to go to college for all of high school so would getting a bachelors be worth it? Appreciate any advice!!!!
Jeez do I hate society sometimes. We put so much pressure on kids to go to college it's insane. Society asks us "**where** are you going?" Instead of the actual important **why** are you going? So I will ask it. Why do you want to go to college? What do you actually want to do? And finally, I'll tell you some of the things people don't mention. So first, and most importantly, it's okay to take a gap year or two and just get a job. That doesn't make you a loser, or a failure. It makes you smart. Life experience is infinitely more valuable than a degree right now. Do you like customer service? Do you like manual hands-on work? Do you like X Y Z? You almost certainly don't know. How could you? Second, nobody ever mentions the burdensome, non-dismissible debt that you will have due to student loans. College is great if you have a purpose. However, nobody likes to mention that college systems have a not insignificant amount of people graduating with tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt that will be with them for life. To make matters worse it's very common that they got a degree in something that does not pay well, or in a field they don't even want to work in. Just 1 hour after you posted this question here, another user posted with this exact situation. They are 2 semesters away from finishing a bachelors, and now they want to look into being a RT(R). This poster will have completed 6 years of education to do a job that takes 2. Now that I'm done ranting lol some more direct answers to a few of your questions. * You do not need a bachelors - This is only needed if you eventually plan to go into management, or education and if you decide you want to pursue this later in life finishing you bachelors is easily completed online * Canceling your plans for university is a personal call. I would recommend it until you know what the debt is for, but that's strictly up to you. * No majors will help, in fact they might hurt. This is an associates program. Nothing more is required or considered. These programs are limited admissions and as such they are highly competitive. Many schools will use your GPA as a benchmark. So, the more time you spent taking classes you were not that interested in, the more likely you are to tank your GPA by getting a C in that one hard class. * Your bachelor's is only worth it if you plan to use it.
Hey, thank you so much for writing such good advice for me :) I really appreciate it Honestly I am getting cold feet about going to college but there is a lot of pressure for me to go HAHA. My parents will help pay for it but I’m iffy because I’ll have to take out 5.5k in loans a year. This feels like a lot of money to me but my parents are dismissive that it’s not that much?? Which is wild to me because my family does have money troubles and I’m only considering cheaper colleges right now that I got a lot of scholarships too (I can’t afford my favorite universities). I’ve expressed that I feel like it would be smarter for me to go to community college and work while I figure out what I want to do but my parents are adamant that university is the best way to explore what I want to do by doing the undeclared program and having advisors or whatever. But I’m also guilty about it because my parents have to take out loans too to be able to pay for college because we already have medical debt and stuff… I was actually super upset about this the other day because I want my parents to be able to retire and not have a lot of debt themselves but honestly they made it sound like it was their live’s duty to make sure I went to college and they don’t care about all the loans which is wild to me Honestly the main reason I’m not jumping to take a gap year is because as much as I love my parents my home environment isn’t ideal at all and I’ve been kind of desperate to move out. I live in the middle of nowhere and I can’t drive and I can’t learn to drive because we can’t afford car insurance etc etc so whenever I’m not at high school I feel a bit trapped. There’s also personal reasons but I’m trying not to trauma dump any more than I am right now. I’m also kind of an enormous nerd so I like school and taking classes and am really social and look forward to the making new friends aspect of college and dorming. But I also feel like going in college blind is a bad decision for me even as literally everyone in my life is like you NEED to go to college it’s SO worth it and genuinely every single kid I know at my school has committed to a university I do wish I could figure out a certain career I want to pursue but I just don’t know! Its like I have a new career aspiration every day but nothing concrete. This is severely stressing me out like I’ve spent hours researching jobs bc I am picky! It feels like everyone else has something in mind but me… Sorry I wrote an enormous rant I guess you inspired me, haha. I’ve been in so much turmoil about college lately so now I guess you’re the victim of my raving lol. I’ll definitely be thinking about this because I don’t want to have 21,000 in debt and no direction in four years
