Day in the life of a Diagnostic Radiographer?

Question

Love to hear about the job as I'm studying applied science and thinking of majoring in Medical Imaging. I've done a lot of research so I know about the basic role, but want to hear real people's experiences. I don't personally know anyone who does this for a living!

Answer 1

If you want a day in the life, you really should do an observation in an imaging department.  Most radiography programs require you to do this before you can even apply to their programs.  The majority of people have no idea about all of the procedures we do.

RTs do more than just x-rays of bones. We do fluoroscopy studies (involving the intestinal tract and barium), arthrograms (assisting the radiologist with injecting contrast or dye into joints for evaluation) and myelograms (assisting the radiologist with injecting contrast into the spinal canal). If you work in a hospital setting, you will do portable exams in ICU, CCU, the ER and even surgery.  Some RTs take x-rays in the morgue.

Most RTs will also become proficient and licensed in other modalities, such as mammography, CT and/or MRI.  This training does not require any additional formal training, and is usually learned on the job.  The more licenses you have, the more money you can make, as you will be in higher demand. With additional schooling, you can also do ultrasound.

I work in a free standing imaging center. My office is only open M-F, 8:00-5:00. No weekends, nights or call work. In a hospital, most imaging departments are staffed 24 hours a day. You could be scheduled to work nights, PM shifts, weekends, holidays....anytime really!

There are some things I hate.  A messy barium e***a will ruin anyone's day.  Self important doctors who think you are just a peon.  Nursing staff who think you are no more than a button pusher.  

I like the fact that I don't get too close to my patients.  Sounds weird, I know, but I was sure I could not be a nurse.  A nurse develops a relationship to their patients, as they are spending more time with that patient, over an extended period of time.  They get to know the patient's family, who come to visit them.  And, some of these patients will die.  I am not strong enough for that.  As a RT, I might see a patient, in a hospital setting, for daily x-rays (for example, morning chest x-rays), but I only see them for a few minutes, and I am not putting myself in a position to get close to them.  I am not sure if you understand what I am trying to say, and I cannot think of how else to describe it.  I get to help a sick person (the images I take can decide a course of treatment), but I don't hurt myself mentally in the process.

Best wishes to you!