Radiologic Technologist: Revealing The Body’s Secrets
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 actually a general term which may refer to several specialties within this medical field. A professional in this field may also be called a radiographer, sonographer and therapist, all of them having different specializations. They also make use of sophisticated medical equipment in order to produce high quality images of the body. A radiology technologist can specialize in different fields, like Diagnostic Radiography for example, which deals with taking images of the bones, cavities and other foreign objects inside the body. Sonography is another example, and makes use of ultrasound technology to render images of the body, while Radiotherapy uses radiation in eradicating or reducing the number of cancerous cells in the body. One can also take on Fluoroscopy, CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Nuclear Medicine and Mammography. When a patient is set to undergo a scan like an X-ray, the radiology technologist prepares him for the process he is about to undergo and explains everything that he needs to know regarding the procedure. The radiographer also checks the patient for objects that might interfere with the scanning equipment and makes sure that the patient gets enough protection from the radiation coming from radiographic equipment. Radiographers make use radiographic equipment by properly positioning it at the correct angle and height over the area of the patient’s body that needs to be scanned. With the help of an instrument similar to a measuring tape, they are able to determine the appropriate thickness of the area to be scanned and control the equipment to provide images of the right detail, contrast and density. They then position an X-ray film underneath the body part to be scanned and make the exposure, after which the film gets developed for analysis. A radiology technologist needs to properly comply with instructions given to him by the doctor or physician, follow the procedures on how to properly operate radiographic equipment, and to protect themselves, patients and co-workers at all times, specially from excessive exposure to radiation. Their tasks can also include recording and keeping of patient’s records, maintenance of radiographic equipment, work schedule preparation, evaluation of equipment purchases and managerial responsibilities as well.