Talk to anyone in a healthcare career, and they’ll tell you there’s no profession more needed or more valued than today’s radiologic technologist (Rad Techs). A radiologic technology program puts you into the quickly expanding medical imaging field. Becoming a radiologic technologist delivers plenty of personal satisfaction, too. Are you ready for a career like this?
To find out if you’re able to meet the challenges of becoming a radiologic technologist, ask yourself the following four questions.
In becoming a radiologic technologist, you’ll encounter patients who have never seen imaging technology before, or who need help following your positioning instructions. Procedures involving unfamiliar, high-tech equipment can lead to patient anxiety, confusion, and sometimes, fear.
So, in a radiologic technology program, be eager to learn the best practices for patient care…you’ll need different skills for treating patients of all ages and from all cultures. You might need to do imaging in a hospital room, or the patient may be in great pain from an injury or condition. The bottom line is this: You’ll need patients to trust what you’re asking them to do so you can get the medical images a radiologist or other physician needs for an accurate diagnosis.
Rad techs are sometimes among the first medical care representatives patients see, especially if you’re working in a trauma center or emergency room. You can be called on to do medical imaging without a lot of advance information. The ability to understand a physician’s instructions and execute them efficiently makes you a valuable member of the patient’s healthcare team.
Here’s more good news about becoming a radiologic technologist: You’re part of the future of healthcare, and the demanding responsibilities of a rad tech pay pretty well, too.
Among healthcare support occupations, becoming a radiologic technologist may require the widest of all skill sets.
On the one hand, you’re setting up and using some of the most advanced equipment and helpful procedures in the healthcare field. Medical imaging is taking the place of invasive procedures and exploratory surgeries because it’s safer, less costly, and is contributing to better healthcare.
At the same time, employers want their radiologic technologists to be up to speed on the entire array of “soft skills” – abilities that ensure the best possible provider-patient relationship.
Some examples of the soft skills a radiologic technology program will teach include
Previous courses in basic science and math can help you get off to a good start in a radiologic technology program. More significant is your overall determination to succeed and the willingness to do things like meet with instructors and put in the necessary study and practice time. (Read more about Radiologic Technology coursework in this blog.)
If this description sounds like you, you’re the teachable kind of person a robust radiologic technology program wants.
Becoming a Radiologic Technologist at Cleveland University-Kansas City
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university in Overland Park, Kansas. The University offers an accelerated Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S. degree) in Radiologic Technology. In our radiologic technology program, you can be ready for a career as a radiologic technologist in as little as two years.
The CUKC radiologic technology program combines classwork and lab time with clinical experiences in Kansas City area healthcare facilities. Imaging center professionals guided the program design. Instructors have real-life experience doing the imaging work they’re teaching.
Other advantages of the radiologic technology program at CUKC:
Have an interest in becoming a radiologic technologist? Talk to one of our advisors about our radiologic technology program, or download the free eBook: Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist.
