A Blog for Healthcare Consumers

This post on Radiology technologists is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of radiological technicians at her blog The Heath Tech's Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

Radiology technician job description

If you’re wondering who a radiologic technician is, you’ve seen one if you’ve ever needed an X-ray or an MRI scan. A radiologic technician or radiographer is someone who:

• Takes X-rays or a scan of patients to assist doctors in making diagnoses
• Prepares a patient before the X-ray and explains to them what exactly they need to do so that the film comes out clearly
• Positions the patient correctly so that the images are formed well
• Are responsible for quality and ensuring that patients do not have any accessories on them that tend to compromise the X-ray or scans
• Injects patients with non-radioactive material that aids the diagnostic imaging technique
• Reduce radiation exposure with lead shields or by limiting the size of the X-ray beams by collimation
• Needs to ensure that the diagnostic machines are working properly and that the controls are set at the right levels to ensure adequate pictures
• Also performs a sonography, fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine or mammography with additional education and training

In order to become a radiologic technician, you need to:

• Opt for subjects like biology, chemistry, mathematics, health sciences and physical education in high school
• Earn at least an Associate’s degree in the field of radiography, radiation therapy or medical sonography. You could choose to go in for a four-year Bachelor’s degree if that’s what you want
• Obtain a license to practice as a radiologic technologist by taking the exam offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists in radiology and radiation therapy

Technologists in radiology and radiation therapy Radiographers earn between $45,000 and $50,000 annually and are employed in hospitals and other healthcare settings. The ones who are more qualified because of their specialization in MRI, CT, angiography and nuclear medicine, do tend to earn more, so your pay packet depends on how dedicated you are to your job.

Are you a Radiology technologist? Tell us more about your job. Please leave your comments below.