I will be graduating high school after this year, and i'm interested in going to college to be an X-ray Technician. Can go for just 2 years, and get a job making pretty good money. Anyone know anyone that does this for a living? Know how they like it? It all looks good on paper, but i'm sure there's bad things about it that I don't know about. Thanks. -MB

 

Speak to the program director of your local or proposed community college that has that training program. Some of the health care tech programs are very competitive, and it would be worthwhile to find out the academic requirements. A lot of those programs also require spending a day or three at a hospital department, to allow prospective students to view the working experience first hand; if your college requires such, the college usually has a list of places that will allow you to visit. If none of those options are available, call a local hospital X-ray department or a local X-ray clinic, tell them your situation, and see what advice they can provide. Some may be too busy to tell you much, but they should be able to direct you to someone who can help. Good luck.

 

I worked in a hospital for 12 years and got to know a lot of rad techs. Of all the different departments I was around, radiology was the most upbeat. Decent money, flexible hours, and unless the rad Director is a total jerk, life is good in that department. One will have to keep up their CEU's and on going training to operate new equipment coming in....

Hospital work is a very interesting and fast moving sector of professions. Rads , PT techs, Lab techs, surgery techs are all good jobs and they cant outsource those jobs. Hospital work is a good choice of career, good benefits, and although the support services of other industries do pay higherr than hospitals, they are solid jobs. ...

The hospital employee gets a lot of in house training on all facets of caring for patients and themselves. This is because the employee is exposed to a lot of bad air borne and communicable diseases. These are just training programs though, to protect the worker and the patient and one gets used to taking them. Hospitals hold their employees to a higher standards as a worker than most jobs, because of the potential of lawsuits all the time. Unlike some jobs, certified hospital workers can move from hospital to hospital until they find one they want to stay at..

One of the reasons rad techs are happy people, is they do not have to deal with all the life threatening emergencies, the gore is kept to a lower level. A Rad tech does have to deal with taking x rays of open wounds, some lower gi's (barium enemas and those accidents) some combative patients because of pain, but over all the rad tech has a fine job. jmo

 

If you don't mind funky hours, it's a great profession. Friend of mine does that, and loves it (20-some years worth so far). He used to be an EMT, and likes this much better.

 

You need to look past the money and quick degree before you make the decision. It requires a strong sense of service to others. You have to like working with people that need your help and as I understand you have to be able to put up with egotistical doctors. If you have an argumentative attitude then it probably isn't a good career choice. If you do like to help people and can handle the egos then I would recommend it. I have been kicking around the idea myself because I like the job security.

 

Boy did you say a mouthful! I'm not a rad tech, I'm an interface programmer. What kind of interface programmer? A RADIOLOGY interface programmer! I get to deal with all of the systems that a radiology computer system can talk to, and let me tell you there's several. The problem with the doctors is one that I can deal with because I'm the worker bee, not the project manager. All of my work is done remotely, but this is no exageration when I say that I've never been able to stereotype a profession except doctors. They are egotistical. Some because of a sense of duty to the patient, some are just lazy, ALL are self important and demanding, sometimes unreasonably so. I'm not trying to scare you off of your potential career choice, in fact I have no knowledge of the day to day duties of a rad tech. But, you will have to deal with the doctors, and that I do have experience with it. If you can handle them, go for it!

Matt

 

All I can say is...

WEAR A LEAD JOCKSTRAP!!



But, seriously, if it's something you're interested in, go for it! It's better to find out something's not worth doing, than to not do it and always wonder. (a la, "Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.")

Jason

 

The legend of hospitals being filled with ego whacked doctors will show up around the surgery units, moreso than the other departments. Yes, a person that has spent most of their youthful days in classrooms and nights studying, that has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their education, and now holds peoples lives in their hands, more often than not, will nurture a deity complex. Personally I would rather work for a super ego doctor with the above credentials, than I would a high school educated supervisor that has the big ego and mouth, with nothing to back it between their ears or on paper....

