Why make a career-direction choice you don’t have to make? Yes, some healthcare roles are entirely technical, and that can be unfulfilling. Other healthcare roles offering direct patient care satisfy your desire for people interaction but require four years or more of college. By earning a radiologic technology degree in two years, you get the best of both worlds.
Here’s What Radiologic Technologists Do
The job description of a radiologic technologist – also known as a radiographer – is to set up and operate imaging equipment and then produce digital images of patients’ internal organs, bones, and tissues by physicians.
As you might guess from this description, technical competence is expected, but so are the person-to-person skills necessary to establish a high level of trust with patients. In many cases, patients are in pain, worried about the scan process, or need assistance in getting positioned correctly and safely.
The radiologic technology degree that’s most often earned is the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology. This highly focused degree pathway integrates patient care best practices with skills needed to perform diagnostic medical scans using a two-year format.
Typical competencies achieved through an A.A.S. in Radiologic Technology degree include:
The first part of the A.A.S. degree focuses on general education classes common to nearly all college degrees. These classes include communications theory, Algebra, anatomy, and physiology.
Yes, radiologic technology classes are challenging, but success in science and math courses in high school generally translate into success in college-level classes. And remember, radiologic technology instructors are there to help you every step of the way.
The second part of the A.A.S. degree focuses on intermediate and advanced imaging procedures, patient positioning for desired results, practice sessions using full-body and sectional human body replicas, instruction for trauma scenarios, analyzing images, and radiation protection and methods.
After students demonstrate specific competencies, they advance into clinical settings where they receive real-world experience. Note: a radiologic technology degree program located in an urban area allows possibilities to explore many different employment areas:
A Competitive Salary + Exciting Career Outlook
After graduation, new radiologic technologists can expect salaries comparable to many degrees that take four years. A newly certified radiologic technologist in the Midwest, for example, can earn a salary ranging between $45-48,000.
A radiologic technologist with a few years of experience can earn a salary of $55,449 or more. According to the data site Salary.com, certain high-need regions can have salary ranges topping $60,000 per year.
There’s a bright future for those choosing the radiologic technology degree. An increasing preference for imaging and a growing senior adult population with increasing healthcare needs indicates the profession will grow at a 7% pace between 2019 and 2029.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) — a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university — offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S. degree) in Radiologic Technology. This two-year college degree in healthcare uses eight-week courses that promote deep understanding.
The program’s goal, which follows the standards set by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), is to prepare students for the national certifying exam as a radiographer. This pathway then opens the possibilities for additional certifications.
All CUKC instructors have experience working as radiologic technologists. The classroom knowledge they teach combines hands-on training in the University’s own radiologic equipment rooms and two demonstration suites.
After exhibiting tech- and patient-care competencies, CUKC students receive work assignments through our network of healthcare facilities in the greater Kansas City region.
In summary, our radiologic technology degree program leads you to become a healthcare professional who delivers superior patient care through today’s diagnostic medical imaging technologies. Connect with an admissions advisor for information about the rad tech degree program and get this free eBook today: Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist.
