Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of radiology with a couple of seasoned rad techs! Chaundria, our charismatic host with 21 years of experience, answers your burning questions about the field, from what it takes to become a radiologic technologist to salary expectations and job stress levels. She shares insights on the various specialties within radiology, emphasizing that it’s not just about taking pictures of bones—there’s so much more to the job! With a sprinkle of humor and a personal touch, she breaks down the realities of working in high-pressure environments like emergency rooms and surgery centers. Plus, don’t miss the shout-out to their sponsor, Magic Mind, as you learn how to keep your energy levels up while navigating the demands of healthcare.

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Radiology is often overlooked in the medical field, yet it plays a pivotal role in diagnosing and treating patients. This episode of A Couple of Rad Tech's Podcast takes listeners on a journey through the multifaceted world of radiologic technology, led by hosts Chaundria and her husband. With a combined experience of over 30 years, they delve into the intricacies of their profession, dispelling common myths and shedding light on the vital contributions of radiologic technologists. From taking X-rays of bones to capturing complex images of internal organs, the hosts emphasize that their work goes far beyond mere photography in a clinical setting. They provide insights into the various specialties within radiology, such as MRI, CT, and mammography, and advocate for the importance of education and certification in achieving success in this field.

Listeners are treated to a dynamic Q&A format, where Chaundria addresses questions sourced from social media, reflecting the curiosity and concerns of aspiring radiologic technologists. She tackles topics such as the stress levels associated with the job, the educational pathway required to enter the field, and the financial prospects for those in radiology. With a blend of humor and personal anecdotes, Chaundria shares her experiences working in high-pressure environments like emergency rooms, where the stakes are high, and the need for quick, accurate imaging is critical. This lively and informative discussion not only highlights the challenges faced by radiologic technologists but also showcases the passion and dedication that drives them to excel in their profession.

The episode culminates in a discussion about the evolving landscape of radiology, touching on advancements in technology and the growing importance of imaging in healthcare. Chandria encourages listeners to pursue their interests in radiology, emphasizing that there are numerous pathways to success and fulfillment within this career. By the end of the episode, listeners are left with a greater appreciation for the significance of radiologic technologists and the essential role they play in patient care, all wrapped in an engaging and playful narrative that keeps the conversation light-hearted yet informative.

Takeaways:

• Radiologic technologists play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating medical conditions through imaging.
• The journey to becoming a radiologic technologist involves at least two years of accredited education.
• Stress levels for radiologic technologists can vary depending on the work environment and situation.
• Radiology offers numerous specialties, allowing technologists to diversify their skills and avoid boredom.
• A career in radiology can provide a solid income, averaging around $60,000 to $75,000 annually.
• Having multiple certifications in radiology modalities can lead to higher salaries and job opportunities.

Links referenced in this episode:

• arrt.org
• magicmind.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Magic Mind

Mentioned in this episode:

1 Electric

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Welcome to A Couple of Rad Tech's Podcast where we bring you an inside look at the world of radiology from the unique perspective of a married couple of radiologic technologists.

Together, we have over 30 years of experience in the field and are here to demystify the science of medical imaging.

Radiology is the unsung hero of the medical field, providing doctors with crucial images and information that help diagnose and treat illnesses.

Join us as we explore the latest techniques, technologies and innovations in radiology and discover the vital role we play in the healthcare industry.

So come along for the ride as we share our passion for radiology as a married couple.

Welcome to A Couple of Grad Tech's Podcasts.

I'm your host Chandria and today's episode is going to be a little different, but first let's give a shout out to our sponsor, Magic Mind.

Magic Mind is sponsoring this episode and we're doing a radiology Q and A.

So let's get to it.

You guys are asking the questions and I've got some of the answers and I'm going to try to make this as entertaining as possible because I love what I do.

I've been doing it for 21 years.

My husband also does the field of radiology as well.

I am 21 years in as a radiologic technologist.

I have specialized in MRI and CT and certified in it.

I'm nationally certified in mammography so I can do screening memos.

But shout out to all of the memo techs out there because it is an amazing field that saves many lives and it's a lot of hard work.

More goes into it than you think.

So come back to this podcast if you think you want to learn more about radiology.

We've got a few questions that have been asked of me in my podcast in my social media.

If you're not following me, be sure to check me out on these social platforms here.

I've got really entertaining and educational content over there and on my YouTube you'll get more long form content such as this and my video of my audio podcast, A couple of rad texts.

So let's get into it.

If you have more questions, be sure to drop it in the comments here and I will gladly answer those questions for you.

Let's get right into it.

What is a radiologic technologist?

