Radiology and radiography encompass the study of medical images such as x-rays, ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Radiologists are medical doctors who have completed medical school and a specialized residency in radiology, while radiographers are technicians who assist in generating medical images. Because there are several ways to enter the radiology field, the first step to being successful in a radiology program is to properly identify what job you want to do within the discipline of radiology.
Instructions
1. Gain volunteer experience at a hospital or medical care center working in the medical field and becoming familiar with practices and procedures for success once you enroll in a radiology program.
2. Determine if you want to pursue a medical program in radiology or a technician program in radiography before enrolling in any higher education program.
3. Search for and select a technical college or a four-year college or university that offers either an associate's or bachelor's degree in radiography, if you are interested in working closely with the medical imaging technology itself.
4. Choose a radiography program only if you have strong math and science skills in addition to a basic level of physical endurance and mobility, since radiographers must be able to stand for long periods of time, work in confined spaces and lift and position patients.
5. Make sure that you have strong vision and hearing, as well as dexterity and hand-eye coordination in order to succeed in radiography, since these skills are necessary to respond to patient needs and to operate machinery.
6. Develop the ability to deal with incontinent patients and dispose of bodily wastes if necessary, since people who are uncomfortable dealing with these issues are not successful in most medical fields.
7. Prepare for a radiology program, which is a medical specialization requiring medical schooling, by taking a robust selection of math and science courses in a four-year undergraduate degree program.
8. Search for and choose a medical school that is associated with a strong radiology residency program if you know you want to pursue radiology in order to begin making contacts and gaining experience early.
9. Catch up on any science or math skills that you need to improve with graduate and post-graduate courses offered at your medical college or nearby universities, since these skills are essential to success in a radiology program.
10. Seek out a residency program and a post-residency fellowship within a specific focus area of radiology once you have completed medical school coursework.
11. Stay organized and manage your time well, maintaining a clear and detailed schedule of all residency rotations and keeping up with all dictations of studies and conference schedules associated with clinical work. Know all relevant contacts in case of emergency and be responsible and professional in collegial relationships.
Tags: medical school, radiology program, associated with, completed medical, completed medical school, have completed, have completed medical
