Radiologic Technology Profession? Celebrate Rad Tech Week!

UPDATED NOV. 9, 2021

Unless you’re in the medical field you may not know that radiologic technologists are leading the way in helping physicians deliver better care to patients through sophisticated, noninvasive imaging technology. So, whether you’re thinking about rad tech, studying how to become a radiologic technologist, or already a seasoned rad tech professional, it’s time to celebrate Rad Tech Week!

What to Know About Radiologic Technology

Rad Tech Week allows imaging professionals across the nation an opportunity to celebrate the profession and commemorate the anniversary of the X-ray. After all, it’s hard to underestimate the importance of medical imaging to the health care industry – the New England Journal of Medicine ranked imaging as one of the top medical developments of the past 1,000 years.

Medical imaging has advanced dramatically since the discovery of the X-rays 1895, and the pace of change keeps accelerating because of new computing capabilities and faster processing speeds:

• Ultrasound (Sonography) began in the 1960s.
• Computed Tomography (CT scanning) in the mid-1970s.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the 1980s
• Today: 3D technology, including mammography, 3D ultrasonic holography, and PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography)
• Tomorrow: Increased use of technologies that will allow detection of cancer that has not yet produced noticeable anatomic changes.

What to Celebrate During Rad Tech Week

When you decide to join the field of medical imaging, you’ll find yourself with all kinds of career advantages.

• You’re at the forefront of new ideas
  Imaging technology is advancing fast, which puts radiologic technologists at the front and center of innovation. Imagine taking part in helping discover earlier treatment and diagnosis of dementia, cancer, and other disorders.
• You’ll be needed
  Learn how to become a radiologic technologist, and there’s plenty of places that will need your skills. Although more than half of all rad techs work in hospitals, you might be on staff in physician offices, medical or diagnostic labs, outpatient centers, and federal or state agencies.
• You’re a professional in just two years
  More than 80 percent of rad techs have an Associate of Applied Science degree (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology. Completed in as little as two years prepares, you’re ready for certification by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Being ARRT certified announces your qualification for rad tech jobs anywhere in the U.S.
• You’re in a top health care support job
  The median salary for an experienced radiologic technologist is more than $58,000 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries right after graduation average $45,000 yearly. In 2018, U.S. News has rad techs in the “top 25” of health care support jobs.
• You’re on track for a long-time career
  Some careers look promising but fade as new findings overtake them. That’s not true for when you become a radiologic technologist. The overall demand for Radiologic Technologists is 9%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plus becoming a radiologic technologist is just the beginning. When you’re ready, expand your career with other certifications.

Rad Tech Week at CUKC

At Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) the students, faculty, and staff celebrate Rad Tech Week each year. Rad Tech Week provides an opportunity for those associated with the CUKC radiologic technology degree program to help raise awareness about all that rad techs do.

CUKC is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university located in Overland Park, Kansas that offers an accelerated, Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology degree you can complete in as little as two years. Our A.A.S. degree program combines classwork, lab time, and clinical experiences to prepare you to become a registered radiologic technologist.

The radiologic technology program at CUKC was designed with the guidance of imaging center professionals, and instructors have real-life experience doing the imaging work they are teaching. In fact, patient care education begins as early as the third semester. The CUKC program puts an equal emphasis on patient interaction skills and technical competency, a combination employers like to see.

Other advantages of learning how to become a radiologic technologist at CUKC:

• Modern, on-site radiologic technology equipment rooms
• Two demonstration suites
• Classes sizes are limited to ensure personalized instruction
• Real-world clinical experiences in partner clinics throughout the Kansas City area
• Classes for the Radiologic Technology program at CUKC begin in the spring and fall.

For more details on how to become a radiologic technologist, get the free ebook Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist!