After reading the details of an interesting study on Faculty Development Needs performed by the ASRT, I found myself distracted from my original interest in the results by the demographic data that I was reading to conclude that I am convinced that we will be in great need for educators in the United States for Radiography Programs in the near future.
Some interesting results for demographics of Full-time Faculty for Radiography Programs, as reported were the following:
Over 2/3 female
Approximately 92% caucasian
Average year for (R) certification was 1983
Average year born was 1960 (or avg. age 47)
Average # of years in education = 4
When asked when they were planning on leaving the education profession, about 1/5 of full-time faculty (and 1/4 of program directors) stated they would be leaving within the next 5 years, and half of faculty/program directors would be leaving within the next 10 years.
It is obvious from the collected data quoted above that the majority community of Radiography Educators is approaching retirement age within the next decade. Having been very recently affected by instructor retirement at my own institution, it is resoundingly clear that with all of the accumulated years of experience that these instructors have acquired, we all have some distinguished shoes to fill.
So why am I talking about this on a blog mainly visited by students? Well, over the next 5 years, those of you who will be graduating from Radiography Programs across the country will be the prime position to jump aboard the pendulum downswing of the educational market demand. Now is the time to be thinking about your next step; what you want to do after you successfully acquire your ARRT Registration, and have a few years of technologist experience under your belts. If you have any interest in education, it might be beneficial for you to research the possibility of steering your careers toward education for the upcoming time of need.
It doesn't take long in this field to notice the symbiotic relationship between educators and technologists. What I have yet to experience (at my ripe young age of 30) is how educational standards will be maintained when such a large percentage of upcoming retirees with their vast levels of experience both in Radiography and Education will be passing the torch. Now is the time for us youngsters and newbies in the field to step it up; to display our enthusiasm for our field, to learn as much as we can from these great contributors to our profession, and to move forward in a fashion that honors those before us.
Jeremy: As a clinical instructor and tech, I completely agree. I have a Bachelors in another field along with my RT. But I wish I had stayed in school to get a Masters. Doors that are now opening in teaching Radiology 4 year degrees require a Masters. Now I'm looking at how to pay for retirement and kids in college after 15 years in the field. Thanks for the website. On an unrelated matter, Jeremy, would you consider adding a link to a novel I wrote last year? It's a medical suspense story that takes place in CT and x-ray...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lulu.com/content/786007
Thanks, Tim Kerr
Jeremy: As a clinical instructor and tech, I completely agree. I have a Bachelors in another field along with my RT. But I wish I had stayed in school to get a Masters. Doors that are now opening in teaching Radiology 4 year degrees require a Masters. Now I'm looking at how to pay for retirement and kids in college after 15 years in the field. Thanks for the website. On an unrelated matter, Jeremy, would you consider adding a link to a novel I wrote last year? It's a medical suspense story that takes place in CT and x-ray...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lulu.com/content/786007
Thanks, Tim Kerr
Jeremy, I completely agree. It a true loss when those with so much experience to share leave and we need fresh new people to take on this passion for teaching.
ReplyDeleteJana
Jeremy, I completely agree. It a true loss when those with so much experience to share leave and we need fresh new people to take on this passion for teaching.
ReplyDeleteJana
What is your view concerning the minimum number of years of practical experience before one should choose the path of teaching if you have one?
ReplyDeleteI pose this question because I recall that all of my professors except for one possessed close to or over 20 years of teaching experience, and taking their ages into account, I discerned that all had less than 10 years of prior employment as working RTs.
With that said, I quickly learned that regurgitating textbook theory means very little in practice when one is imaging patients that don't resemble the models in Merrill's Atlas.
What is your view concerning the minimum number of years of practical experience before one should choose the path of teaching if you have one?
ReplyDeleteI pose this question because I recall that all of my professors except for one possessed close to or over 20 years of teaching experience, and taking their ages into account, I discerned that all had less than 10 years of prior employment as working RTs.
With that said, I quickly learned that regurgitating textbook theory means very little in practice when one is imaging patients that don't resemble the models in Merrill's Atlas.
I agree completely about looking at content vs. a timeframe. As already stated, there has to be two years of full-time clinical experience in order to appease JRCERT for accreditation. I've seen some schools require either a bachelor's degree or 5 years of experience (which I like as well), but someone who works at a level 1 trauma center may obtain more pertinent experience at a quicker rate than someone at a slower small-sized community hospital.
