Radiology techniolgists are highly skilled.
An X-ray technologist is better known in the medical profession as a radiologic technologist, or an RT. These skilled professionals take specialized courses to learn the art of capturing images of the internal anatomy using radiation, or X-rays. These images must be taken with precision so that the radiologist may interpret them correctly.The work of the radiologic technologist along with the radiologist will aide in the diagnosis and treatment of patients' disorders.
Prerequisites
Satisfy prerequisites before starting your core curriculum courses.
As with all programs that lead to a professional education, you must start at the beginning with a high school diploma and then acquire your college-level prerequisites. Math, English, sociology, psychology and other humanities are the usual requirements. However, these may vary depending upon the level of degree that you are pursuing and the type of program you enter. You may test out of a few of them by taking exams if the program allows this. Next you will begin your core curriculum courses.
Core Curriculum
Core curriculum courses give you the foundation needed for your clinical experience.
The core curriculum packaging for radiologic technology may vary slightly from program to program, but the main courses usually encompass the following: medical ethics, which covers topics such as patient privacy and patient rights; radiobiology and health physics, which covers radiation safety, the properties of radiation and its effects on the human body; radiographic anatomy and pathology, which covers human anatomy and sometimes is coupled with medical terminology; radiology instrumentation, which details properly use X-ray equipment; radiographic technique, which covers take images with accuracy; radiographic procedures and positioning, which covers position the patient so that the images capture the area that the radiologist needs to view. Most of these courses provide three to four credits each.
Hospital-Based Programs vs. College/University-Based Programs
Determine the type of degree you want before starting a program.
Before choosing a program, you should decide whether you would like to attend a hospital-based program or a college/university program. Many of the hospital-based programs have gone the way of the hospital-based nursing schools and have been phased out. One question to ask yourself is, do you want a diploma, an associate degree or a bachelor's degree upon graduating? Hospital-based programs usually offer a diploma. However, all programs are affiliated with a hospital for their clinical practice.
Credentials
Keep up with your continuing education credits.
After graduating and passing a state board licensing exam, an RT is credentialed as a Licensed Radiology Technologist. After taking the nationwide registry exam, graduates are recognized as a Registered Radiology Technologist as well. No matter what type of degree you obtain as an RT, you are still mandated to accumulate an average of about 24 continuing education credits each year. You can find many of the courses offered for free from pharmaceutical companies, and you can receive points by attending in-services and conferences as well. Some RTs like to join a reputable RT society for a nominal fee. This keeps them informed and supplies quizzes and tests that upon passing, they receive their year's quota of continuing education credits. Continuing education ensures that RTs stay abreast of new technology and best practices in the field.
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