An X-ray technician is one of the most sought after jobs in the health care industry today. This professional provides insightful images to doctors and surgeons so they can make careful decisions regarding a patient's health. There are health concerns when dealing with radiation, which requires the technician to be well armed with both education and experience.
The Facts
There were over 196,000 people employed as radiologic technicians in 2006. Sixty percent are employed in hospitals while other technicians held jobs at clinics, physician's offices and at medical and diagnostic laboratories. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics this job sector is expected to grow faster than any other occupation during a ten year span (2006 to 2016) at about 15 percent. The average earning potential of an X-ray technician in 2006 was $48,170 with the highest earners making $68,920.
Function
An X-ray technician's primary responsibility is to make sure the x-rays images that are taken are exactly what the doctor or surgeon asked for. The images need to be clear and focused on the intended area. The technician is also responsible for making sure all necessary precautions are taken so the patient is exposed to as little radiation from the x-ray machine as possible. Certain imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, may require fluoroscopies, meaning the technician will prepare a solution for a patient to drink in order to see the soft tissue during the imaging.
Education
To be an x-ray technician having a high school diploma is mandatory. Some employers require a technician to possess a college education with a two-year associates degree program being the preferred choice. There are one year certificate programs for experienced technicians or those from a different medical field changing careers. A supervisor in this field is often required to have a bachelor's or master's degree. Another requirement may be licensure, as 40 states now mandate technicians to be certified to work.
Misconceptions
Although the image of one's inner body may be a great way to diagnose and improve your health, the machines that takes these informative pictures can also be harmful. According to a National Academy of Science panel, low doses from x-ray machines including full body CT scans can pose a cancer risk. They concluded that 1 out of 1,000 people will develop cancer from a single CT scan. This might be a scary scenario, but a professor of radiology suggests not avoiding getting x-rays because the benefits outweigh the risk. He cautions that one should minimize the frequency of getting exposed to radiation to specific medical problems.
Types
Technicians use several types of devices that involve radiation for imaging purposes. Besides the x-ray machine, technicians will also handle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. These machines produce cross sectional images to make a three dimensional image of an area of the body. CT, or computed technology, scans are images produced the same way as MRIs. However, the difference is CT scanners use ionizing radiation, so technicians must exercise the same precautionary measures they do with x-ray machines. MRI machines do not use ionizing radiation.
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