Chirrick

Majerle Chirrick ENGL 1010 Jennifer Gibb 27 August 2013 Radiology Technician The time Ive put in to figuring out what I wanted to do when I grew up has caught up with me over the last couple of years. But it feels good to say that I have an idea of what that is now that I am already in college about to start the rest of my life. I have always known that it was going to be something in the medical field but I never really knew exactly what. I am a CNA right now so nursing will always be an option. But one field that has really stuck out to me was Radiography. So I did some research on the salary of the job, what the career consists of, and the pros and cons of being a Radiologist Technician. Of course the first question is always, How much do they make a year? The median annual pay for a radiographer in 2010 was $54,340. Which is around $26.13 an hour. I guess depending on the hours you get, thats pretty good for a not-so-doctor in this field. Although I come to find out that the technicians get paid the least in this type of medical work. Although, in 2010, this job is expected to grow 28% within the next 10 years. (Bureau). I know with this statistic Im still not guaranteed a job, but its comforting to know that they will still be out there if I choose to pursue this career. Radiologic Technologists are a professional member of the healthcare team who performs a vital function in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. (Cooper). It is expected to take around six years to complete a degree in Medical Radiography. Which is including generals

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and prerequisites. They typically have an associates, and are either licensed or certified depending on what the state requires. Which I figured as much. So those facts dont exactly push me away from the career choice. Since what I had previously looked up about Radiology Technicians were just typically general facts, I looked up the pros and cons of being a radiographer. Some pros were that you get to help people who have fallen under disease or have broken a bone. You get to work with the radiologist to see if any further examination is needed. Another point was that you get to work with computers and its an all hands-on job. Which is good for me because Id rather go out and do something instead of sitting in a classroom and learn about it. The last point I found was that the job area was expected to have good growth in the next coming years. (Pros) Still with the fact that a job is not promised, its comforting to know that there will not be as small of a chance for me after school. A couple of cons I found were the physical requirements, such as lifting, turning, and positioning the patient. Luckily I have experience with that in my current job. Another was you have to be a people person and you must pay close attention to detail. This job does involve radiation, so its important to know how to keep yourself safe and also the patient. (Pros). But of course thats what the years of schooling is for, so you know exactly how to do the job you need to do. Although this decision is not set in stone, I do feel pretty confident that this is what I want to do as a career. They make decent salary, they are involved in a healthcare setting, and they help people to get better. Which is exactly what I am looking for in a career. But who knows? In the next year I could change my mind to something totally different and not take one

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look back. But I am glad to have done this research and gained some more knowledge on the career Im thinking about pursuing.

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Works Cited Pros and Cons. Healthcare Careers. N.P., n.d. Web. 27 Aug 2013 Radiologic Technologist. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 Mar 2012. Web. 27 Aug 2013. Radiologist Technologist. Cooper Health Care, n.d. Web. 27 Aug 2013.