It was once thought there are two kinds of people – introverts who are best at “techy” jobs and those extroverts who have a natural ability and interest in helping others. Today, we know many people fit perfectly into a combined “tech/care” role such as those individuals drawn toward a radiologic technologist program. These professionals, known as “rad techs,” give physicians the information they need to pinpoint diseases, disorders, and problems without assumptions or invasive procedures.
This is accomplished by knowing the science and art of applying various medical imaging technologies learned in a radiologic technologist program:
The Unique Calling of Medical Imaging
Because medical imaging is so helpful to physicians, Rad Techs are crucial in the patient-provider relationship. Accurately positioning patients and achieving a high-quality diagnostic image is essential. Having an awareness of someone’s comfort level and knowing precisely how to get the details doctors need takes someone talented in patient care and understands technology.
This call for combined abilities is one of the reasons radiology-centered careers are so diverse, growing so fast, and why finding the right radiologic technologist program for training can make all the difference.
Employment growth is at 13% through 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A US News 2019 report says salaries for experienced rad techs are typically above $58,000, depending on demand and geographic location.
You’ll find rad techs at work in a variety of settings:
A Day in the Life of a Radiologic Technologist
A workweek is typically 40 hours, in an environmentally controlled office or lab-type area. Of course, there is no such thing as an average day – and for many, that’s part of the attraction to a medical imaging position. Even so, imagine performing these duties as a Rad Tech:
Be a Part of the Imaging Revolution
Imaging technology is progressing fast, which puts imaging technologists at the front of new developments. One of the latest advances in radiology brings medical imaging into a new dimension. Working with video game company Bencin Studios, the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine has developed software that creates interactive 3D holograms of internal structures. Users can manipulate the images, rotating them and peeling back layers or replacing them when necessary.
Another emerging technology is Polarized Nuclear Imaging (PNI), developed at the University of Virginia. It’s a technique that blends aspects of magnetic resonance imaging with gamma-ray imaging, ushering in what is being called a “different class of medical diagnosis.”
The Two-year Radiologic Technologist Program at CUKC
In the Radiologic Technologist program at Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), students receive their Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology degree in as little as two years. Students gain experience via two full-functioning radiologic equipment rooms and in the University’s demonstration suites. Clinical experience comes via partner clinics in and around the Kansas City region.
The two-year A.A.S. in radiologic technology at CUKC is an accelerated radiologic technologist program providing focused 8-week evening courses. The CUKC program prepares graduates to become certified and registered to perform diagnostic imaging. (Want to see what being a rad tech student is like? Check out this blog.)
CUKC is a nonprofit, private, university that’s focused on degrees in the healthcare professions. Learn more about the rad tech profession by downloading your copy of the free ebook: Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist. Do it today!
