Radiologic Technologist: Take A Peek Inside Your Body
A radiologic technologist, who can also be referred to as a radiographer, is a medical professional tasked with producing medical images of the body, commonly with an X-ray equipment, analyzing the results and referring them to physicians in order to help them make diagnosis and provide treatment for the sick and injured. Should you be interested in taking on this medical career, formal education and training is the primary requirement, which can be given by hospitals, colleges, universities and radiology tech schools. The term radiologic technologist is a more general name for different specializations in this field of medicine. One can be a radiographer, a sonographer or therapist, among many others, and use advanced radiographic equipment for taking high quality images of the different parts of the body. A radiologic technologist can specialize in different fields, like Diagnostic Radiography for example, which deals with taking images of the bones, cavities and other foreign objects inside the body. Sonography is another example, and makes use of ultrasound technology to render images of the body, while Radiotherapy uses radiation in eradicating or reducing the number of cancerous cells in the body. One can also take on Fluoroscopy, CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Nuclear Medicine and Mammography. Before a radiologic technologist can take images of a patient’s body for diagnosis, he first makes sure that patients are prepared for the examination by briefing them on the imaging procedure that they are about to undergo. X-rays are very commonly used, and these professionals make sure jewelries and other interfering objects are removed from the patient. They also help minimize exposure of patients to radiation by providing them with protective apparatus like lead shields. Radiographers make use radiographic equipment by properly positioning it at the correct angle and height over the area of the patient’s body that needs to be scanned. With the help of an instrument similar to a measuring tape, they are able to determine the appropriate thickness of the area to be scanned and control the equipment to provide images of the right detail, contrast and density. They then position an X-ray film underneath the body part to be scanned and make the exposure, after which the film gets developed for analysis. It is important that the radiologic technologist accurately complies with the doctor’s orders and follow the standards involving the proper use of radiographic equipment, as well as protecting themselves, patients and co-workers from unnecessary exposure to radiation. Besides preparation of patients and equipment operation, they can also keep track of patient records, maintain radiographic equipment, prepare work schedules, evaluate equipment acquisitions, and even management of a radiology department. Like most medical practitioners, being a radiologic technologist means one must be in excellent physical health, and able to deal with everyday stress, as the work can involve a lot of physically challenging tasks like lifting patients and heavy equipment. They may also work either full-time or part-time, have late night shifts, and even work on weekends or holidays if their workplace needs them to.