Personal Narrative: A Career As A Radiation Assistant

I was hired as a radiographer in a local hospital. I gained a lot of clinical experiences in the healthcare setting. I fell in love with job, I enjoyed helping people. This gave me an opportunity to meet people and be compassionate about the sick. After a few years of working as a radiographer, I took some more certification courses and exams in computed Tomography (CT scan) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which boosted my skills and knowledge as a radiologic technologist. Because of my love for information technology, I took a course and exam in medical imaging informatics and was certified as an imaging informatics professional (CIIP).

What first comes to mind when I read nuclear medicine as one specialty medical career field online was x-rays, and bones. I didn’t realize until reading more about the career field that nuclear medicine gives a person the “ability to work with every system of the human body – skeletal, circulatory, endocrine and pulmonary” (Shifko, 2010). Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances that diagnose and treat diseases. The origins of this medical idea go back as far as the mid-1920’s.

I was never a kid that knew who I would become when I grow up. My interests ranged from wanting to become an interior designer to having a strong desire of becoming a pilot. I was often surrounded by healthcare professionals but I never imagined myself striving to become one. Little did I know that I would end up at a stage in my life where I would be sure about pursuing a career in healthcare. Although I have decided on my career path, I have yet to discover a particular field within healthcare that grabs my interest. The RA Internship will help me learn more about medicine and help me find a right field of study through clinical research experience and monthly lectures offered to me as an intern. Though this opportunity I will be able to

Radiation Therapy does not just take a strong mind, or someone with compassion; it is also is a very technical field. I have grown up loving technology and always trying to understand different ways to utilize and understand new technology. I believe this skill will help me as a Radiation Therapist as technology is always evolving. Having an aptitude and appreciation towards this, will be an asset.

I have chosen to study Radiography as I am very passionate about Science. Although this was never my strongest subject I always enjoyed studying the 3 science subjects and I soon developed an interest in radiography. I always worked hard to understand the fundamentals of science. I have developed an interest as I have seen people with many illnesses which had led me to want to pursue a career in radiography. My passion for patient care has strongly come from seeing people suffering from different health problems. Although it is a challenging profession I am willing to put in 100% to ensure I succeed in gaining a career. This career is a very rewarding career and I believe with my communication skills I will be able to provide support for patients and families. My interest in technology and disease has led me to an interest in this career.

I have observed how Radiologic technologist comfort patients and provide their support at a time where the patient is overwhelmed and anxious about what the results will show. For example, we had a young kid come into the Emergency Department with his parents complaining of severe abdominal pain. The doctor had ordered a CT scan and I accompanied the patient and his parents to the CT scan room. The kid and parents were terrified to get the scan, as they were unsure what to expect. A Radiologic technician explained the process and risk/benefits of the scan to them very clearly and in a consolable manner. He answered all questions that the parents or the child had and put their minds at ease. I envision myself being in the shoes of the technician directly contributing to society. I inspire to be in a field that allows me to assist and console people when they are at a rough point in their

The next part of my research I am discussing will be the salary. Radiation Technologists make plenty of money, believe me on that one. In some states,you may earn up to the range of $50,000 to $60,000 on salary! But, in order to get that much, you need to take certain classes, courses, optional career paths, and other voluntary options. In some states, like California, you can take time to get training from your employer’s company and that can earn really high money.

Radiology Technologist have been around for almost a century. “Radiology Technologist works in various places taking diagnostic imaging examinations for patients, which are x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and mammography.” (eHow) This job is one of the few in the world that can give the risk of cancer to the rad-techs. And is stilled one of the most needed in the medical field. Radiology Technologist needs to understand computers and what the x-rays show, and how to set up a patient for and x-ray to be taken. Radiology Technologist are one of the highest paid in the medical field. This is because the job has more risk than any other job in the medical field. The radiology technologists have used x-rays for what has almost been in use