Doctors responsibilities are no different than say, a maintenance supervisor over a maintenance crew for a major airlines. Any job done for a doctor or on a airplane, that is not checked for accuracy twice, that is not done right, not followed up on, not documented properly, both have the very grave potential of killing people. That people, is where the buck stops. Even if a fatality does not result from someones misaligned work, then for sure a major lawsuit will follow up, after the investigation is started. ..

I have seen doctors throw clipboards across a room, after reading on it where the nurse did not follow his/her orders as prescribed for their patient. Hospital staff people are people too, they will become slackers if the doctors let them. The only difference in a worker for a auto plant slacking off, and a worker for a doctor slacking off, is the end product. The auto plant slacker will cost the company money in production quota. The doctors employee that is slacking off , may cost people lives . The doctors name will be put on the patients history/care report and cause of death report, not the slacker employee. ..

Yes, many doctors are ego inflated, but they have to keep a air of self confidence about themselves, or their constituents and patients alike, will pick up on any weakness, and fear them incompetent. I have worked around many nice and even tempered doctors, and I have worked with some real pain in the keester doctors. ..

For my part , I think they have earned the right to have at least some pumped up ego. They put their pants on every morning just like the rest of us, but its just that they have the 100 dollar a pair ones . But I have also found out here in the blue collar world in my 32 years of public servitude, there are just as many bosses with super egoes that are hard to work for. It is all about personal choices and sacrifices to get where you want to go in life, especially when dealing with authority figures with super egoes. all jmo

 

I started in medical x-ray many years ago and found out I didn't like the idea of giving barium enimas so I got into industrial x-ray. Intsead of working around a bunch of egotistical docotors I now work around a bunch of egotistical welders and engineers. But seriosly, industrial radiography is where the moneys at. I make at least double what my buddy that still works medical makes.

 

Great post! There's a profession I normally wouldn't even think of.

 

Go to a local radiology clinic and try to volunteer for a couple of weeks. I was interested in this field also, after I volunteered I changed my mind. Mostly because of the above mentioned "barium enemas"
Also, think about a geting a bachelor's degree, it makes it easier to get into supervisor positions and moving up the ladder.

 

I have been doing radiology now for 15 years, my advice, talk to other Techs at your local hospitals. For the same amount of time you can also become an RN if money is what is driving you. You have to like people and be able to intervene with them at their level, ie; the Pastor and next the belligerent drunk. Egotistical Doctors , drunks, bad people of any stretch of the imigination are waiting for you.I worked in a Trauma 1 center for several years, saw it all in the ER. Rape victims, shootings , stabbings, beatings, car traumas, fire victims, child abuse, you name it.Was involved in hundreds of autopsies that would just feel like a knife was going through my heart. even with this background I love what I do. I help people, I see them at their best and their worst. The work can be quite hard and frustrating, lousy hours, being on call all the time, working holidays, but I still love it. Almost every department counts on radiology for support and answers. We are usually the among the first to be utilized for all patients, so count on staying busy. The money, it's not bad, but you will earn it. If that is your primary motive I would look at other things that can pay much better. Many techs find this out later and become bitter and seemingly uncaring about the patient. We are not looking to fill our ranks with these type people. Scared you off? look at the other side, radiology is an open field, you can train in so many modalities a lifetime can not cover them all. X-ray, ct, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, cath labs, surgery are just a few and most are open to training for x-ray techs, so you can always do something different if you tire of doing the same thing. Being part of a team of helping is extremely rewarding, patients telling you their stories and hardships and treating you like family just can't be beat. When an old person or child hugs you and thanks for your efforts it fills the soul with joy. I love what I do. If this sounds like something you are still interested in please come join us, we can use all the good people we can find. While you might never get rich, you are guaranteed a lifetime of memories , some good, some bad, but I can promise you a hell of a ride .