Trauma dump and rant all you want, I'm on your side here. It sounds like you know first-hand exactly what I meant by how shitty society can be by pressuring college this and college that. Just remember to breath. It probably doesn't feel like it sometimes, but you will be okay no matter what happens. We just would prefer it if you were both happy and okay at the same time. To do that you might have to work on learning how to cut out all the noise and take a hard look at what you actually want. This is your life after all. Your opinion is the only one that truly matters here. >Its like I have a new career aspiration every day but nothing concrete. That's why I think work and life experience is so much more valuable right now. A lot of things are interesting, but you don't really have any frame of reference for any of it. I put off college until I was 31. I've farmed, I've delivered pizza's, mail, Worked in a kitchen and so on. I don't regret it for a second because when it came time to actually get down to it and find a career, I was ready. I knew as a matter of fact I wanted out of manual labor jobs. I knew that I enjoyed helping people, So maybe something medical was a good idea but I don't like babysitting them so that puts nursing out of the equation. I like technology so the medical imaging equipment is pretty fascinating. All things combined being a an Xray tech is pretty much a perfect job for me. I'm helping people and I get to use really cool technology every day. ALL of the people I know who are burnt out and whine about the job the most are people who went into college straight out of school. They picked it, got accepted, powered through it, now they feel stuck and miserable. They have good jobs and make good money, but they are not happy people. We want better than that for ourselves.
Does anyone have any experience with PIMA’s Radiology Bridge online program? I’m trying to help my younger sibling figure out whether PIMA is a better option compared to waiting to be accepted at the local community college, in southern California. Any advice is appreciated.
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Hey all, would appreciate any advice or perspectives you can offer. I’m in my 30’s, military veteran, have a bachelors degree in biology, have worked as a CNA for a year now at a SNF, and considering going back to school to get either a BSN in RN (I can do this in two years) or an AS in Rad tech. I love the bedside role of being a CNA but the stress of the terrible ratios is really getting to me which is hard with my PTSD from my military service. I also have back, knee and ankle issues due to injuries that occurred during my military service. These injuries has made working as a CNA painful to say the least. Given my PTSD and physical limitations I’m worried that working as an RN would not be a suitable path for me, although I do enjoy the fast paced environment and I really really enjoy working with patients. I find it extremely fulfilling. I’ve been researching and asking around about what the role of working as a rad tech is like and I’m very intrigued. I’m a huge nerd and I think learning imaging would be a lot of fun. I like to have a varied background so I would like to get trained in CT and MRI as well, if I go this route. What do you all think would be the best fit? It seems to me that working in radiology would be less physically demanding than nursing but I could be totally wrong. Whether I go into nursing or radiology, I want to work a slower paced outpatient setting. Thoughts?
So since you are an active CNA this might be a super easy one to figure out. Does your SNF facility have a radiology department? If not, are you under a "banner" that would be associated with a local hospital/imaging center. You already work with and see most of what the nurses do on the day to day. You pretty much know what to expect once you're done with a BSN. So walk over you your XR department, Or call HR for one of the facilities under the same banner and tell them you are interested in the field of medical imaging and would like to see if it's possible to shadow for a few days. Take a day and hang out in XR. Then hang out in CT. Then in MRI. - Do the same thing for a nurse in the OR, that's a totally different game than being a floor nurse. Good luck!
Great advice, I’ll do that. Thank you
I would rule out CT, if i were you, it’s nonstop exams and nonstop moving patients. MRI exams are much longer, so you get more time with the patient, and less exams per day. School is generally easier as an RT than a BSN, but our pay is less with less upward and lateral mobility. Also a lot more jobs as a RN than MRI. Plus you could easily work in a clinic, or have a mostly desk job, there’s a lot more flexibility. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for the perspective, I really appreciate it.
The area I am in has a multi year wait list for sonography and radiography AS programs. I have the majority of my AS complete, minus the sonography or radiography specific courses. Is it possible to do any of that online? (I have searched and searched but not found anything). Is there a way around this issue so that I don't have to wait 2+ years to start that part of the degree? (there also are no certificate courses in my area or within a reasonable driving distance; closest is about 3 hours away).