ReplyDeleteThe decision to hire one instructor vs. the next based on clinical experience may vary between schools too. One school may have more clinical instructors than the next, which might influence hiring decisions. I know that the longer you are in radiography, the more you are asked to do away from a diagnostic patient care setting (inventory, scheduling, quality control, and/or cross-training). If there are no clinical instructor positions, I'm sure it might be beneficial to hire someone who has already had a chance to get comfortable with public speaking. It all really depends on the type of program that is doing the hiring, keeping emphasis on RECENT experience in the desired job function.
As a side note, it would be a good idea for any technologist who is considering a career in teaching, no matter how many years of experience they have, to look at the up and coming changes in content specs for the ARRT exam and try to plan their required CEU courses to mirror those changes. There may be a lot of things that the ARRT will be adding (such as digital radiography) that someone who has been out of school for a while might not have had any formal instruction on yet, and may need to be prepared for.
I agree completely about looking at content vs. a timeframe. As already stated, there has to be two years of full-time clinical experience in order to appease JRCERT for accreditation. I've seen some schools require either a bachelor's degree or 5 years of experience (which I like as well), but someone who works at a level 1 trauma center may obtain more pertinent experience at a quicker rate than someone at a slower small-sized community hospital.
ReplyDeleteThe decision to hire one instructor vs. the next based on clinical experience may vary between schools too. One school may have more clinical instructors than the next, which might influence hiring decisions. I know that the longer you are in radiography, the more you are asked to do away from a diagnostic patient care setting (inventory, scheduling, quality control, and/or cross-training). If there are no clinical instructor positions, I'm sure it might be beneficial to hire someone who has already had a chance to get comfortable with public speaking. It all really depends on the type of program that is doing the hiring, keeping emphasis on RECENT experience in the desired job function.
As a side note, it would be a good idea for any technologist who is considering a career in teaching, no matter how many years of experience they have, to look at the up and coming changes in content specs for the ARRT exam and try to plan their required CEU courses to mirror those changes. There may be a lot of things that the ARRT will be adding (such as digital radiography) that someone who has been out of school for a while might not have had any formal instruction on yet, and may need to be prepared for.
Hey Mr E!! I love reading your blog. I never thought teaching would be for me but at my hospital out here on NC's coast all techs are "clinical instructors" so I work with students everyday and I absolutely love it. I'm so thankful for all the tips you all at WTCC taught me because when I pass those on and the students are like "light bulb" it makes me feel so good. Of course I still have so much to learn but I love being on the other side and "teaching". I just shared the os cal tip of increasing kvp 10 also when increasing mas from lat to axial and the picture was beautiful. The student was like OMGosh...LOL..a tip you told me when I was grading on my heel.
ReplyDeleteAnywho, hope all is well with you, your fam and the WTCC staff.
Dawn C(December 2007)
Hey Mr E!! I love reading your blog. I never thought teaching would be for me but at my hospital out here on NC's coast all techs are "clinical instructors" so I work with students everyday and I absolutely love it. I'm so thankful for all the tips you all at WTCC taught me because when I pass those on and the students are like "light bulb" it makes me feel so good. Of course I still have so much to learn but I love being on the other side and "teaching". I just shared the os cal tip of increasing kvp 10 also when increasing mas from lat to axial and the picture was beautiful. The student was like OMGosh...LOL..a tip you told me when I was grading on my heel.
ReplyDeleteAnywho, hope all is well with you, your fam and the WTCC staff.
Dawn C(December 2007)
Hi Dawn... good to hear from you. I'm glad you are working and able to use some of those tips, and I'm sure you're well on your way to finding your own tips/tricks that work for you (feel free to share anytime). That "light bulb" feeling is definitely one of the highlights of teaching... and if you're really enjoying that, you might have your next career goal laid out for you possibly???
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying the "RT(R)" behind your name now... keep us all posted on how you're doing and drop by to visit the next time you're back in town. Oh, and please feel free to call me Jeremy now :)
Hi Dawn... good to hear from you. I'm glad you are working and able to use some of those tips, and I'm sure you're well on your way to finding your own tips/tricks that work for you (feel free to share anytime). That "light bulb" feeling is definitely one of the highlights of teaching... and if you're really enjoying that, you might have your next career goal laid out for you possibly???
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying the "RT(R)" behind your name now... keep us all posted on how you're doing and drop by to visit the next time you're back in town. Oh, and please feel free to call me Jeremy now :)