Easy answer.

I am.

But really, what do we do?

Many people think we just take pictures of bones.

Well, we do take pictures of bones, but we also take pictures of several other body parts and people don't realize that radiology technologists take X rays using ionizing radiation.

Radiation comes in different forms.

I'm not going to get really scientific, but it basically comes in different forms.

We use ionizing radiation and we can radiate anything, head to toe, any body part, and be able to get our images for the doctor to be able to get the diagnosis for you, the patient.

How do we become a radiologic technologist?

What do radiologic technologists make as a salary?

Is it the same as a nurse?

What type of shift do they work?

What are the other specialties that radiologic technologists can actually do?

Is the job stressful?

First, I want to answer that one.

Is being a radiologic technologist stressful?

Depends on who you ask.

Some days yes, some days no.

It's like any other job.

Sometimes it is a very stressful job.

One thing that I love about being a radiologic technologist is the fact that it's not a very stressful position or job in the medical field, but it can be.

Let me explain.

Sometimes as a radiologic technologist, you are working in the er, the emergency room.

That is a very stressful place.

Depending on how fast the ER that you're working in.

If you're working in a trauma center or a hospital that is extremely busy, you can be taking X rays in a portable manner.

Some patients are not able, because of the situation they're in, to the radiology department to get their X rays done.

You have to go to them.

Things like gunshot wounds.

We have to be able to use X ray to see inside of the body.

So if a patient has something in their body that we need to figure out what's going on.

Like if a child swallows a coin, usually they'll go over to the er, take a quick portable chest X ray abdominal series and be able to look inside of the body to see is there a foreign object in the esophagus, in the trachea, in the airway, in the stomach, in the intestines.

And that is a quick, easy way to look.

That's one way it can be stressful.

You also have situations with gunshot wounds, stab wounds.

You have surgery.

We also do radiology in a surgery center.

So you have X ray techs that actually work in the operating room with surgeons, sometimes scheduled and sometimes not scheduled.

That can be very stressful.

And then on top of that, you've got emergencies that just pop up.

Even in non emergent situations.

For example, if a patient comes to the department for a routine X ray study, maybe something happens where the Patient unfortunately has an emergency they code that can be very stressful and it is very stressful.

I've been in several codes myself in CT and mri been the only person there had to call for help.

But in the meantime I'm the one responsible for keeping this person safe and alive until doctors and nurses can arrive and teams of specialized individuals get there to work on this patient to get them back breathing.

Yeah, that's very stressful.

And then the schedule can stress some people out.

Some people work long 12 hour days, some people work 16 hour days.

Long hours can be very stressful.

We have lives too.

Also not being able to always get your assigned lunch that can stress some people out.

Because who doesn't want to have their lunch break and then you have a busy day and you're working with different personalities.

Those things can be stressful.

But overall I'm going to give that question as far as if radioli technology is a stressful position.

I'm going to say it's not for me personally.

My husband doesn't think it's stressful when it comes to a stressing job on a daily basis.

How do you become a radiologic technologist?

I'm going to answer that really briefly.

You go to school for a minimum of two years.

There are accredited programs that we encourage people to actually look into and to research.

What is the best place to find a program to become a radiologic technologist?

Well, I've got you there.

Go to this website arrt.org Best website that you can.

Find out all about radiology and how to find a program that is accredited where you can actually not waste your time and waste your money.

These are facilities that have gone through all of the check marks and boxes to be able to get their programs approved so you'll be able to graduate.

Get the best education from a school that actually gives the education at a top tier level that is approved by one of the top agencies in our field.

Head on over there, see what it takes to become a radiologic technologist.

It's the major difficult when it comes to the schooling for radiologic technology.

Again depends on who you ask.

I don't think it's easy and I didn't think it was extremely hard either where you're like pulling all your hair out and you're just stressed out.

But I'm gonna tell you at some points I think you're really stressed out and there's no break.

You go continuously through school, you do classroom or didactic learning as well as clinical hands on experience.

All at the same time, it is a really intense two years of experience.

Is it difficult to get through?

Is it hard?

Some schools are harder than others.

Some facilities, the clinical rotations are a little more difficult because certain places are more difficult because you have exams or centers or hospitals that are trauma level.

So if your clinical site is a trauma level hospital, then it's going to be a little tougher because these are exams that are not walkie talkie.

They are really, really like a lot of people in there.

I mean, the stuff that you see on TV like er, Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Med, even House.

Let's throw House in there because that's one of my favorite shows.

Little out there and not always accurate about radiology.

That's why they need to consult radiologic technologists on these TV shows.