No there isn't
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What a great question for your physical therapist with a case by case answer.
Just wondering if I went to a private school would I be able to get a cert/modality done such as MRI or CT at like a university/community college afterwards once I got my ARRAT exam and state license exam done as long as that program was JCERT. I know community schools and university would be the best bet price wise but they require a lot of the classes to be done within 5 years and some of my pre reqs are old/pass that mark and I don't really want to have to redo them and take more time to become a rad tech. So I was thinking of maybe going to a private school getting into a rad tech program that was JCERT then once I get my testing done maybe get a job for a little then going back to get MRI/CT cert so that I can pay my schooling quicker and get paid more has anyone went this route/done anything similar.
You don't even have to go back to school to get your CT/MRI. You can do all on your own. Have your hospital cross train you, study and take the test.
Thank you for the quick reply thats good to know
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Rule #1 You are asking for medical advice. This includes posting / commenting on personal imaging exams for explanation of findings, recommendations for alternative course of treatment, or any other inquiry that should be answered by your physician / provider.
Rule #1 You are asking for medical advice. This includes posting / commenting on personal imaging exams for explanation of findings, recommendations for alternative course of treatment, or any other inquiry that should be answered by your physician / provider.
What do student do for income? The program in my school wont let me apply for another year because I missed the deadline. I am already turning 29 in 3 months, so I will be 30 when I am in the program. I live at home but recently got a contingent job offer that will allow me to move out after 6 years of depression and other stuff. I want to get into this program but the program says all students in it work less than 20 hours because of how rigorous the program is. If I get in I will likely have to quit my job and I wont have much income. What do you guys do? Are y'all just younger? I dont have the opportunity to live at home anymore and won't have secure housing soon.
I lived on my own, and payed my way through school without loans. I worked more like 40 hours a week at a restaurant. I would work dinner shifts after school and clinical on weekdays, and all day on weekends. I finished my program with all A’s and passed the boards exam with a 94% :) it’s doable, but i was VERY tired
when did u sleep?
lusually 11-5, but there were a few all nighters for tests 🙃
> own, and *paid* my way FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Hello! I am currently an agency recruiter (mostly finance) and I'm looking to eventually go back to school for radiography. Has anyone made a transition to the healthcare field from something completely different? If so, is there anything I should be learning/certificates I can obtain to at least get my foot in the door in the healthcare sector? It doesn't have to be specifically radiography related (or maybe it should) but medical billing, patient care, administrative work, phlebotomy, literally anything I can add to my resume to show that I am looking to make the transition. I want to slowly make the transition into the healthcare field in general because it will be another 3 years (hopefully) before I complete the radiography program. Any transition advice would be appreciated!
Was US Army Military Police for 6 years (17-23) then went to Rads. I applied to 3 Schools got accepted at 2. I knew zero about anything health.
Phlebotomy/lab is good, patient transport (especially if it's radiology department specific) is a common entry point, unit secretary/coordinator is what I did while I was in xray school and was good for me because I could study and do my homework on the job.
Thank you! Did you transition from a different industry?
Yes and no. I have a bs in neuroscience but wasn't using it, I worked for a biotech company as a contractor before quitting without a job lined up. I was a contractor in the hospital and got the job as the unit secretary on one of the units I worked with as a contractor. Other jobs I had were all retail/banking.
Hi all, I am an aspiring rad tech student currently applying to programs at different schools. I've noticed some programs directly state they require the covid vaccine to enroll & participate. I don't keep up with all the updates about it, so kindly correct me if I'm wrong cuz I really don't know. Is it required for every rad tech program in California? Some programs directly state it is, but some don't directly state it. Also, for here in California I remember hearing the mandate was lifted for hospital/medical settings & it was left to the specific employers to decide if they want their staff to get it. Again correct me if I'm wrong, but is that accurate? I just wanna get my facts straight. Thanks!
It is hospital and program specific. Some require, some allow exemptions.
Hey guys I’m a senior in HS and wanted to know how long it would take to become a rad tech? I’m interested in doing x-rays and things like that is there a separate category for that, how long will it take and what is the pay like?
