How to Become a Radiologic Technologist

There is a lot of misinformation going around the internet about what we do... and unfortunately, there are a lot of people looking to make money off of individuals who would like to become Radiologic Technologists, but may not know the difference between that and a "x-ray technician" or simply an "x-ray tech."

I subscribe to google alerts for "radiography", and this morning I received this link:  http://www.stridemagazine.com/what-is-the-yearly-salary-of-the-radiologist#comment-3346

It's not the first link that I have come across with loads of inaccurate information.  Its title reads, "what is the yearly salary of a Radiologist?"  As we know, a Radiologist is a Physician, but the article goes on to describe (mostly incorrectly) how to become either a Radiologic Technologist or a Limited Licensed Technician, unable to distinguish the two.

Let me just say that if you are currently in, or have graduated from a JRCERT - accredited x-ray program, possessing ARRT Registry, you went about it the proper way.  There are many schools popping up claiming to provide you the education to "be an x-ray tech" but lack the proper accreditation.  This infuriates me to no end.  I have met several students who found out they were not qualified to work in a hospital setting only after they paid a hefty $20k to one of these programs, and ended up enrolling in their local Community College program later.

As far as I know, there is no law against these schools doing this, but there is such a thing as false advertising.  Many schools come very close to this, and will tell you (verbally - not in writing) that you will be qualified to work in any hospital after completing their program.

I am writing this post specifically as a word of caution to those who are seeking to be Technologists, as well as to offer any assistance to those who would like to ask any questions about the process.  It is important to educate yourselves prior to enlisting in any school, and to know your options.  I am currently writing a book on the subject due to the massive amount of misinformation that is going around about it, but it will not be complete and/or published at least for another 6-8 months.  You shouldn't have to wait for this basic information though... let alone pay $20k to find out the hard way that the education you received is inadequate.  You should also be wary of the job market in your area for Technologists right now.  It's pretty tight, although the next 3-5 years are expected to really pick up due to the Baby Boomer generation retiring (which makes up the largest percentage of the work force in health care).  Please feel free to post questions here, or send me an email if you do not want your questions addressed publicly.

If you do not trust me as a source of information, you can go to www.jrcert.org where there is a database of Radiography schools searchable by state.  The contact information for each Radiography Program Director is there.  You can email or call them to find out how you can attend an information session, or get additional info on the program you are considering, but they MUST be listed on this website.

Tech Tips: Patient Identification

The number one patient safety goal in the country is proper identification of patients.  There have been many unnecessary procedures and/or surgeries performed on patients over the years that should have been prevented because one or more members of the health care team either neglected to, or were afraid to check the patient’s ID.

About 8 years ago, I performed an x-ray series on the wrong patient, and I will never do it again.  I was at an outpatient imaging center (where no wrist bands were worn).  I called the patient’s name, and an elderly woman stood up and followed me toward the x-ray room.  We were busy, so I didn’t bother asking for a date of birth because my paperwork said 80 years old, and she looked “about” that age.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  About one hour later, a patient with the same name inquired how long it would be from the front desk receptionist.  You can imagine the confusion that followed when I informed the receptionist that I already performed the x-rays on that patient.  After a considerable amount of time was spent sorting it out, I felt horrible because no one could identify the patient who I actually x-rayed (and who left an hour ago).  Being busy is no excuse!  Please learn from my mistake and verify name and date of birth in an outpatient setting with no wrist-bands.

I have heard exponentially worse stories of surgical teams who suspected that they were operating on the wrong patient, but were afraid to say anything because of a Physician’s demeanor.  Remember, you are the patient advocate just like everyone else on the health care team.  You can still check a wrist-band without making a big production, and you MUST inform the Physician if there is a discrepancy.  It’s not only the Physician that is liable, but every member of the health care team who came in contact with the patient, and should have confirmed ID.

You should always check the patient wrist-band in a hospital setting.  Two identifiers are required, but I suggest that three should be verified by all Technologists:  Patient name, date of birth, and medical record number.  If it is an outpatient, simply look at their wrist band while in the waiting room, and wait until you are behind closed doors to verbally verify ID.  Inpatients can be visibly checked in the hallway while waiting for an x-ray room to become available, but should also be verbally verified once in the exam room.  Please remember to protect their privacy.

It’s hard to admit that you have done something wrong, and sometimes it can be very painful, but no one will benefit from a mistake unless the error can be identified and steps are made to further prevent the same error in the future.

The Author's Paradigm

I'm sorry for my recent absence from the blogosphere... I have begun work on my own radiography book that has taken up quite a bit of my time.  I have this problem where I get really excited about a particular activity or project and I tend to spend all of my time and energy on that one thing.  This can be a great attribute when you are being paid to perform that task for an employer, but it can also make regular activities (like eating, sleeping, blogging, etc.) take a back seat, and for that, I apologize.

I definitely have some great posts coming up soon as I have gathered some new ideas.  I will be teaching a new group of students starting at the end of this month, and I would like to have more of the math tutorial videos for sample problems posted as examples to refer to for that group, as well as anyone else who needs to see some worked out.

As always, please feel free to shoot over topic suggestions, of if there is a particular discussion you would like to see among Radiographers or Radiography Students, please let me know.  Thank you for your patience!