A radiology technologist, who can also be known as a radiographer, is a health care professional who generally makes use of X-rays and other radiographic equipment in order to take medical images of the body and analyzing these images for doctors in order to help them diagnose and treat patients of their afflictions or injuries. If you decide that you want to make a career in this medical field, you must first get formal education and training. You can get it from schools, universities, radiology tech schools and even some hospitals. The term radiology technologist is a substantially broad term and can refer to a wide range of specializations that one can take. An individual, among many others, can be a radiographer, sonographer or therapist by specializing in a certain field. They usually take control of advanced equipment that is capable of capturing high quality images of the different parts of the body. Being a radiology technologist can bring you to different fields of specialization, and these can include Diagnostic Radiography for scanning the bones, cavities and foreign objects lodged in the body, Sonography for ultrasound scans, and Radiotherapy which harnesses the power of radiation to get rid or minimize cancerous cells in the body. Other fields include Fluoroscopy, MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, CT or Computed Tomography, Mammography and Nuclear Medicine. A radiology technologist’s primary responsibility is to prepare patients for the scanning procedure that they will undergo and explaining to them everything they need to know in order to successfully capture images. Since X-rays are the common equipment used, they must make sure that patients are not wearing any interfering objects like jewelries and ensure that they get utmost protection from too much radiation thru the use of lead shields. Radiographers also make sure that the radiographic equipment to be used is well aligned at the proper angle and height over the patient’s body which is about to be scanned. Using a tool which resembles a measuring tape, the technologist is able to measure accurately just how much area in the body needs to be scanned and control the equipment in order to get images that have the best detail, contrast and density. With X-rays, a film is set below the body part to be scanned and after developing the film, it is then sent for analysis by the radiographers and doctors. It is important that the radiology technologist accurately complies with the doctor’s orders and follow the standards involving the proper use of radiographic equipment, as well as protecting themselves, patients and co-workers from unnecessary exposure to radiation. Besides preparation of patients and equipment operation, they can also keep track of patient records, maintain radiographic equipment, prepare work schedules, evaluate equipment acquisitions, and even management of a radiology department.
Nov 11