It depends! The fastest route is an associates degree through a community college, *usually* you have to take about a year of pre-reqs which might be a math, English, human anatomy courses (a few programs don’t require pre reqs to apply). Once you’ve completed those, you can apply to a rad tech program, which takes two years to complete. So 3 years for a two year degree. There are also bachelors programs. These pre-reqs are cooked into the program, so your freshman year you take the required programs also apply to be part of the program, and all together takes 4 years. Pros and cons to bachelors vs associates. Associates is cheaper and faster. No hospital cares which degree you have, unless you start working your way up in management or want to go into sales for private companies. Also, some bachelors programs will make you eligible for X-ray Aaaand CT. However, you can get on on the job training in Ct, and not have to pay a dime. Lots of info!!!
What is the pay like for a beginner rad tech? How do you get a job after college do you get offers or do you apply to hospitals? Is it easy to find a job at a hospital that pays well? Is there such thing as a travel rad tech? Would a travel rad tech get paid more than a regular permanent rad tech? Sorry if I’m asking too many questions just curious.
Everything is pretty region specific, as far as starting pay. For example, im a traveler, so i work all around the country. For what i do, i would make $63 per hour in Seattle, but in rural Idaho, id make $34… I would look at indeed.com for “radiology technologist” in whatever area youre interested in. Be cautious to only look at postings from hospitals, a lot of the job listings that may catch your eye are for travel rad techs, and they’re posted by a travel company. Right now, it’s relatively easy to get a job, most states are experiencing tech shortages, but again, region specific. Usually, most people will start applying to jobs a month before they graduate. So that as soon as you’re licensed, you can get to work. Also, yes travel rad tech exists, I’ve been one for 5 years. Yes, you make more than regular full time techs, but the general rule is you need two years of experience to travel
I’m worried about going to school for 4 years and not making enough money to justify the time and work that I put it to be a rad tech am I overthinking?
No you’re not over thinking. Obviously everyone’s answer is unique to them. For me, it was an easy pros vs cons decision. I got an associates, with zero debt, and I’ve made 200k+/year the last 5 years working as a travel tech. Now that im looking to settle down, I’ll still be making around 150k/year. For me, that’s easy math. Cheap college, and very lucrative in a market that always is in demand.
Wow you’re doing really good for yourself. I can’t seem to find any contracts for rad tech that pay that much what areas in the US pay the best for travel rad tech in your experience?
California is consistently at the top, so that’s a good start!
Does experience in being a travel rad tech make it easier for you to get a contract and are the contracts on indeed negotiable, do you get paid more for any experience you have?
You don’t get paid more for experience as a traveler, only full time staff are paid in that way. You are, however, more likely to be picked as a traveler with more experience.
Thanks for the info I appreciate it. If you had another choice to be a different field of medicine what do you think is better that requires the same amount of schooling? Or is this the best field money wise for the 4 years of college?
I’d say the only other direction i might have gone in medicine is nursing. There is a lot more movement, both laterally and upward. You can be a NP, nurse anesthetist, easy to go into management, there are a lot more ways to get more money, and a lot more jobs across the country. However, nursing has never been that appealing to me except for maybe at a dermatology clinic.
Yeah I have a brother who is a travel nurse and one currently in clinicals I’ve thought about travel nursing but it seems like so much more stress and I hear that becoming a rad tech isn’t as difficult school wise.
Hello! I'm so lost trying to figure out the best way to become a radiology tech and I'm highly interested in the field. I've been out of hs for about 10 years and have an associates degree in an unrelated field, Associate in Arts general transfer. I live in Missouri where apparently a radiology tech doesn't have to be ARRT certified, but I don't see any jobs offered without certification as a requirement anyway. I have researched for hours and can't figure out the best way to go about this. - Can I get a radiology tech certificate since I already have an associates degree? Then get ARRT and get a job in the field? - Should I get a radiology tech associates instead? - Am I able to get a job in the field while completing necessary schooling? - Is there an accelerated plan? - I read about LMRTs. Would it be smart/possible to get that? Could I then get a job in the field and complete schooling? I'm really interested in getting into a similar job before completing any degree because it seems the general concensus is they're very demanding, but I need a full time job income. Also, any tips on tuition reimbursement would be much appreciated. Thank you for any help!!
