Among healthcare support occupations, you might think a job called “radiologic technologist” would be a 10 on the “1-to-10” good-with-technology scale. Go a little bit deeper, and you’ll find there’s a lot of patient-care interaction in today’s diagnostic imaging profession. So perhaps you do want to become a radiologic technologist!
In any profession, the less guesswork there is, the better. So, when analyzing patient pain or discomfort, seeing inside the human body via various scanning technologies is vitally important to doctors. How important? Well, consider that The New England Journal of Medicine healthcare imaging one of the best medical developments over the past several hundred years.
The diagnostic images taken by radiologic technologists – rad techs – can unlock the mystery of a patient’s internal condition and provide life-saving information. Imagine knowing you’re the one who’s making it possible for doctors to determine what conditions are present and what treatments are necessary.
That means to become a radiologic technologist is to become an essential member of a patient’s medical team.
Imaging by rad techs help physicians detect
How to Know if You Fit the Rad Tech Life
Employers and radiologic technology program directors say successful rad techs have that rare ability to be comfortable navigating the world of high tech and the world of patient care. That “high tech/high touch” talent is essential because a physician may send a patient who’s in pain directly to the imaging suite.
That means the radiologic technologist can be among the first healthcare professional patients encounter on the road to getting better.
Here’s a nine-item checklist to see if being a radiologic technologist fits well with your personal attributes. Put a checkmark beside each trait that describes you. Score a “yes” on four or more, and you’ll know a rad tech is career is worth exploring.
| PERSONALITY TRAIT | “YES, THAT’S ME!” | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | I’m known as a caring, compassionate person. | |
| 2. | I’m a focused, active listener. | |
| 3. | I’m a focused, active listener. | |
| 4. | I’m looking for a career that offers different challenges from day-to-day. | |
| 5. | I’m highly organized and have good attention to detail. | |
| 6. | I’m comfortable with constantly changing scenarios. | |
| 7. | I’m interested in learning to use high-tech equipment. | |
| 8. | I’m eager to be part of a team in the healthcare field | |
| 9. | I’m looking for a career with a great future. |
The college degree of choice for becoming a radiologic technologist is the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology. It’s a two-year, comprehensive degree program most complete in as few as two years.
Classes and labs teach you about image production, imaging procedures for different body areas, and positioning patients for best imaging results. Training also includes using and adjusting stationary and portable X-ray equipment, C-arm imaging technology, and procedures such as fluoroscopy – a type of medical imaging that shows a continuous X-ray image on a monitor.
Radiologic technology programs designed by experienced rad techs will also teach students how to master soft skills essential for success in people-focused jobs. These skills include empathetic listening, communicating clearly, and problem-solving in a team-based setting.
As students demonstrate specific job competencies, they can apply what they’ve learned in affiliated clinical settings.
Radiologic Technologist Salaries
The yearly salary for radiologic technologists can vary significantly because of geographic demand.
A new radiologic technologist in the Midwestern U.S. can earn between $43,827 and $48,175. The median salary for all radiologic technologists working today is $55,600 and above, according to Salary.com.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) offers an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Radiologic Technology degree you can earn 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.
CUKC is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university located in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburban city within the greater Kansas City metro area.
The radiologic technology program at CUKC was designed with the guidance of imaging center professionals, and our instructors have real-life experience doing the imaging work they are teaching. Patient care education begins as early as the second semester. The CUKC program puts equal emphasis on patient interaction skills and technical competency.
Other advantages of earning a radiologic technology degree from CUKC:
For more details on our radiologic technology degree, go here. To learn more about the profession, get this free eBook: Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist.
