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| The Radiological Technology Career
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Cost
Newman University is a private school and costs are higher than at public institutions. Advantages of Newman over other schools include smaller class sizes and instructors being more available to a student, which is a benefit for those that need extra attention to succeed. All clinical sites affiliated with Newman are in or around the city of Wichita.
Review the university catalog for expenses including tuition and other education-related fees. There are a variety of scholarships available to Newman students as well as the usual financial aid including grants and student loans. It is important that you contact a financial aid advisor and make an appointment to understand what financial options may be open for your particular case. The Financial Aid Office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 316-942-4291, ext. 2103. State and federal programs such as the Kansas tuition grant may be free sources of money to offset the cost of tuition. Individual hospitals and clinics (especially rural) looking for future technologists may provide tuition-for-work money.
Radiographers
Students enter the program to become a radiologic technologist (radiographer), NOT a radiologist. A radiologist is the physician who specializes in diagnosis and treatment by means of radiation (x-rays). The Newman University Radiology Program educates students to become radiographers who specialize in the use of x-rays to aid the physician in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The profession entails a great deal MORE than just taking x-rays of broken bones. You will develop skills including but not limited to patient care, doctor and patient relations, determining radiation exposure factors, quality assurance, decision-making skills and professional ethics.
Graduates can advance to a variety of modalities once they have completed our two-year program. In addition to diagnostic radiography (x-ray), you may want to pursue a career in CT (computerized tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), Ultrasound (sonography), Radiation Therapy, Nuclear Medicine, Vascular Imaging, Heart Catheterization, Bone Densitometry, Mammography, Sales, Management, or Education.
Working Conditions
Some radiographers work in clinics, physician’ offices, and with mobile companies, which may provide a rather stable 9 to 5 working environment but with less compensation. Many radiographers work in hospitals, which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students need to understand they are entering a career that will probably involve 2nd and 3rd shift coverage, call, and weekend work. Employees that cover shifts other than first shift, take call, and provide weekend coverage are well compensated monetarily.
Students learn the profession in the classroom and in clinical settings at affiliated hospitals and clinics. You are exposed to a variety of people and patients. The type of patients you see range from premature infants to the elderly; the reasonably well person to the dying; the diseased to the accident victim. There are sounds, sights, and smells that you will have to adjust to and learn to handle in a professional manner. You learn basic radiological examinations that include positioning patients on the table, setting the technique (providing the proper amount of radiation to acquire the image), and critiquing the finished radiographs. In addition, you learn patient care skills that include performing intravenous injections, urinary catheterization, cardiac pulmonary resuscitation, administering oxygen, and giving enemas to name a few.
Clinical settings can produce high-stress. Students are subordinate to physicians and technologists and must maintain a professional attitude. You must accept constructive criticism and adapt to stressful situations without loosing emotional control. You must be flexible to changing situations.
Diagnostic radiography can be a demanding job physically. The diagnostic technologist must be able to reach, stretch, lift, and hold patients. During fluoroscopy, technologists may stand for long periods of time while wearing a lead apron that may weigh ten pounds. Many exams are done in low lighting, so the ability to see in a dimly lit room is essential. In addition, differentiation of various sounds in a radiography room is critical to any medical professional.
So, Why Radiologic Technology?
Training for technologists in radiology is demanding. Many positive aspects of the profession include:
- Being part of a growing profession with many opportunities for advancement in different areas
- Working with interesting people
- Making a difference in the lives of others
- Opportunities that provide various employment opportunities while meeting your personal needs and desires
- Being proud of yourself and the profession
- Employment security with good monetary income and benefits
- A changing field- always learning something new
If you would like more information about the profession, an informative video is available for you to view. Call Cheryl at 943-4291 x2115 and make an appointment to come up and watch it at your convenience (about 30 minutes long).
"The distance doesn't matter, it is only the first step that is difficult"
Marie de Vichy-Chamrond 1697-1780 |
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