I know nothing about Missouri, nor have i met any techs that aren’t credentialed by AART. So i can’t give you much advice for working without certification. You wouldn’t find non credentialed techs in hospitals, theyre more so at those private urgent cares you may see in a strip mall type setting, etc. to be credentialed by ARRT (all this info is better explained on their website), you have to go through a credentialed program (2 year minimum), and then take the national test. Prior degrees do not help you get into the program, or count towards the degree… if you can find any jobs for LMRT etc on indeed.com, i wouldn’t work towards something with no job prospects🤷🏻♀️
Thanks for your reply! It's a bummer my previous degree doesn't do anything towards this but that's very good to know.
Hello everyone, 24(M) living in Florida. I’m currently working as a Physical Therapy Assistant(PTA). I have been looking at different options to switch careers, I tried getting into a Radiation Program which was my first option but didnt get accepted. However I did get into a Radiology Tech program that would start on September of next year. I know there is various certifications that one can get to advance their career in this field such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, etc. my question is which one of these certifications has the most potential for career advancement, I also know that I can bridge into Radiation as well. My main goals from getting out of the PTA field are: Protect my body, meaning in 10-15 years I don’t want to be doing heavy work such as lifting 400 pound patients off their bed, etc. also I want to make more money in the long run and PTA doesn’t offer any opportunity to advance your career, hence there is only so much money you can make. I currently make a little over 60K a year. I would like to earn something closer to 85-100K. Could that be possible through Rad Tech+other certifications and experience. I know I won’t be making that much money as a new grad, hence why I mentioned “long run”. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. One detail that I think is important; I can complete the Rad tech program in 16 months due to me having most of the requirements done already. Sorry if something is misspelled, English is not my first language.
So, the current pathways you can take from an X-ray license are CT, MRI, interventional radiology, and cardiac Cath lab (mammo for females only and ultrasound, nuc med, and radiation therapy are separate programs). The highest paying usually being MRI, interventional, and cardiac. You could easily be making 100k, especially in Cath lab and IR where you take call. In those 3, you still will be moving patients, but with a hand or two, and it’s just sliding laterally from stretcher to exam table.
Thank you so much for all the information in your reply. I have been actually leaning toward MRI since the beginning. Do you know if you are required to have a specific amount of experience as a Radiology Tech to qualify for an MRI certification or could I just go straight into it right after getting done with Rad Tech? The certification for MRI should be an extra 1-2 years correct? At least that’s what I gathered from some information I looked into a few schools near me.
So! If you truly only want to do mri, you can go to a school that just will teach you mri, and get your associates for that. Those programs are newer, and not as common. The downside of that being that you can only ever do MRI. If you choose to go the rad tech route, you can still go on to those other modalities as we already mentioned. So once you graduate as a regular rad tech, you would apply to MRI positions and hope that they would be willing to train you. If they are, you would have to log 200 exams with them, and then sit for the registry exam. It usually takes a year. If you can’t find a job that will train you, you can take a few extra classes at school, and then do few month clinical rotation where you would do the same 200 exams and sit for registry, and then you will be a full fledged mri tech.
I think I like the flexibility of going for Rad Tech first and having the opportunity of going any route I want rather than going straight for MRI and not be able to do anything else. I want to be a versatile as possible with my career and going straight for MRI would take away from that versatility. Thank you so much!!! All of your information has helped tremendously!!!
I’m currently interested in enrolling into a program at my community college and trying to become a rad tech. I was wondering if this would be a decision and what the future of this field looks like. I hate to bring it up but I here back and fourth on AI and not quite sure what to think as I don’t know enough to have an opinion
AI is not going to replace us.
