Radiology Technology Q & A

Welcome to A Couple of Rad Techs Podcast, where we dive into the world of radiology with your host, Chaundria Singleton. In this episode, Chaundria answers your burning questions in a dynamic Q&A session. She delves into the life of a radiologic technologist, sharing her 21 years of experience in MRI, CT, and mammography. From the stress levels in the ER to the diverse career paths available, Chaundria provides insight into the world of radiology and offers valuable advice for those interested in pursuing a career in this field. Get ready for an engaging and informative discussion in this special radiology tech Q&A episode. So sit back, relax, and join us as we explore the fascinating world of radiologic technology with Chaundria Singleton.
__________________________
Follow Chaundria here
                                       ⬆️⬆️⬆️

Only this January, they help you gear up to crush your 2024 fully focused.

You get 1 month for free, when you're subscribing for 3 months at:

🌱MAGIC MIND Discount here
Use code: RADTECHS20
It's an extra 20% off, which gets you to a 75% off. This only lasts until the end of January, so hurry up before it goes away.

Transcript

0:00

Welcome to A Couple of Rad Techs podcast, where we bring you an inside look at the world of radiology from the unique perspective of a married couple of radiologic technologists. Together, we have over 30 years of experience in the field and are here to demystify the science of medical imaging. Radiology is the unsung hero of the medical field, providing doctors with crucial images and information that help diagnose and treat illnesses. Join us as we explore the latest techniques, technologies and innovations in radiology and discover the vital role we play in the healthcare industry. So come along for the ride as we share our passion for radiology as a married couple.

