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[GodfatherX]

Long version:
I worked full time at a tech support job to pay rent and all of our bills while my ex fiancee (7+ year relationship) went to school for nursing (LPN) for 18 months (it was a 1 year program, not the sharpest knife). The original plan was for me to start working on getting my MCSE when she got out of school.

In December of 2007 we broke up (several times actually) 4 months before our wedding date, I lost the apartment since she was the one on the lease. Have been back at home ever since.

I spent most of 2008 going through the process of becoming a 911 dispatcher, which took about 6 months of various interviews, test, and even a polygraph. Started that job in July, quit in September because honestly I hated the job with a passion and was unhappy everyday I worked there. Turns out I quit at an extremely bad time as the economy spiraled downhill and it was extremely hard to find a decent paying job, and ended up settling for the crap job I have now.

Now I have the oppurtunity to go back to school, and while I would like to get my MCSE that market is extremely over saturated, by evidence of several friends with the certificate being laid off and unable to find a reasonable job. In fact one friend works where I work now making a whopping .75 cents more per hour then myself.

So my 2nd choice is Radiological Technology, and I have 2 options to get the state issued license. A school that specializes in nursing and various medical tech fields of study or the community college. Just curious if anyone is an xray tech, what did you think about school, and how is the real job market for this? My research says that its in demand and that pay is roughly $18-21 an hour for a first year technician.

Short version:
My job sucks, thinking about being an xray tech. Just curious if anyone is an xray tech, what did you think about school, and how is the real job market for this?

 

[GodfatherX]

nobody here is a xray tech?

 

[WickedAngel]

Do you have any interest in this job whatsoever outside of the fact that it sounds important and pays $18-21 an hour to start with?

 

[Core407]

I thought this said stuck at a crossroads in life...any X-Ray Specs?

 

[GodfatherX]

Do you have any interest in this job whatsoever outside of the fact that it sounds important and pays $18-21 an hour to start with?

yes i considered it heavily when my ex started going to school for nursing, its been something ive been interested in for at least 2 and a half years

 

[FunkyMunkey]

If you don't go into a field that interests you, you're almost always going to end up hating your job :/.

yes i considered it heavily when my ex started going to school for nursing, its been something ive been interested in for at least 2 and a half years

*slaps forehead*

 

[MightyHealthy]

Since you might not hear anything from anybody...and you're a Louisville Cardinals fan...I'll ask for ya.

I have a cousin who is a radiologist. I'll talk to her and gather some opinions on what employment looks like in the field right now. Are you still in Louisville, btw?

I'll report back in a day or two :lol

 

[echoshifting]

My mom used to be an x-ray tech. She LOVED it.

...and that's about all I have for ya, sorry.

 

[dazedx]

My best friend is actually studying to become an MRT. Here its a two year program and he'll be done in August. He's already got an anatomy degree, so this was a good fit for him. There is a definite demand for MRTs and the pay, from what i heard, seems to be in the $27/hr range. Its hard work and in a hospital environment, but if that suits you i'd say go for it. Just know that even doing X-rays, things can go bad.. just saying is all!

 

[Schrade]

I used to install X-Ray machines and service their film processors. I also used to repo the machines

Many of the female techs and nurses at the clinics were damn hot!

Spoiler

Except for the lesbian chiropractic clinic....

 

[echoshifting]

My best friend is actually studying to become an MRT. Here its a two year program and he'll be done in August. He's already got an anatomy degree, so this was a good fit for him. There is a definite demand for MRTs and the pay, from what i heard, seems to be in the $27/hr range. Its hard work and in a hospital environment, but if that suits you i'd say go for it. Just know that even doing X-rays, things can go bad.. just saying is all!

Yep, my dear mother passed along a few horror stories that changed my perception of hospitals forever. Definitely not a career for the squeamish!

 

[Cooter]

My wife is going to school to become one. It's a great, stable, easy job if you can get accepted to the program. I say go for it. Good luck.

