Radiography..nuclear medicine????

Question

i want to pursue a career in medical imaging, but not sure the best route. If a person gets a A.S in radiography can they be cross trained in fields such as MRI, CT, Ultrasound, and Nuclear medicine? Or does nuclear medicine need its own A.S degree? I'm trying to find a school close by to get a B.S in radiography but having hard time finding one in the Louisville-Cincy area. If I do get a B.S in radiography will I get a job directly in the Mri field and skip being a x-ray tech? What I'm really interested in is Nuclear medicine. I found a school that gives an A.S for Nuc Medicine but if I go this route will I not be able to cross train in the other medical imaging modalities( MRI,CT,..)??? Bascially I want to be certified to do it all..is this possible.. how long would something like that take...could it be done with an A.S or must it be a B.S in radiography?

Answer 1

Regardless if you get a BS, AAS or a certificate in radiography, you can be cross trained in MRI and CT as long you are registered under the ARRT. You will not be able to get cross trained to nuclear medicine, sonography or radiation therapy but you can go to formal educational programs and most likely you will have a better luck getting in because you have experience in patient care and know the physics of radiology already. Well due to the fault of ASRT and the SNMT meddling with the market, nuclear medicine technologists can be cross trained into MRI and CT but not as easily as the x ray techs. You can go to school for it but nowadays, employers are looking for techs usually x ray techs who have experience in both modalities due to the bad market of all modalities. You can find a job if you have a good network out of MRI or CT school or you got it by plain luck. You don't need a BS to be cross trained but it can open doors. By the way even if you do have a BS degree, it doesn't directly give you the job in MRI or CT either. Most likely you have to earn it and prove yourself that you are worthy earning that promotion like I did and the rest of the techs nowadays. If you get it, good for you. Honestly, by 2015 it is requiring to have a BS to be the entry level for the nuclear medicine profession but if you do get registered in this modality before that time, you are okay especially if you have experience. It's just a ploy to make the market better really regardless what they say. Is it better to just go to nuclear medicine? I don't know, that's up to you. I am going to school right now for nuclear medicine but I had the job in CT and MRI just because I am an x ray technologist, so it's your decision.