Diagnostic Radiology Careers
Diagnostic radiology careers include both radiologist and radiology technician positions. Radiology technicians operate various imaging equipment--from simple X-rays to complicated PET scanners--to take radiographic images of the human body. Radiologists then, in turn, read the images and interpret their findings to diagnose illnesses and injuries. Technicians do not require as much education as the radiologists, but they do not earn nearly as much money, either.
Function
Diagnostic radiology involves the reading and interpretation of radiographic images taken of the body from various imaging machines--such as X-ray machines, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds. There are many types of radiographic images for various diagnostic uses.
Types
Careers in diagnostic radiology include both technicians operating the imaging equipment and the specialized physicians--radiologists--who read, interpret and diagnose patients from the findings in the films.
Radiologist Fields
Diagnostic radiologists can work in an emergency room setting; they work with orthopaedists to diagnose problems with the skeletal and muscular systems, diagnosing injuries and illnesses to organs and organ systems, CT (computed tomography) scan-specific radiology, PET (positron emission tomography) scan-specific radiology, interpreting mammograms, and ultrasound sonography. Radiologists can also work in nuclear medicine, which uses injections of radionuclides to diagnose and treat patients.
Technician Fields
Radiology technicians are responsible for using the imaging-taking equipment to produce the best possible radiographic images for radiologists to interpret. Most operate X-ray machines.
Education Required
Radiologists must have both a bachelor's degree and a degree from a medical school. They then are required to have a four-year residency in radiology and sometimes a one-year fellowship in a subspecialty. Radiology technicians need at least a high school diploma and an associate's degree in a radiology tech program. For those looking to work in more advanced areas of radiology--such as operating MRIs and CT scanners--technicians must take additional coursework for advanced certification and usually need an internship working in the advanced field.
Wages
According to the Medical Group Management Association in 2007, radiologists typically earn between $400,000 and $500,000 annually. In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that radiology technicians earned between $39,000 and $57,000 annually.
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