Medical Radiographer

Radiographer jobs are critical to the medical field, as radiographers are integral to helping doctors diagnose a variety of illnesses. A medical radiographer may spend the majority of the day on her feet, working to obtain patient scans and images. Strong customer service skills and an interest in science will help the radiographer succeed in this career.

Radiographer Job Description

Radiographer jobs include jobs as a technician or a technologist. The technician often works with x-rays, while the radiography technologist handles more advanced procedures, including:

Computer Tomography (CT)
Flouroscopy
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Mammography.

A medical radiographer may spend a portion of each patient interaction providing instructions on the procedure and positioning the patient to receive an optimal scan. At times, the radiographer might need to physically position the patient. When radiography patients are done with their scans, the radiographer can devote time to maintaining, updating and filing patient medical records.

Because of the radiation exposure risks in radiographer jobs, it's imperative that the radiographer be capable of following all physician orders and safety procedures.

Radiography: Education, Training and Work Experience

The majority of people in radiographer jobs obtain an associate degree or a certificate, both of which take roughly two years to complete. As part of these radiography programs, the radiographer will engage in a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on learning activities in:

Anatomy and physiology
Medical ethics
Pathology
Patient care procedures
Principles of imaging
Radiation physics
Radiation protection
Radiobiology.

In addition to a degree or certification, some states require people in radiographer jobs to obtain a state license to work with radiologic equipment.