 

[GodfatherX]

Since you might not hear anything from anybody...and you're a Louisville Cardinals fan...I'll ask for ya.

I have a cousin who is a radiologist. I'll talk to her and gather some opinions on what employment looks like in the field right now. Are you still in Louisville, btw?

I'll report back in a day or two :lol

yeah im still in the Ville, Iroquois to be exact
thanks, will be waiting on the info, much appreciated

and thanks to all those who responded, I already had it pretty set in my mind just have to decide between the 2 schools in the next 3 weeks

 

[CDRacingZX6R]

There are two types of licensure, make sure your looking into the right one.

An X-Ray tech, is someone with limited ability. They can not do fluoroscopic procedures, based procedures, etc. Basically anything invasive, an X-ray tech can't do. This includes cross training into other related modalitys like CT, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Therapy, etc.

The career path your probably looking for information on is Radiologic Technologist, they are a full Licensure (ARRT) radiographer, and can do invasive and as well as the standard procedures. An RT is also not limited to modality, and have many options at larger hospitals to cross train into higher paying fields like CT, or take an additional year of college and work in nuclear medicine. They also start out at a good pay, where a limited X-ray Tech makes shit.

Depending on where you work the job is stressful, requires a great deal of overtime when you start out (you are the bitch when your new, so you get the shit hours), etc. It's not all that difficult to do, it's simply knowing the positions, figuring out mAS formula, and pressing a button. You are a button pusher, but you get paid a good amount to press the button.

The market is great for the most part. It's not very difficult to get your foot in the door if your in a large city. The pay you will start out at in a hospital is extremely generous, and you tend not to have bosses breathing down your neck all the time. Although, when you fuck up there will be at least one asshole doctor there make sure you know about it.

Schooling is pretty typical. For Radiologic technology, you must go to a school which has been accredited by JRCERT (google it for a list of schools), and take it from there. Typically most schools have a waiting list, or require that you have an associates degree before apply.

 

[GodfatherX]

per college 1: Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) Radiologic Technologist

The mission of the Radiologic Technology program is to provide a progressive academic and clinical educational environment by training students to become highly competent and qualified to administer ionizing radiation for medical diagnostic imaging purposes while preparing them for future licensing examination.


per community college: Radiography Program

The Radiography Program at JCTC is a full-time 21 month Associate Degree program which combines academic and laboratory courses with high technology clinical instruction. A new class is accepted in late spring for the upcoming fall semester. A student will receive his/her clinical education in numerous hospitals located in the Louisville metropolitan region. After completing the competency based education curriculum, a qualified student is eligible to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT) certification examination. A prospective radiography student is advised that the ARRT examination board may not accept a student's application if he/she has been convicted of a felony.

they both are designed to prep for the AART exam, my main concern is if the community college offers comparable placement and internships as the other college

 

[HallucinatingElvis]

listen to CDRacingZX6R, he's/she's spot on.

this is what you want, Radiologic Technologist....or atleast what you should want.

 

[CDRacingZX6R]

There is no real difference between having an a two year or a four year in the radiological field, except for one regard, Management. If you wanted to be the head of an imaging department, having the four year degree would help you out a little. But so would simply putting in your time, being reliable, and working there for a long time.

But even then the pay differences are not really worth the time invested for the extra education, because the core material in the end is all the same and as a result the pay tends to be about the same. An RT with a four year degree can't do anything more than a two year degree RT. They might get some extra instruction, but it's nothing you wont get at the hospital yourself.

You have to remember, the most the hospital can train you to do.. The less they need to pay other people to come and do it with you. The Radiographers I've worked with over the years that did four years of school didn't get anything from it really.

As for the externship question, you will see no difference in quality from either. Community colleges are state funded, and tend to work with state hospitals. In California, some of the best hospitals are state owned. UCLA, UCI, UCSD, etc. All which have community college externs in their departments. Might be different in your state though.

 

[BLaZiN PRopHeT]

I'm actually playing on going into this field myself. Just wanted to say thank you CDRacingZX6R for all the information.