But it is not a difficult major to learn, but it is one that you need to be focused because people do bail out of the program and even complete the program and they aren't able to pass their registry for their licensing exam because we do, at the end of those two to four years, have to take a national licensing exam.

Some people go to school, very few and never take it or they can't pass it.

That's why it is very important for you to actually pay attention during the program and work clinical and didactic part of them because it's going to help you to pass the national registry, which allows you to be able to work in bigger facilities like hospitals.

I want to thank our sponsor, Magic Mind, for sponsoring this wonderful episode.

Our Q and A.

But many of my listeners are struggling with keeping their focus, having energy through the day, and so many other things.

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Another question I get Is radiology harder than nursing?

I cannot honestly answer that because I've never been a nurse.

I would just say this.

There are two different forms of medical careers.

Totally different.

There's really no comparison.

If you are thinking of being a nurse, I don't think you can make a bad choice.

If you're thinking of being a radiologic technologist, I don't think you're making a bad choice either one.

You're going to make a good deal of money.

You're going to be satisfied in the work that you do.

You're helping people.

And the programs are about the same.

Two years minimum for both and some are four years.

It depends on what you want to do.

I would say in both of them there are opportunities for advancement in any in any direction.

Some people feel like, oh, if I become an X ray tech, that's all I do is take X rays.

No follow this page.

Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already and turn on your notifications Because I'm going to tell you all of the things that you can do.

Me Personally, in 21 years, I've done several things in radiology and I still haven't scratched the surface.

And I've still got life in me 21 years and I still got a lot of life to keep going.

Here's a field where you can move from specialty to specialty and get certified in those and never get bored.

Can you make six figures as a radiologic technologist?

Yeah, you can.

What would that take?

A staff radiology technologist or a full time employee most likely will not make six figures.

I'm not going to say they won't because I've never worked everywhere.

Everybody's salary is going to be different but average.

When you research the salaries of X ray or radiologic technologists, it usually is about 60,000, maybe 70, 75.

It depends again, what state, what kind of facility you work at.

All of that plays a big part.

Your degree does not really play a big part.

I hate to say that some people ask all the time in the comments, if I have a bachelor's, will I make more money?

No.

I know people who have graduated years ago from certificate programs of radiology before there was a degree requirement for it, and they make really, really good money and they don't have a degree at all.

I know people as well who have an associate's degree in radiology and they make really good money.

Like, I just did a reel not long ago.

If you go back to my Instagram or my TikTok, you'll be able to see a reel that I did that shows that at that point in time, when I made that reel, there were X ray technologists in certain states making critical care money.

$70 an hour to take X rays, while everybody's running to other modalities feeling like if I get a specialty, I can make a lot more money.

One thing I always say is go to school for radiology technology first and then take your specialties from there.

When you start in radiology, it allows you to be able to branch off into over 11 other modalities without a problem.

You can't always do that if you just go for one of the other specialties alone.

If you qualify for those schools, you can't go back and do CT or X ray or any of those things interventional.

You have to go through radiologic technology school those programs.

Which tech makes the most money in the specialties?

People always ask me that as well.

Which technologies make the most money?

Again, the pay is going to be really different for everyone.

I know technologists who shoot only X rays and they make really good money because they've negotiated.

They work at certain facilities, they work at certain states.

I know techs that do CAT scans that make more than radiation, therapists that make more than nuclear medicine techs.

It all, a lot of times depend on the job demand.

And that is why I am a big proponent of going to school for radiologic technology.

First getting your certifications and the other ones.

Like I went to school for radiologic technology.

I got certified in ct, certified in mri, memo, national certification.

I know every machine.

I can do applications.

I've done research in radiology, I've been an educator for seven years in radiology and I've done other things in between to hone certain skills.

And that has allowed me to ask for what I feel like I'm worth.

Of course, do the research of where you're working at and ask for what I am worth.

And that is what I encourage.

So I appreciate this first Q&A.

I promise not to make it too long, but I got plenty more questions.

So let me know what other questions you want down in the comments and be sure to subscribe.

Turn notifications on and let me know what you guys think of this Q A.

Thanks again.

And that's a wrap for this episode of A Couple of Rad Tech's Podcasts.

We hope you enjoyed our discussion of the fascinating world of radiology and learned something new about the role we play in the healthcare industry.

If you have any questions or topics that you love for us to cover, feel free to reach out and let us know what they are.

And you guys, please, if you enjoyed this podcast or any of the other episodes, we want to hear what you thought.

Leave us a review Mama's got to pay her bills.

It helps.

And until next time, stay tuned for more insightful and informative episodes of a couple of Rad Tech's podcast.