There are also many in betweens that fall in radiology such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), specials, cath lab, mammography, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine. People can even go into management in the radiology field or expand out into sales of radiology equipment. This field is also always in the top three annual revenue services in every hospital so it is not a field that will be disappearing anytime in the future. With scientific advancements always changing, there are no limits to where radiology can go in the future and may even find new diagnostic studies that can be performed to help more people in need. Although radiology is a great career choice, it does come with its down side. Technologists in many portions of the radiologic sciences are exposed to certain amounts of radiation which has a negative effect on the human body. There are many safety precautions that technologists have to take like wearing lead shields anytime they are in the exam room with patients, and they also must record their employee dose, or their personal radiation intake, by wearing a dosimeter and having the readings checked monthly to insure that they are not getting over radiated over a certain amount of time. Overall, this is a very good career choice and also makes me feel better to potentially help

Once training material has been vetted through the PSB, we will look for concurrence from the Program Managers (CG-721). Once concurrence has been given, the Master Training Specialist for the Radiation Detection Level II course will implement training material to academy staff. Academy staff will require 30 hours with the RADSEEKER to become subject matter experts. An additional 8 hours will be required to familiarize themselves with the new instructional methods needed to provide students with the most valid and reliable training while attending the Radiation Detection Level II Course at

According to the researchers of mayoclinic.org, Radiation Oncology is the practice of regulating high dosages of radiation to kill cancerous cells. In this job several small tasks accumulate into a complex system. A radiation oncologist can expect to: place radioactive material into the body to locate and pinpoint tumors, keep detailed records of treatment proficiency, examine and create machinery to diminish harmful exposure to radiation, and to console other oncologists about methods such as chemotherapy and stem-cell treatment. As a young child, I decided to delve into the study of cancer based on watching my mother battle the disease (mayoclinic.org).

A Radiation Therapist treats cancer and multiple other diseases patients have by administering radiation treatment. In some cases, employers only require completion of a 12-month certificate program to be hired. But, It’s more likely to get a job if you further your education with an associate’s or bachelors degree in Radiation Therapy. In most states, radiation therapists must be licensed. To become a licensed Radiation Therapist, you have to graduate from a radiation therapy program and be certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Mostly every college offers the schooling it takes but the highest ranked college in the U.S. for Radiation Therapy is Oregon Health And Science University in Portland, Oregon.

I have to say that this is the first time I heard about this profession. According to the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists, a Medical Dosimetrist is a member of the radiation oncology team who has knowledge of the overall characteristics and clinical relevance of radiation oncology treatment machines and equipment, is cognizant of procedures commonly used in brachytherapy and has the education and expertise necessary to generate radiation dose distributions and dose calculations in collaboration with the medical physicist and radiation oncologist. Aapparently there are organs in our bodies that they call dose-limiting structures. These structures could include the eye when treating the brain, the heart when treating the lung, or

It amazed me how simple conversations and jokes could comfort someone feeling so low. It amazed me how patients are able to smile through all of the nausea and bloody noses. It amazed me how someone can be stronger than the medicine going through their port. This encouraged me to become a Radiologist, because I’ll be able to interact with cancer patients and hopefully provide them with a little joy at heart. For this career I hope to attend Grand Canyon University because they have an excellent medical program; however, plenty of thought and decisions go into deciding what you’ll enjoy doing for the rest of your life. I’ve always been on top of my grades although I have such a crazy schedule, I can honestly say I worked hard to get where I am. The encouragement from my family allowed me to finish summer school and night school for 2 extra credits. Financially, I will not be able to afford a university, which is why I decided to stay focused and graduate this December of 2016 instead of May 2017. Therefore, after I graduate I’m going to work a fulltime job to help pay for community college until I can afford a

As for the Radiotherapy, I have also basic knowledge because I have participated in two important courses during my M.Sc. course. These are the " A course in Radiotherapy Physics – Radiation Dosimetry, Treatment Planning and Treatment Techniques", UK, 17 - 19 November 2009 and the "A course in Radiotherapy Physics - Treatment Machines, Quality Assurance, Radiobiology, Brachytherapy and Radiotherapy Imaging", UK, 9-10 March 2010, both organised by The Joint Departement of Physics of the Royal Marsden Hospital & The Institute of Cancer