Chaundria: 0:38

Welcome to a couple of Rad Techs Podcasts. I am your host, Chaundria. And today's episode is going to be a little different. But first, let's give a shout out to our sponsor. MagicMind. MagicMind is sponsoring this episode and we're doing a radiology Q& A. So let's get to it. You guys are asking the questions and I've got some of the answers and I'm going to try to make this as entertaining as possible. Because I love what I do. I've been doing it for 21 years. My husband also does the field of radiology as well. I am 21 years in as a Radiologic Technologist. I have specialized in MRI and CT and certified in it. I'm nationally certified in mammography, so I can do screening mammos. But shout out to all of the Mammo Techs out there because it is an amazing field that saves many lives. And it's a lot of hard work. More goes into it than you think. So come back to this podcast if you think you want to learn more about radiology. We've got a few questions that have been asked of me in my podcast, in my social media. If you're not following me, be sure to check me out on these social platforms here. I've got really entertaining and educational content over there. And on my YouTube, you'll get more long form content such as this and my video of my audio podcast A Couple Of Rad Techs. So let's get into it. If you have more questions, be sure to drop it in the comments here, and I will gladly answer those questions for you. Let's get right into it. What is a Radiologic Technologist? Easy answer. I am. But really, what do we do? Many people think we just take pictures of bones. Well, we do take pictures of bones, but we also take pictures of several other body parts. And people don't realize that radiology Technologists take x rays using ionizing radiation. Radiation comes in different forms. I'm not going to get really scientific, but it basically comes in different forms. We use ionizing radiation and we can radiate anything head to toe, any body part and be able to get our images for the doctor to be able to get the diagnosis for you the patient. How do we become a Radiologic Technologist? What do Radiologic Technologists make as a salary? Is it the same as a nurse? What type of shift do they work? What are the other specialties that Radiologic Technologists can actually do? Is the job stressful? First, I'm going to answer that one. Is being a Radiologic Technologist stressful? Depends on who you ask. Some days yes, some days no. It's like any other job. Sometimes it is a very stressful job. One thing that I love about being a Radiologic Technologist is the fact that it's not a very stressful position or job in the medical field, but it can be. Let me explain. Sometimes as a Radiologic Technologist, you are working in the ER, the emergency room. That is a very stressful place, depending on how fast the ER that you're working in, if you're working in a trauma center, or a hospital that is extremely busy, you can be taking x rays in a portable manner. Some patients are not able, because of the situation they're in, to the radiology department to get their x rays done. You have to go to them. Things like gunshot wounds. We have to be able to use x ray to see inside of the body. So if a patient has something in their body that we need to figure out what's going on, like if a child swallows a coin, usually they'll go over to the ER, take a quick portable chest x ray abdominal series and be able to look inside of the body to see is there a foreign object in the esophagus, in the trachea, in the airway, in the stomach, in the intestines. And that is a quick, easy way to look. That's one way it can be stressful. You also have situations with gunshot wounds, stab wounds. You have surgery. We also do radiology in a surgery center. So you have x ray Techs that actually work in the operating room with surgeons, sometimes scheduled and sometimes not scheduled. That can be very stressful. And then on top of that, you've got emergencies that just pop up even in non emergent situations. For example, if a patient comes to the department for a routine x ray study, maybe something happens where the patient unfortunately has an emergency. They code. That can be very stressful, and it is very stressful. I've been in several codes myself in CT and MRI, been the only person there, had to call for help, but in the meantime, I'm the one responsible for keeping this person safe and alive until doctors and nurses can arrive and teams of specialized individuals get there to work on this patient to get them back breathing. Yeah, that's very stressful. And then the schedule can stress some people out. Some people work long 12 hour days. Some people work 16 hour days. Long hours can be very stressful. We have lives too. Also, not being able to always get your assigned lunch. That can stress some people out because who doesn't want to have their lunch break? And then you have a busy day. And you're working with different personalities, those things can be stressful. But overall, I'm going to give that question as far as if radiologic technology is a stressful position. I'm going to say it's not. For me personally, my husband doesn't think it's stressful when it comes to a stressing job on a daily basis. How do you become a Radiologic Technologist? I'm going to answer that really briefly. You go to school for a minimum of two years. There are accredited programs that we encourage people to actually look into and to research. What is the best place to find a program to become a Radiologic Technologist? Well, I've got you there. Go to this website, ARRT. org, best website that you could find out all about radiology and how to find a program that is accredited where you can actually not waste your time and waste your money. These are facilities that have gone through. All of the check marks and boxes to be able to get their programs approved so you'll be able to graduate, get the best education from a school that actually gives the education at a top tier level that is approved by one of the top agencies in our field. Head on over there. See what it takes to become a Radiologic Technologist. Is the major difficult when it comes to the schooling for radiologic technology? Again, depends on who you ask. I don't think it's easy, and I didn't think it was extremely hard either, where you're like pulling all your hair out, and you're just stressed out. But, I'm gonna tell you, at some points I did get really stressed out. And there's no break. You go continuously through school, you do classroom or didactic learning, as well as clinical hands on experience, all at the same time, and it's a really intense two years of experience. Is it difficult to get through? Is it hard? Some schools are harder than others. Some facilities, the clinical rotations are a little more difficult because some places are more difficult because you have exams or centers, hospitals that are trauma level. So if your clinical site is a trauma level hospital, then it's going to be a little tougher because these are exams that are not walkie talkie. They are really, really like a lot of people in there. I mean, the stuff that you see on TV, like ER, Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Med. Even House. Let's throw House in it because that's one of my favorite shows. Little out there and not always accurate about radiology. That's why they need to consult Radiologic Technologists on these TV shows. But it is not a difficult major to learn, but it is one that you need to be focused because people do fail out of the program and even complete the program and they aren't able to pass their registry or their licensing exam because we do, at the end of those two to four years, have to take a national licensing exam. Some people go to school, very few, and never take it or they can't pass it. That's why