CAREERS IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY
• RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST
– RADIOGRAPHER
– X-RAY TECHNOLOGIST
• “ TECHNICIAN”
– Limited License
• RADIOLOGIST
– Medical doctor
What does a
Radiologic
Technologist
do?
A “Radiologic Technologist”
(or Radiographer)
• Medical Professional
– In a challenging field
• Safely uses x-rays to image anatomy
– Positions
– Using sophisticated technology
– Practices radiation protection
• Provides quality-diagnostic images
– Assists DR
– Communicates with patient
– Practices patient privacy
Registered Technologist
R.T.
• Dawn Charman, M.Ed., RT (R)(M), CRT(R)(F)
• Kelly Clark, M.S.R.T. RT (R)(CT), CRT(R)(F)
• Mina Colunga, B.S.R.T. RT (R), CRT(R)(F)
ARRT – R.T.
State of California– C.R.T.
Radiologic Technologist
• ECC program is for an entry level into the profession
• Radiation Therapy and Nuclear Medicine would require additional education
Certification/licenses
• ARRT- American Registry of Radiologic Technologies
– Provides national certification
• CRT-- California Registered Technologist
– After completing ARRT exam you pay a fee and get your California license to practice
– A separate test is taken for fluoroscopy
Certification vs. License
• ARRT
– National certification
• R.T.
– Must take an exam
• Pass with 75%
– Can take this after completing program
All types of
EXAMS & PEOPLE
• Infants
• Elderly
• All classes
• All ethnicity
• All backgrounds
• Head to toes
• Trauma
• Special procedures
• Critical patients
• Walk ins
• Surgery
Critical Thinking
• Involves sound, professional judgment
• Applied with high ethical standard
• And integrity
Critical Thinking
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Critique
• Achieved through
– Role Playing
– Lab experiments
– Case Studies
Patient Communication
• Interacting with the patient
• Interacting with family and friends
• Methods of Effective Communication
• Age as a factor in Patient Interactions
Communication & Adapting
to Special Condition Patients
• Traumatized Patients
• Visually Impaired Patients
• Speech and Hearing Impaired Patients
• Non-English Speaking Patients
• Mentally Impaired Patients
• Substance Abusers
Education in the Radiologic Sciences at ECC
• Didactic Curriculum (lecture)
– Specifically describes the objectives
– What the students will learn
– How they will learn (instructional activities)
• Clinical
– Hospital training
– Apply didactic principals to clinical setting
RT Programs
Didactic and Clinical Education
Types of
Diagnostic Exams
• Chest
• Extremities
• Skull/ Facial
• Spine
• Gastrointestinal
• Interventional
LEARNING
• COGNITIVE –
– thought / knowledge
• PSYCHOMOTOR –
– physical actions
• AFFECTIVE –
– guided by feelings
Comminuted Open
ELDERLY
INFANTS &
CHILDREN
Fluoroscopy
TECHNOLOGIST
• FLUOROSCOPY
• Dawn Charman RT (R), (F)
• CONTRAST MEDIA (X-RAY DYE)
ARRT Standards
Accrediting Agencies
• Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT)
• Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS)
• Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies (degree-granting divisions) WSAC
• Conjoint Accreditation Services of the Canadian Medical Association
• Australian Institute of Radiography
Accrediting Agencies
• SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS
• JRCERT: Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
• HOSPITAL ACCREDITATION
• JCAHO :Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (Hospital) Organizations
“Alphabet Soup”
NATIONAL & STATE LICENSES
ARRT = (R.T.)
American Registry of Radiologic Technology
R.T. – Certification in Radiologic Technology
CRT – Certified Radiologic Technology
State of California, Dept of Health - Radiation Health Branch
– Licensing to practice in California
C.R.T. (R) (F) (M)
Radiography, Fluoroscopy, Mammography
5 Primary Exams
• Radiography (R)
• Nuclear Medicine Technology (NM)
• Radiation Therapy (T)
• Sonography (US) (RDMS)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MR)
Post Primary
• Cardiovascular-Interventional Radiography (CVIT)
– Note: No longer available for new candidates
• Mammography (M)
• Computed Tomography(CT)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MR) or (MRI)
– Note: Both a primary and post-primary track
• Quality Management (QM)
• Sonography (US) or (RDMS)
– Note: Both a primary and post-primary track
• Bone Densitometry (BD)
• Vascular Sonography
• Cardiac-Interventional Radiography (CI)
• Vascular-Interventional Radiography (VI)
• Breast Sonography
• Registered Radiologist Assistant (RA)
“Alphabet Soup”
KNOW THESE!
J.R.C.E.R.T -
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
J.C.A.H.O –
Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
A.R.R.T-
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
Beyond Diagnostic Radiography
Advanced Modalities
ADVANCED SKILL LEVELS
• CAT SCAN (CT)
• MRI (MR)
• ANGIOGRAPHY (CIT) (CV)
• RADIATION THERAPY (T)
• MAMMOGRAPHY (M)
• Bone Densitometry (BD)
• ULTRASOUND (RDMS)
• NUCLEAR MEDICINE(NM)
– PET
– SPECT
• MANAGEMENT (BS)
• EDUCATION (BS,MEd, PhD EDD)
MAMMOGRAPHY
Dawn Charman, RT (M)
RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGING OF THE BREAST
Diagnostic for breast cancer
Bone Densitometry
BONE DENSITOMETRY
• JOE RUIZ, RT (R) (BD)
• POST PRIMARY EXAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2001
• ??? May also have certification w/o RT ????
• MEASURING MINERAL CONTENT AND DENSITY OF BONES
Computed Tomography
• Kelly Clark, RT (R) (CT)
• 1995 began post primary exam
CT SCANNER
• USES
• RADIATION – AND A COMPUTER
• TO RECONSTRUCT
• IMAGES
• 3-D
C T SCANNER
Electron Beam Tomography
Risk factor
• HIGH DOSES ?
