How Does a Radiologist Spend the Workday?
Radioligst's Role In Health Care
Radiology consists of medical imaging. It is a small, but vital part of the health care system. Accurate diagnosis of scans, ultrasounds and other imaging is important for a patient to receive proper health care. Diagnosis helps in the guidance of treatment for a patient. Therefore, patients may be required to submit to several imaging studies so that doctors can arrive at the proper diagnosis and treatment for patients. Because radiological imaging is so vital to a patient's diagnosis, radiologists are very important in the health care industry.
The Educational Requirements
Radiologists view and interpret diagnostic imaging films such as mammograms, x-rays, cat scans, ultrasound film and MRI film. Radiographers or radio logic technologists are the ones who take the x-rays. The education requirements to become a Registered Technologist generally requires about two years of college from an accredited school. Many graduates earn an Associate's Degree and become a Registered Technologist after sitting for the boards from the American Registry of Radio logic Technologist (ARRT). In the beginning, a Registered Technologist generally works with basic diagnostic film. A pretty decent salary can be acquired in this field after two years of radiology college. Many people, however, go on to receive a Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in the field of radiology, as well, depending on the level and type of radiologist position that one desires to attain in the field.
The Radiologist Work Day
A radiologist work day generally consists of a very full workday. The day typically starts around 7:00 a.m. When the radiologist gets to work he or she may spend approximately one hour performing administrative tasks or begin to carry out fluoroscopy examinations, evaluate requests, provide epidural steroid injections and lead and direct technologists who perform MRI and CT scans as well as other types of scans.
When the radiologist receives the scans, he or she will interpret the scans; the ultrasounds, chest x-rays, mammograms and other imaging that he or she receives. Radiologists interact and consult with all types of people and medical specialists throughout the day such as technologist, patients, nurses, health care administrators and physicians in regards to patients' imaging data. Some radiologists are called on to provide direct therapy for patients.
A radiologist's day may also include participating in evening meetings a couple of days a week. The workday for a radiologist ends about 6:00 p.m. except for when a radiologist is on-call, meaning that he or she could be called back into work at any given time. The radiologist must always be ready and willing to answer the call when it comes. Patients depend on their services.
Tags: health care, Registered Technologist, become Registered, become Registered Technologist, other imaging, Radiologist Spend
