Admission Essay for the Radiologic Technology Program

When it comes to radiology many people may assume that all they can do is take x-rays, when in reality they have the opportunity to do a wide variety of different procedures. Primarily, radiology technologists are specialists who use x-rays, soundwaves, and other tools used in diagnostic imagery. These images have the ability to help diagnose injuries, trauma, ulcers, or disease that could be discovered in bones, organs, and tissues throughout the body. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists have 15 approved credentials that a certified technologist can go to school for to advance their license. Finally, they are mainly employed at hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices. 

The education requirements needed to achieve certification as a radiologic technologist are rather simple. First, you need a highschool diploma or its equivalent in order to apply to most schools or programs. When it comes to choosing a place to apply to, you have a few options. For instance, there are 6-12 month long programs which allow you to graduate with a certificate, or you can go to college and earn either your associates or bachelors degree in radiologic technology. “According to O*NET (2020), which sources its data from the US Department of Labor, 63 percent of radiologic technologists have an associate’s degree while 24 percent hold a bachelor’s degree.” (Parker, 2020) It is most common for technologists to receive an associates degree along with their certification. Upon completion of the program, depending on which state you live in, you must pass a certification exam either through the state or The ARRT. Radiologic technologists also must complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years to keep their certification. 

Radiologic technologists have a numerous amount of responsibilities and duties that some may not know about. For example, they need to ensure the patient is completely safe by preparing the exam room as well as prepping the patient. According to my research, “A large part of the radiologic tech’s job requires giving instructions to patients who may be nervous regarding radiography procedures.”(Radiologic or X-Ray Technologist Job Description and Salary, 2020) Making sure the patient has a clear understanding of what to expect is very crucial so they will hold still and not be anxious about what is going on. There is also a decent amount documenting and charting they are held responsible for both before and after an exam. Relaying important information found on images to a physician is also a major responsibility. They are held to a high standard when it comes to the images they produce as it is a key item when it comes to diagnosing a patient. All the duties and responsibilities listed are what a regular radiologic technician has the authority to do, however if you advance your license, you will have the opportunity to do much more.  

My healthcare goal is to become a radiologic technologist and advance my license to sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. (MRI) The difference between an MRI and an x-ray is MRI’s use magnetic waves to form images while x-rays use radiation. “They both can take pictures of the inside of the body and can be used for a better diagnosis of an injury or illness.” (Admin, n.d.) My dream job would be to work in an orthopedic office because I practically grew up in them thanks to my wide ranging and frequent injuries in gymnastics. My other dream job would be to work in an obstetrics and gynaecology office performing sonograms on expectant mothers. I got lucky enough to research the career I hope to achieve one day.   

At the end of the day a radiologic technologist has the opportunity to do so much more than just take x-rays. They have the ability to further their education to become more marketable with different certifications added on to their license. They are one of the first lines to making sure patients feel safe during a potential high stress situation during imaging. Schooling for radiology can be quick and you have more than one option to choose from so you can find what would work best for you. Radiologic technologists are very helpful by providing images to a physician so they can diagnose their patient. Every technologist I met during my countless number of imaging scans made sure I was comfortable and I hope to do the same thing one day.