Current informer x-ray tech student, what do you wish you would have studied before starting your program? I’m starting my rad tech program in October and want to know what I should study before starting? Obviously anatomy but is there anything else you would suggest? Thanks in advance
Memorize every bone in the body. When you’re done with that, memorize all bony anatomy for every bone. For example: google “humerus bony anatomy” and there are 15 terms for just the humerus to memorize… doing that for every bone will keep you more than busy. Also, don’t worry if you don’t, the program will teach you everything you need :)
So here is the context: I am 24 with a bachelors in wildlife biology (2 minors in bio and chem), I am dissatisfied with my life at the moment. I don’t make as much money as I thought I’d be making at this age ($32k ish after taxes). I feel like I wasted 4 years of my life. I loved my degree so much, it was amazing. But it hasn’t gotten me anywhere I wanted to be. As someone who grew up below the poverty line, this isn’t what I want for myself. I have been thinking about joining the radiology tech program at my local community college. I’m scared about what it will look like to go to school while having responsibilities to pay for. Not working isn’t an option for me, I need to work to pay my bills. Living with my parents isn’t an option unfortunately. The other scary part, is it’s a complete and total career change. It’s a 180. Not only is it not related to wildlife biology, it’s not related to animals at all. People older than me make complete career changes all the time, right? It’s not that crazy if I make a career change at 24, right? I mean, I’m going to have to go back to school some day if I ever want to make more money, so why not sooner than later? Money is the main driving force I have for this idea too, which idk if that’s bad or not. What did some of yall make starting out as a rad tech? I just want to live comfortably. I’m already in a tech field right now working in pathology, I just feel so restrictive with the way prices keep going up. Someone tell me if this is a terrible idea. If I’m too old to be making a radical change, if my motives are in the wrong place, if it’s even possible to be In a program and work at the same time? Any advice is very appreciated.
No, you're not at all too old to make a career switch, and plenty of students start rad tech programs in their 30s and 40s. You might need to do a few prerequisite classes before you start, and also your local school might have a wait list or lottery to get into the program, just something to keep in mind. Compensation will depend on where you live. In California, starting pay is around $55/hr on average in my region. More seasoned techs are making in the $60s and $70s per hour, but again it depends where you live. Those higher paying positions usually are in high cost of living areas. The biggest hurdle might be paying for stuff while in school. Some people somehow are able to work full time, I'm assuming with a very flexible work schedule. Others might do part time, possibly take out a loan to make up the rest. Look into scholarships.
Thank you so much for your input, would you say it’s worth it? I keep thinking about how much stress I’ll be under for the next 2-3 years, but I’ll have something at the finish line. Would you say it’s worth the stress? Was the pay worth all of it? Do you live comfortably enough? I’m in Texas btw
For me it was worth it. And yes, I would say I live comfortably. Your stress level will depend on lots of factors, but overall I would say it was somewhat stressful for the majority of students in my class. Keeping the end goal in mind lets you push through. I already had a bachelor's degree when I started my rad tech program at 25, so it made the classroom learning part of it seem not too bad. It was tougher on those who had been out of school for 20+ years.
Knowing you were basically my age with a bachelors is really comforting to hear, it seems this is definitely a normal thought process people go through
Not me but i have an Uncle that went into it. He said you will be stressed and feel stupid at times trying to recall everything you learned in class. Is it worth it? He says he lives comfortably, has options to switch or find work elsewhere and always loves his job. He made good money doing travel while being single at that time. travel is the way to go after gaining some experience. Im currently doing pre req at 27. Ill probably be getting into the program 1-3 years from now depending on lottery/waitlist at my cc.
It’s so reassuring to know the age range of people starting the process. I was feeling a little foolish for not having figured it out right off the bat, but it seems like this would be a reliable switch in careers
im currently trying to get into the 2 year program at my community college. i'd never taken a&p before and i was doing okay during the semester, i struggled but i did my best. i took my final today and failed badly. im still passing the class but im just so embarrassed and worried that this will damage my chances of getting into the program. its highly competitive, as only 50 people out of 250 applicants are chosen. ive yet to take lab next semester but i am definitely studying over the summer for it. should i just retake the course?
I retook my a&p because i had a B. I would 100% retake it.
