Micheal, I have just had a read of your post where you saw "the salary for a normal radiographer i was shocked...£19k - £24k yearly. So i was wondering if there are other things i could specialise in, which provides a higher salary, and wondered if this would take long to get a degree in."
You need to understand that this is just a starting wage, also that radiographers even tho we are the most important people in the hosptal DONT get any grattiude for the job we do! everyone in the hospital takes us for granted, however the whole hospital will but up ****e street without us!
Radiography is goin though a period of change at the moment. the NHS has introduced the Agenda for change and as a result radiography has changed!. we have been given the 4 tier structure which means that we now have:
Assistant Practioners (these are bsically helpers for radiographers)
Practioners (which are newly qualifed radiographers this is Pay band 5/6 so between £19,683 - £25,000
Advanced Practioners ( these are pay band 6/7 so bout 25,326 - 37,326 these are senior radiographers who report or do other things, then we have.
Consultant practioners these are pay band 8a i think but they prob command a higher wage than this, £37,326 - £43,535
If you get a copy of the Agenda for Change document its all explained in there but it is quite hard to understand.
Also you prob wont get the chance to speicalise until you have been qualified for 2 yrs, however this is totally dependant on where you work and your boss and the hospital needs. As a final yr diagnostic radiography student, i can tell you the course is hard. there is lots you need to know and be able to understand. Also won't really get any proper experience til you are qualified cause all the time through your training someone will be watching you and checking your images and asking you questions about them.
This all goes on quailfication, i can tell you 'm scared ****less at the thought i will be qualifed in a yrs time. As it doesnt not feel like you have done much!
Also th prob with specialing so early is that you will lose basic radiographer skills such as Plain flim imaging techniques. i feel its best to understand these before moving into depts like CT, MRi, Ultrasound or RNi.
Hope this helps!