The Radiology Technology Field Career Path - Research Paper Example

 The Radiology Technology Field Career Path (Radiologic Technologist Overview, n. d, p.1-6) Radiology technology is very much important in helping the doctors in the diagnosis of diseases. A radiographer is a medical professional who make use of some kind of radioactive materials which may produce ionizing radiations to reduce or eradicate tumors and cancer cells. Moreover radiologists produces many kind of medical images of the human anatomy with the help of less harmful radiations in order to assist the doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury. Radiology is a broad topic which can be divided into different subcategories like nuclear medicine technology, radiography, sonography, radiation therapy etc. Radiography deals with examination of internal organs, bones, cavities and foreign objects etc while sonography make use of high frequency ultrasound in order to take images from sensitive parts of our body (see the photographs given above). Nuclear medicine examines how the body and organs function with the help of radioactive tracers whereas radiotherapy uses radiations in a controlled manner to shrink or eradicate tumor cells from the body. This paper briefly explains the importance of radiology in today’s job market and the Radiology Technology Field Career Path for a professional. Importance of radiology in today’s job market Some of the major duties of Radiologic Technologists are listed below. Carrying out the orders of physicians for specific radiographic images Explaining imaging procedures to patients Preparing patients by asking them to remove jewellery and other items that can interfere with the imaging process Preparing and administering materials such as contrast medium by injection or other methods to help obtain accurate and detailed imaging Helping patients get positioned properly for the best view Preventing unnecessary exposure to radiation by setting the x-ray beam to a certain size and shielding areas surrounding the location to be imaged Setting the x-ray beam to the right angle, height, contrast, density and detail Placing x-ray films behind or under patients to capture images Taking radiographic images Removing x-ray films and developing them Following safety standards to protect themselves and others from exposure to radiation Documenting patient information Maintaining and adjusting equipment (Career And School Info For Radiologic Tech, n. d) Apart from the above duties Radiologic Technologists help the doctors in performing some of the complicated diagnosis using the radiology equipments. They normally work in hospitals, nursing homes and in medical laboratories. Cancer like diseases are increasing day by day in the current world and careful diagnosis of the disease is important for the doctors to prepare effective treatment options. In other words, the importance of radiology is increasing every day and hence the demand for qualified and experienced radiologists is also skyrocketing. Radiologists are getting a good salary compared to some of the other professions generally and healthcare industry specifically. Radiologic Technologists use equipments such as x-ray machines, ultrasound machines, magnetic resonance scanners, positron emission scanners, etc. Moreover, as technology advances more and more technologically sophisticated machineries are also entering the market. Radiologic Technologists need to constantly update their knowledge in order to succeed fully in this field.  The figures given below will give some idea about the complexity of operations performed by the Radiologic Technologists. Corpus callosum (CC) segmentation from a DT-MRI slice of the brain. (left) The DT-MRI slice visualized using T(1, 1). (middle) Manually selected CC seed points (red) and background seed points (blue). (right) CC segmentation result shown in green. Cardiac wall segmentation from a DT-MRI slice of the heart. (left) The DT-MRI slice visualized using T(1, 1). (middle) Manually selected heart seed points (red) and background seed points (blue). (right) Cardiac segmentation result shown in green (Weldeselassie and Hamarneh, n. d., p7) Radiologic Technologists are getting currently around $24,000 - $36,000 as salaries per year. Those who have studied science, mathematics and English during the high school level can consider applying for the admissions in the training programs of Radiologic Technologists which are normally conducted in hospitals and schools. Most of these courses may have duration of two years. The salaries of Radiologic Technologists have not been decreased much even when recession severely affected most of the other professionals. Moreover the demand for Radiologic Technologists is increasing every year. Even in the recession period between 2007 and 2010, the above trend has not been affected much. The period between 2007 and 2010 is taken because of its importance in analysing the potential of a profession in the current employment world. During this period (2007-2010), the world faced severe economic crisis and America and Brittan like highly developed countries were the worst affected ones. Many countries and organizations forced to terminate the millions of employees and even the ones who escaped from termination forced to accept reduced salaries because of the heavy recession. Even amidst such huge financial problems, the above statistics clearly shows that the professionals in the radiology technology field were able to maintain a steady growth in their salary structure. This is simply because of the enormous demand for the qualified and experienced radiology technology professionals. Even though, some of the professionals in the radiology profession have some concerns about their future, I have no such worries about it. Medical science is advancing rapidly and so is the number of patients also. In other words, the importance of radiology is definitely going to be increased and hence the professionals in the radiology technologies need not be worried. The following statistics