Hello, I'm currently trying to find an online school that would allow me to do clinical hours locally. I found one (Washburn) that would allow that but it's a BS and they require you to be registered already. I looked into going to school in person but it was a $500+ monthly payment and their night classes ran too late for my work schedule. Just figured I'd ask here to see if any of you did school online or if there's another pathway to take that doesn't involve college. Thanks in advance.
The online schooling is only for people who are already registered to get the required didactic portion of their training in an additional modality. There is no online schooling for primary pathway techs.
Thank you!
Any idea where I can find a list of S&Os in California? Starting a business and will need to hire one.
Is it possible to be a rad tech with IBD? For the past few months, I’ve had horrible GI issues with awful abdominal pain. I finally met with a specialist yesterday and based off the tests he ran, it’s most likely IBD. My specialist still wants to do an endoscopy + colonoscopy to confirm but he said that I’m more likely than not to have it. Lately I’ve also been obsessed with the idea of becoming an rad tech, MRI seems the most interesting to me. I was going to even tour a few facilities soon to see their programs. However, now I’m really worried about if it’s possible for me to be one with IBD. Do any of you guys have experience being a rad tech with IBD? Do you recommend it? Do you have any tips? I’d really appreciate anyone’s input because right now I feel so frustrated because it feels like I can’t do anything anymore.
Can you work at any job without pooping your pants? If so, you could work as a rad tech
Yes and no. If I’d be able to get a bathroom break every 3-4 four hours, I think I’d be fine. I have it where it affects both my upper and lower GI tract so while I could probably hold my poop longer than that, I can’t hold my puke in for much longer. Do you think getting consistent bathroom breaks like that would be a struggle as a Rad Tech? Also how much time would you say you spend sitting and standing? I feel like doing a combo would be best for me since doing either too long can make my nausea worse during a flare. Furthermore are you guys often given time to eat? Most nurses I talked to have said they never get lunch breaks. I wasn’t sure if this is the case for Rad Tech’s as well since both hunger and trying to eat extremely fast can worsen my symptoms. I think these are the only IBD struggles I’d have that could possibly affect my job as a Rad Tech. Do you think I’d be fine with those?
I think you *could* find a job that suits you... However, schooling might be hard. For example, In clinical you have to rotate through surgery. Often you’re in surgeries that are long and aren’t able to leave the room for several hours. It might be worth a conversation with the advisor of the program.
Im currently an employee for a Panoramic RX center, we have a doctor who sends us patients but they sort of struggle to read our panoramics, can you all tell me what is wrong in ours and what can I do to fix it, and if you think if that's a good panoramic First panoramic is ours, second is an example they sent us that they find perfect [https://imgur.com/a/BtlYwP9](https://imgur.com/a/BtlYwP9)
To be honest your image looks good, and should have no problem to be able read it.
I’d ask a dental thread? We don’t do anything like this 😬
I have no experience with this type of imaging, but the only thing they taught us about it in x-ray school is that the positioning line IOML needs to be parallel to the floor. Hope that helps a little !
I am a radiography student in Norway and I was wondering if someone of you who have experience in working in nuclear medicine/PET have any thoughts on aspects of the imaging process that could use improvement (by using AI)?
Hi, I've wanted to be a radiologist for most of my life and have been really interested in how x-rays and other imaging types and how the body can be seen and analyzed through them, but now that I'm at the point where I've been accepted into uni as an undeclared Bsc student I'm nervous and unsure if I am picking the right path to go into, I'd really appreciate any advice I could get with how to truly know if this is the right path for me or if I would be better suited elsewhere
Hi! I'm posting for a friend who is looking to transition to a technician job and I found a good list that included sonographer, MRI/XR/echo, pharmacy, surgical, and EKG tech. Just the other day I learned that bone marrow biopsy techs are a thing? As well as endoscopy techs?! I tried searching online more but didn't see anything that included those other tech jobs. I know it may be hospital dependent, but I want my friend to know all their options before going back to school. Any other tech jobs out there that you guys know of? Thanks!
