As a highly in-demand Health Science profession, you may be wondering whether a career as a Radiologic Technologist may be right for you. While choosing or changing careers can be difficult, the best way to narrow it down is to understand exactly what the job entails and the educational and performance requirements.
What is Radiologic Technology?
Radiologic Technology is comprised of the most current medical scanning technologies for diagnostic and treatment purposes as they relate to a wide range of physical conditions. Providing one-on-one care, a radiologic technician creates the digital images necessary to help discover the medical problem that has led to a particular disease or dysfunction.
Your Duties as a Medical Imaging Technologist
Also known as a Radiographer or Medical Imaging Technologist, your professional title will allow you to be involved in the operation of high-tech equipment, developing radiographic images and preparing them for review by a physician, injecting fluids into the bloodstream in order to provide more information for diagnosis, providing appropriate patient care, and keeping track of patients’ medical records and histories.
Preparing You for the National Certifying Examination
At Florida National University (FNU), we prepare you for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists National Certifying Exam as well as the State of Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Service General License Examination by offering appropriate courses composed of general and core requirements. General Education Requirements With a 15-hour credit component in general education and liberal arts, you will be required to take classes in:
- English Composition and Fundamentals of Oral Communication
- Humanities
- Behavioral and Social Science
- Mathematics
- Natural Sciences
- Computers with an Introduction to Information Technology
- College Study Skills
Core Requirements
Core requirements for your profession as a Radiologic Technologist include all areas relevant to the field, including Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology, Patient Care Procedures, Radiation Production and Evaluation, and more. How You Can Use Your Degree Once you graduate with your Associate’s of Science degree you will be eligible for attaining work as part of a healthcare team in a variety of settings, such as clinics, hospitals, freestanding imaging centers, mobile service health care, or doctor’s offices. Alternatively, you can also use your degree for entering other aspects of the field, such as manufacture, medical equipment supply, or management
How Radiologic Technology Can Be Right For You
As a healthcare worker, a career in Radiologic Technology can be right for you if you are a person who is interested in helping people. Because of the amount of contact you will need to have with patients throughout the course of their tests, great interpersonal skills count for a lot. Interest in staying abreast of advancing technologies and changes in imaging sciences is another plus for becoming a professional in the industry, along with a willingness to take on unconventional hours at times, including being on call and working overtime.
A Wide Range of Exciting Careers
If you believe that a degree in Radiologic Technology is the right one for you, you will find that there is a wide range of exciting careers in the field.
These include:
- Angiography Technologist
- Bone Densitometry Technologist
- CT Scan Technologist
- Mammography Technologist
- MRI Technologist
- Nuclear Medicine Technologist
- Sonographer
- Vascular Sonography Technologist
Imaging Techniques
As a Radiographer, there are quite a number of imaging techniques that require the expertise that you can obtain through our accredited courses.
These include:
- Bone Densitometry
- Cardiovascular radiography
- Computed tomography
- Mammography
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Nuclear Medicine
Operating the Latest Diagnostic Equipment
At FNU, you will understand and learn how to operate the latest diagnostic equipment for handling the following diagnostic protocols:
- Ultra sound
- X-Ray
- MRI
- CAT Scan
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiology Therapy
- Cardiac Catheterization
- Mammography
- FluoroscopyPreparing for Certification
Earning your Associate’s of Science in Radiologic Technology prepares you for the National Certifying Examination by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, as well as for the State of Florida Department of health and Rehabilitative Service General License Examination, which are what employers, state licensing agencies, and federal regulators look for as an indication that a Radiologic Technologist has met the recognized standard for medical imaging, interventional procedures, and for radiation therapy professionals.Accredited and Respected Programs. With professors who have in-depth experience working in the field, you will have access to exceptional information on current practices in the profession. With our accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, our degree program is well-respected by employers along with institutions that may be interested in hiring you once you have achieved the appropriate education.
A Financially and Emotionally Fulfilling Career
A degree in Radiologic Technology is an excellent way to secure a job that is both financially and emotionally fulfilling. According to the United States Labor Bureau of Statistics, the median salary for a professional X-Ray technologist, for example, is $54,350, with the top earning potential greatly exceeding this amount. The Bureau also states that job growth in the field will continue to increase by 28% through to 2020 (“Occupational Outlook Handbook: Radiologic Technologists”).
Helping Others and Receiving the Rewards
On an emotional level, there is nothing more rewarding than knowing you are helping others. If this is something that excites and inspires you, you can look forward to excellent healthcare benefits, vacation time, and ample sick leave if you should need it.
Contact Us Today
Florida National University can help prepare you for a secure career in a field that is both stimulating and rewarding. We provide the requisite two-year program for achieving an Associates of Science degree for entering the workforce as a certified professional in the field. For more information on an Associate’s of Science Degree in Radiologic Technology, contact us today.
