Radiology is one of those fields that is highly misunderstood by people. From what radiology workers actually do, to how demanding their jobs are, sometimes it feels like the world just doesn’t understand. But at Triage, we understand your pain! Which is why we’ve collected five memes that anyone working in radiology can relate to.
Radiology Tech School is So Fun and Easy!
Fun and easy doesn’t quite describe the grueling school curriculum radiology workers endure. Depending on the person’s desired expertise (radiology technologist, radiographer, radiologist, etc.) schooling can take anywhere between 2 to 4 years and is far from easy. Though some training may vary depending on where the job is and employer expectations, these are just some subjects radiology workers have to study to make it through school:
- Anatomy
- Imaging
- Physiology
- Patient care
- Radiation physics
- Radiation Protection
- Medical terminology
- Medical law and ethics
- Radiobiology
- Pathology
- Positioning Classes
- Labs
What’s more is that as part of their schooling, radiology techs are required to gain clinical experience either on campus or in medical facilities such as the ER, morgue or operating room. As with any career in the medical field, it takes blood, sweat and tears to break into this profession.
Glorified Button Pushers
When it comes to understanding the job of someone who works in radiology, it’s a common misconception that the job is nothing more than pushing a couple of buttons and taking fancy pictures. You wish that was all it took! Radiology technologists have to learn how to operate x-ray equipment, both fixed and portable, accurately position patients for x-rays, develop x-ray photos, do sonograms, MRIs, CAT scans, CT scans and more, all with a smile on their face.
I’ll Never Tell
One thing radiology workers don’t do is tell patients what is wrong with them! So, the incessant and inevitable questions that they will hear every day on the job go something like, “Is it broken?” “How does it look?” “What’s wrong with me?” and it doesn’t matter how many times it happens, they will NOT and can NOT tell a patient what is wrong. That is one burden they don’t have to bear because only the doctor can officially offer the news, good or bad.
The Customer is Always Right?
It happens in every profession. Customers questioning the practices and opinions of experts, but, thankfully, that old adage “The customer is always right,” doesn’t really work in the medical field. In this case, patients ask questions that are completely out of their depth instead of trusting the credibility of the technologist, who went to school for 2 to 4 years and probably has more experience in radio imaging services than them. Also, the symbol of what an x-ray looks like is pretty universally recognized so why is it that people can’t seem to understand that radiation penetrates the entire area being examined?
X-Rays Hurt So Good
At one point or another, radiology technologists have heard patients explain how the X-rays “felt.” Sorry to break it to you folks, but you were either making it up or possibly having a paranormal encounter in the X-ray room. The fact of the matter is that a human cannot feel X-ray radiation. Should someone tell the patients the truth? Better to simply bite your tongue.
It’s easy to laugh about the common misconceptions people have about jobs in radiology, but the fact of the matter is working in this field isn’t easy and it continues to grow in importance. In fact, as large portions of the population continue to age, the employment of radiology and MRI technologists is expected to grow by 9% in the next decade. So, keep on truckin’ radiology workers! Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
Looking to expand your professional horizon? Talk to Triage about a traveling radiology career! For more information, sign up here.