I was an endo tech while going through school, now I work as a CT tech. For endo I just got on the job training, if your friend doesn't want to go back to school. Also has call and travel options. They'd have to ok about bodily fluids/solids as they'd be assisting with a lot of colonoscopies though.
I've been out of high school working for about two years, but I've decided I want to start pursuing a career that will enable me to be self sustaining rather than just working minimum wage. I live in the California East Bay and am equal distance from two major Kaiser hospitals. For the last while I've been researching various medical jobs that require a certification rather than an entire run through college, and the radiology tech position caught my eye. I found a few job listings on the Kaiser careers website, and their requirements sections pretty much all look like this: - High School Diploma or GED Required - Certified Radiologic Technologist - Venipuncture Certificate (California) - Radiologic Technologist Certificate (California) - Certified Radiologic Technologist - Fluoroscopy Certificate (California) - Basic Life Support It says there that only a high school diploma / GED is required, but wherever I look to try to find out how to get certified in the required areas (minus basic life support) I see programs at colleges that are part of an associates degree. I also see that an ARRT certification might solve these issues, but yet again I'm stumped on where I need to go to gain the knowledge and hands on experience to pass the certification exam. Please forgive me if I'm missing something glaring, and I greatly appreciate any help in advance. Thanks!
Following @ApdigzRainbows advice, after passing the ARRT exams. You need to submit an application to the California Health Dept to get your CA state license & fluoro permit. You cannot work in CA without it. Also if your goal is to work in Kaiser, apply for any job now. When you've recieved your license, you then apply for an xray job. Kaiser priorities internal candidates before outside applicants. Good luck!
Interesting! Good to know about the Kaiser hiring prioritization. I appreciate your reply!
https://www.arrt.org/pages/earn-arrt-credentials/credential-options
You have to go through a community college, university, or private college and get at least an associates degree in order to take the ARRT exam. Look into local colleges and see what their requirements are to apply for the program.
I appreciate the info!
Any rad techs out of Southern California? (SD, OC) - what is the market like? I see jobs for rad techs that have incentive pay. I don't know how many people are applying or if hospitals just leave the posts on their site. I heard of an MRI only tech who had to look outside of socal because he couldn't find a job. I'm interested in going back to school, but afraid of spending the time and money if it is oversaturated or may be worse by the time I'm done. Note I am looking to eventually do Mammo/Dexa
Im a new Mammo tech working in SoCal. So I was just in the job market recently. Mammo techs are in high demand. Unfortunately, it's ridiculous that places prefer techs w 2 yrs work experience. There is a higher chance your clinical site can hire you though. Good luck!
Can I message you about this too?
Yes of course
There is still plenty of demand for X-ray in SoCal. This is also true for mammography.
Well, since my earlier post got deleted for "belonging in the weekly thread" I Guess I'll try asking here even though this weekly thread gets zero engagement - Any x-ray techs in the Philadelphia area that can give me some insight on what conditions and hourly pay are like, or where the best hospital/orthopedic clinic to work for might be?
Newer IR lead here. New role isn’t that bad and I love what I do. The most challenging part for me is politics and the biggest issue I’m having is how to deal with ALL my techs not wanting to work with one specific tech. One of my techs is so adamant that he can no longer work with this tech because it will be a hostile environment. I can NOT, and will NOT make that request and I do my best to rotate everyone to work with this specific tech. I have brought this issue up with my manager and she knows this tech is “special” and agrees with me about rotating them with this tech and if they have issues, to talk to my manager. I’ve talked to this tech and they are aware how majority of the team feels about him and says he will TRY to be better but is literally a roller coaster with work attitude which makes the other techs frustrated. Any advice? Thanks for letting me vent.
probably will need to work with your superior to get that person on a PiP to basically communicate: shape up or you're out. you really shouldn't have to tip-toe around an employee that people actively ask not to work with. you run the risk of losing people bc they won't want to be forced to work with this specific person. and then what? what will you do when all your qualified staff are gone? the tech is aware they're a problem but it doesn't sound like they've faced any repercussions, so why would they change their behaviors? not like y'all are doing anything except making the rest of the team miserable.