will remove any worries of the radiology professionals or those who trying to seek a profession in the radiology department. Some people have concerns about the personal safety while working in radiology departments. It is a fact that the radiations used in radiology departments are harmful to the human body. So, extreme care and precautions are necessary while working with radiology equipments. X rays, and other radiations used in radiology have the ability to penetrate through our body. Moreover these radiations have ionizing properties which can make harmful effects on our body. At the same time, radiology technology has advanced a lot so that even the slightest chances of accidents were eliminated with the help of modern technologies. Moreover, instead of the conventional X-rays and other radiations, ultra sound scanning, magnetic resonance imaging like new technologies are currently in operation which are less harmful both to the technician and the patients. However these technologies also have certain limitations. Magnetic resonance imaging has been widely accepted as a safe, noninvasive procedure. Most safety studies, however, were performed on systems with field strengths up to 1.5 Tesla (T). Today's MR systems can have field strengths up to 4.0 T, and some experts are concerned that these high fields may adversely affect patients. Although no study has found that MRI directly causes biological damage, it is important to identify potential risks associated with higher field strength scanners (Baker & Devos, 1996, p.1). Radiology Technology Field Career Path for a Professional Many people have the false belief that a Radiology Technologist may not have much career advancing options. But such beliefs are only the myths surrounding this field. The introduction of digital technology has revolutionized the human life in many ways and in medical science radiology technology field benefitted immensely from the digital technology. Digital imaging technology can enhance the picture quality of the images taken by a radiologist, many times better than the images taken using conventional analogue methods. In other words, persons with higher knowledge in digital technology can expect bright future in radiography technology field. Apart from digital imaging technology, Computer tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Mammography etc are some of the emerging fields in radiography in which professionals have immense opportunities. Conventional X-ray imaging technologies are slowly giving way for more advanced CT, MRI like imaging technologies and hence it is better for the professionals working in radiography technology filed to update their knowledge based on the changing trends in medical science and advancements in technology. A well-designed hospital career ladder should progress through the various levels of clinical responsibility for a given profession. Under this system, employees move up a career ladder based upon their experience, skill and seniority. For example, a staff radiographer might be promoted to the position of lead radiographer and then to chief technologist because of his or her outstanding technical ability, excellent patient care skills and length of tenure with the institution. Hospitals should have a clearly articulated plan for moving qualified employees to the next step on a career ladder, and employees should understand what is required to earn promotion (American Society of Radiologic Technologists, 2010) Conclusions In short, radiology technology is one of the rapidly developing areas in medical science in which professionals have lot of career prospects. The demand for properly trained professionals in the radiology technology department is increasing every day because of the population growth and subsequent increase in the number of patients. Conventional analogue imaging technologies in radiology have given way for new digital technologies so that the quality of the images taken is increased a lot nowadays. Radiology technology professionals have lot of career advancement options if they update their knowledge constantly. References 1. American Society of Radiologic Technologists. (2010). Career Advancement for Radiologic Technologists. Retrieved from https://www.asrt.org/content/recruitmentretention/RetentionTools/Career_Advancement.aspx 2. Baker K.A & Devos, D. (1996). Safety considerations with high field MRI. Retrieved from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3387/is_n3_v67/ai_n28678225/ 3. Career And School Info For Radiologic Tech. (n. d). Retrieved from http://www.braintrack.com/colleges-by-career/radiologic-tech 4. Medical Service Engineer – Imaging. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.aussieemployment.com.au/engineering-jobs/electrical-and-electronics-medical-service-engineer-imaging/1175875 5. NSW Health. (2010). Retrieved from http://www7.health.nsw.gov.au/healthjobs/Default.cfm?ID=1234&ID_HJJobs=92489 6. Radiologic Technologist Overview. (n. d). Retrieved from http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/medtech/radtech.pdf 7. Radiologic Technologist. (n. d). Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/15569/car1bra3.html 8. Weldeselassie, Y.T. and Hamarneh, G. (2007). DT-MRI Segmentation Using Graph Cuts. Medical Imaging 2007: Image Processing, Vol. 6512, 65121K, (2007) doi: 10.1117/12.710434 Appendix Medical Service Engineer - Imaging Melbourne, VIC Your New Employer This multinational organisation has branches of its company across a number of diverse industries; the only similarity between each of these industries is constant product improvements due to technology advancements. Selling consumer electronics, white goods and medical equipment they are well established in over 30 markets across the globe and continue to grow from strength to strength. This company is renowned for the ongoing development of their staff and invest heavily to ensure that all their team members are at the top of their field. This role exists only in their medical division and requires a proven engineer