it is very important for you to actually pay attention to the program and work clinical and didactic parts of them because it's going to help you to pass that national registry which allows you to be able to work in bigger facilities like hospitals. I want to thank our sponsor, Magic Mind, for sponsoring this wonderful episode, our Q& A. But many of my listeners are struggling with keeping their focus, having energy through the day, and so many other things. So let me tell you about our sponsor, Magic Mind. I've been trying to find a way to keep my energy level steady throughout the day, and a midday nap on its own just was not cutting it. Maybe it's coffee for you. Thankfully, I found this little shot to help me get my energy back and be fully focused. I take it because it's so easy to use, and it tastes great, and it helped me a lot. Don't let the green color fool you. The taste is really great. My husband, the other Rad Tech, approves and he doesn't drink anything green. I've noticed that my mental sharpness is faster and consistent all day. I'm way more creative and my mood is so upbeat even in these winter months and early, dark days. So, what is in this little green drink that I say tastes so good? You've got matcha, ashwagandha, lion's main, mushrooms. Two other ingredients that are great for it. The memory. Good for stress. Just a whole lot of good things in it. I drank two bottles and I saw the difference. Then my husband decided he wanted to try it and within a few days he asked for more. Remember the man that does not like anything green. I gave my mom two bottles and she waited to try them until I told her, look, I'm gonna come back and get my two bottles if you don't start drinking them. These are not going to waste. She ordered her own from there after she drank them because she was blown away. Next, I told the manager at my radiology department and she and her husband now love drinking them every morning and have seen the difference. I recommend that you get the January deal off of 56 percent off a one time subscription. But you may want to just try it out first. That's how I was. So if you want to just try it out as a one time order, you will get 20 percent off. But make sure when you go to Magicmind. com, use my code RADTECHS20. It is R A D T E C H S 20, right here on the screen. You can get two discounts. But hurry up, the 56 percent discount only lasts for 10 days from my episode airing date. And, psst, I got a secret. You can even get 75 percent off when you use my code and get a 3 month subscription. Hurry up. You're gonna want to try this Magic Mind. I know, I'm sure glad I did. Another question I get is Radiology harder than nursing. I cannot honestly answer that because I've never been a nurse. I would just say this they are two different forms of medical careers, totally different. There's really no comparison. If you are thinking of being a nurse, I don't think you can make a bad choice. If you're thinking of being a Radiologic Technologist, I don't think you're making a bad choice. Either one, you're going to make a good deal of money. You're going to be satisfied in the work that you do. You're helping people. And the programs are about the same two years minimum for both and some are four years. It depends on what you want to do. I would say in both of them. There are opportunities for advancement in any in any direction Some people feel like oh if I become an x ray Tech, that's all I do is take x rays. No, follow this page be sure to subscribe if you haven't already and turn on your notifications because I'm going to tell you all of the things that you can do. Me personally in 21 years, I've done several things in radiology and I still haven't scratched the surface. And I still got life in me. 21 years and I still got a lot of life to keep going. It is a field where you can move from specialty to specialty. And get certified in those and never get bored. Can you make six figures as a Radiologic Technologist? Yeah, you can. What would that take? A staff Radiologic Technologist or a full time employee most likely will not make six figures. I'm not going to say they won't because I've never worked everywhere. Everybody's salary is going to be different. But, average, when you research the salaries of x ray or Radiologic Technologists, It usually is about 60, 000, maybe 70, 75. It depends again, what state, what kind of facility you work at. All of that plays a big part. Your degree does not really play a big part. I hate to say that. Some people ask all the time in the comments, if I have a bachelor's, will I make more money? No. I know people who have graduated years ago, from certificate programs in radiology before there was a degree requirement for it, and they make a really, really good money, and they don't have a degree at all. I know people as well who have an associate's degree in radiology. And they make really good money. Like, I just did a reel not long ago. If you go back to my Instagram or my TikTok, you'll be able to see a reel that I did that shows that at that point in time when I made that reel, there were x ray Technologists in certain states making critical care money, 70 an hour to take x rays while everybody's running to other modalities feeling like if I get a specialty, I can make a lot more money. One thing I always say is go to school for radiology technology first and then take your specialties from there. When you start in radiology, it allows you to be able to branch off into over 11 other modalities. Without a problem. You can't always do that if you just go for one of the other specialties alone if you qualify for those schools, you can't go back and do CT or X-Ray or any of those things interventional. You have to go through radiologic technology school, those programs. Which Tech makes the most money and the specialties. People always ask me that as well, which Technologists make the most money? Again, the pay is gonna be really different for everyone. I know Technologists who shoot only x rays, and they make really good money because they've negotiated. They work at certain facilities. They work at certain states. I know Techs that do CAT scans, that make more than radiation Therapists, that make more than nuclear medicine Techs. It all, a lot of times, depends on the job demand, and that is why I'm a big proponent. I'm going to school for radiologic technology first, getting your certifications and the other ones, like I went to school for radiologic technology. I got certified in CT, certified in MRI, I have mammo national certification. I know every machine. I can do applications. I've done research in radiology. I've been an educator for seven years in radiology and I've done other things in between to hone certain skills and that has allowed me to ask for what I feel like I'm worth. Of course, do the research of where you're working at and ask for what I am worth and that is what I encourage. So, I appreciate this first Q& A. I promise not to make it too long, but I've got plenty more questions. So, let me know what other questions you want down in the comments and be sure to subscribe, turn notifications on, and let me know what you guys think of this Q& A. Thanks again.

16:08

And that's a wrap for this episode of a couple of rad techs podcast. We hope you enjoyed our discussion of the fascinating world of radiology and learn something new about the role we play in the healthcare industry. If you have any questions or topics that you love for us to cover, feel free to reach out and let us know what they are. And you guys, please, if you enjoyed this podcast or any of the other episodes, we want to hear what you. Thought leave us a review. Mama's got to pay our bills. It helps. And until next time, stay tuned for more insightful and informative episodes of a couple of rad techs podcast.