• WHAT YOU DON’T
• KNOW …….
• ‘FALSE POSITIVE’S”
• NOW THAT YOU KNOW – WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? =
Radiation Dose
• EBT scans expose the patient to about 1/5th the radiation of a multi-slice CT scanner.
• OR so they tell you..
• $$$$$$$$
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• RT (R) (MRI) or
• RT (T) (MRI) or (N) (MRI)
• 1995 ARRT began post primary exams
MRI SIGNAL PRODUCTION
• Images are crated by interaction of Magnet field, radio waves with tissue
• Atoms – Nucleus – Electrons
MRI SAFETY
USE NON MAGNETIC MATERIALS
CAN CAUSE HARM TO PATIENT & PERSONELL
MRI
• NOT IONIZING RADIATION
• USES MAGENTIC RESONANCE
• (RADIO WAVES)
• Jane Schultz, R.T. (MR)
PET Scan & SPECT Scan
• PET = Positron Emission Tomography
• Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
• X-rays/MRI with Radioisotopes
• PET Scan showing diffuse spread of prostate cancer to bone. PET has the advantage over traditional bone scanning in its ability to differentiate active from dormant disease.
ANGIOGRAPHY/ CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
CARDIAC-INTERVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY
• Mike Smith, RT (R) (CI)
• POST PRIMARY EXAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2003
INTERVENTIONAL
RADIOGRAPHY
• ANGIOGRAPHY
• CARDIAC CATH
• + MANY OTHERS
• RT (CV) (CIT) (CVIT)
ANGIOGRAPHY is a specialized radiographic examination where the images of the blood vessels of the body are demonstrated by injection of contrast media
Cardiovascular Interventional Radiography
• Jane Smith, RT (R) (CVI)
• Angiography
• 1991 began post primary exam for CVIT Radiographers
Angiography of Heart vessels
• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/images/stent_restenosis.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/stents/stents_all.html&usg=__xDlbsaX9JhuYbpVojLcz19apr-I=&h=513&w=450&sz=59&hl=en&start=20&tbnid=vWwqaG-RNW7M-M:&tbnh=131&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dabdominal%2Bstents%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
Angiography
VASCULAR-INTERVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY
• JOE CAR, RT (R) (VI)
• POST PRIMARY EXAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2003
Nuclear Medicine
• RT (NM)
• ARRT or NMTCB
NM – Images collected after
injections of a RADIOISOTOPE
The tracer travels into the blood vessels until it arrives to the bone
PET Scan & SPECT Scan
• PET = Positron Emission Tomography
• Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Prostate cancer metastasized in bones
RADIATION
THERAPY
R.T.(T)
• 2 YRS ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
• CITY OF HOPE
• LLU
• CAL STATE LONG BEACH
• The branch of Radiology that involves the treatment of disease by means of high energy x-rays or radioactive substances
RADIATION THERAPY
• branch of Radiology that involves the treatment of disease by means of high energy x-rays (GAMMA) or radioactive substances
Radiation Therapy
• RT (T) = Registered technologist in radiation therapy technology
• Medical dosimetrists are involved in treatment planning and dose calculations
• 1-4 year program
ULTRASOUND
Cypress College
Orange Coast
LLU
1 – 2 years
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• RT (R) (S) or RT (S) or (RDMS)
• American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• ARRT in 1999 began post primary exam
• ARRT in 2005 began primary exam
ULTRASOUND
19 Week fetus
• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/movies/usound/19weeklabel2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/movies/usound/Hum19w4D.htm&usg=__EfDiZ2qdLFEQ_ZGPy9YS628QyPI=&h=379&w=358&sz=11&hl=en&start=71&tbnid=QqSTbyckVI-jYM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfetal%2Bultrasound%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D60
2D vs. 3D/4D
U/S & the “real thing”
Breast Sonography
• Post Primary Exam
• Valuable for Technologists that specialize in Mammography
VASCULAR ULTRASOUND
New - RA
• Radiology Assistant (Like PA)
• Weber State (On line – Utah)
• LLU
• 3 others in US (2007 – more)
• $$$$ NEW GRADS = 100 K/YEAR (?)
• PART OF RADIOLOGIST GROUP
• As of 2007 – NOT APPROVED BY STATE to Work as RA in California
Additional Opportunities
• Education
• Administration
• Management (QM)
• Commercial
• Radiologist Assistant = RA
RADIOLOGY ASSISTANT RA
• LLU
• 2 YRS RT
• BA DEGREE
• WEBER STATE
• 6YR RT
OTHER PATHWAYS
• SALES
• APPLICATIONS SPECIALIST
• INDUSTRIAL X-RAY
• MANAGEMENT (DEGREE)
• EDUCATON
Other working opportunities…
• Registry (local)
• Registry (out of state)
• X rays taken around the world !!
Variety of Work Settings
• physicians offices,
• clinical outpatient facilities,
• free standing imaging centers,
• mobile imaging centers
• portable services to rehabs
• Mammo’s to under privileged areas
• Urgent care
SALARY RANGES RT’s
• NEW R.T. = $ 25 -$38 PER HOUR
• ON-CALL + O.T. $45,000 – $60,000 YR
• ADVANCE SPECIALTIES
• $ 30 - $50 PER HOUR
• A GREAT SHORTAGE IN ALL HEALTH CARE – A GREAT NEED TO AQUIRE NEW TECHNOLOGIST TO THIS AREA
Professional Organizations
• ASRT – American Society of Radiologic Technologist
• CSRT – California Society
Society of Radiologic Technologists
• RTEC – Radiologic Technology Educators of California
• International Societies, other state societies, other modalities