to compliment their existing team. Your New Position The position of customer support engineer will involve the actual roll out, installations and service work of a range of X-Ray equipment including  CT & MRI - two of the most advanced pieces of medical technology available. This work needs to be completed in accordance with customer requirements, company standards and Australian quality standards. Reporting into the Victorian Service manager you will have responsibilities throughout VIC as required but mainly focussed on the Melbourne Metropolitan area. Although servicing will be a regular occurrence installations will occur on an ad-hoc basis as they are sold to new clientele. Whilst doing the job you will be actively involved in the ongoing relationships with each of our clients customers, you will be responsible for documenting all work that you complete whilst also be kept up to date on all new technologies as they enter the market. This role will need to follow certain national safety regulations The successful candidate will be rewarded with: A healthy Base Salary Commensurate with Experience A Healthy Car Allowance and all tools of trade A career development path laid out for you from the day you get on board Experience Required To be considered for this role you will need to have an advanced electronics certificate or equivalent in electrical engineering. Ideally you have a number of years experience in the field as a service or support engineer, working on medical equipment, in particular imaging equipment. Ideally you have a valid radiation safety and electrical license although this is not essential. As the face of the company you will regularly be with customers and therefore need to be well presented and have a good level of communication skills. Some VIC travel will be required and you will need to be comfortable with that aspect. If you feel this role is the opportunity that you have been looking for then please apply now by sending your resume to Trent Thoroughgood at trent@talongroup.com.au, in the first instance to organise a confidential discussion. Due to the nature of this role, the critical nature of the equipment you will be working on and the amount of time that is customer facing, communication skills must be excellent and leave no room for a misunderstanding. The Talon Group is currently representing several organisations that are seeking medical engineers, if you have a corresponding background then please send your resume through to enquiries@talongroup.com.au, and you will be contacted for a proactive approach to recruitment. Industry: Other Sector: Private Profession: Engineering Work Type: Full Time Role: Electrical & Electronics Reference Number: 4239 (Medical Service Engineer – Imaging, 2009) Position Ref No  366902-260  Position Title  Visiting Medical Officer - Radiology  Employment Type  Term Appointment  Positions  1  2. CLASSIFICATION Grouping  MEDICAL  Award Classification  Visiting Medical Officer  3. LOCATION Health Area  Sydney West  Facility Westmead Hospital  Location  Westmead Breast Cancer Institute 4. DESCRIPTION Position Summary  Sydney West Area Health Service Visiting Medical Officer - Radiology Westmead Breast Cancer Institute Applications are invited from suitably qualified medical practitioners for the above positions in the Sydney West Area Health Service. The position will be primarily located within the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute (WBCI) for the provision of diagnostic and screening mammography services. Successful applicants may be offered a conjoint university appointment within the Faculty of Medicine at the relevant University attached to each facility. This conjoint appointment is for the duration of the VMP appointment at a level commensurate with qualifications and experience and there is no remuneration associated with this conjoint appointment. Appointees may be eligible for credentialing and privileging across all other facilities in SWAHS within the BCI Network. Conditions of appointment are in accordance with the Health Services Act 1997, and Public Hospitals (Visiting Medical Officers Sessional Contracts) Determination 2007.   Essentials  1. Possess or be eligible for registration with AHPRA and have Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency. 2. Possess Fellowship of the RANZCR or equivalent as provided for in the Health Insurance Act 1997. 3. Evidence of Continuing Medical Education relevant to the position, and participation in the RANZCR CPD Program and CME in breast radiology ,NSW Specialist Registration and commitment to teaching and supervision. 4. Recent experience and Sound clinical knowledge in Breast Imaging demonstrated through successful clinical practice in an environment appropriate to the requirements of the position. 5. Demonstrated capacity to work harmoniously with colleagues and in a multidisciplinary team environment with high level interpersonal and communication skills. 6. Experience and involvement in quality assurance activities and evidence-based best practice. 7. Familiarity with research concepts and commitment to support basic, applied or clinical research within the Department. 8. Ability to comply with the National Accreditation Standards (NAS) of the BreastScreen Australia National Program.  Duration Note  It is essential for all applicants to obtain an information package from the Specialist Medical and Dental Recruitment Unit on 8838 2095 smadac@wsahs.nsw.gov.au prior to application. Applications close on 24 September 2010. Applications must be received by 5pm on this date. All applications are to be forwarded to the Specialist Medical and Dental Recruitment Unit, Locked Bag 7118, Parramatta, BC NSW 2124.  5. CONTACTS Contact Name For Position Enquiries  Harj Bariana  Phone  9845 8473 or 0438 056 083  Email  harj.bariana@bci.org.au  Contact Name For Position Application Kit  SMADR Unit  Phone  (02) 8838 2095  Email  smadac@wsahs.nsw.gov.au  6. MORE INFORMATION 7. DATES Release Date  09/09/2010  Closing Date  24/09/2010  (NSW Health, 2010) Read More