Diagnostic Radiography 2015

The same goes for me,I would love to become a sonographer, I have always been interested in this line of work.

Newly graduated radiographer-now working in London-subscribing to this thread.

If you have any questions quote me here or send me a PM and I'll try to help as best as I can.

Subscribing. I've been a radiographer for a couple of years now, had 'senior' prefixed to my job title earlier this year. Also happy to answer questions about the course, but perhaps more relevantly the job and the 'real world' in general.

I know this might sound a little silly, but doesn't Radiography increase your risk of getting cancer? Really interested, but this puts me off a little.
Also finding it REALLY difficult to find work experience.
I read that most universities that offer Radiography only take on about 20% of applicants.

What alevels or btec have you done?

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I know this might sound a little silly, but doesn't Radiography increase your risk of getting cancer? Really interested, but this puts me off a little.
Also finding it REALLY difficult to find work experience.
I read that most universities that offer Radiography only take on about 20% of applicants.

what about medical doctors they get exposed to infectious people...they are at a high risk of catching an infection...
Also they are ways on decreasin the exposure of radiation e.g wearing protective clothes
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You can't avoid radiation all the time because even right now you're being irradiated due to background radiation. When it comes to the job, there are safety precautions you can take to being over-irradiated e.g. lead shielding/lead aprons/dose badges for monitoring. As long as you are responsible there's no reason for you to be exposed to higher levels of radiation than anyone else. And there are no studies that suggest radiographers are more likely to develop cancer.

With regards to work experience, contact universities you are interested in and they'll be able to give you contact details of the hospitals that they're linked with for placements.

Hi

There are a few ways to specialise in MRI:

1.) Most NHS hospitals with MRI services can train you in-house. However, they may need you to get a certain number of years experience before they will let you, and while skills are transferable between jobs and experience is well valued, you won't receive a formal qualification from it. This won't be a problem in the short term but employers are attracted to people with post-graduate qualifications when they're looking for new managers.

2.) You can do post-graduate study but you need to be based in an MRI department that is willing to give you the study time and experiences you need. That means you're highly unlikely (although not impossible) to be able to walk out of the undergraduate course directly into the post-grad. Another thing to bear in mind is that as you're also working at the same time, you're unlikely to get a full MSc within a year (I'm looking at doing a post-grad in CT and even a certificate would take 9 months). On the flip side, being sponsored means your employer will pay course fees and you for your time spent at university, and at the end of it, if they don't want to give you a pay rise to reflect your additional knowledge and skills, you become more employable elsewhere.

3.) A mixture of 1.) and 2.). Get trained in house, then do a post-graduate. That way you have sound background knowledge and experience which should settle you into the course much more easily.

4.) Private companies like Alliance Medical and InHealth recruit a lot of undergraduates and train them in MRI. You don't get a PgC/PgD/MSc but the courses are pretty intensive and should be recognised elsewhere.

You can't specialise during the undergraduate degree, but focusing your dissertation on an MRI-based subject is a good start to proving your interest.

If you have absolutely no interest in x-ray then you may as well get into MRI as soon as possible. That's an entirely personal decision though. I'll be doing option 3.) eventually, but there's no rush for me to get a post-grad qualification as my employer has been kind enough to offer all of the training I wanted when I qualified.

Ultrasound is quite unique in that you have to do a post-graduate course to get into it. All other modalities can be taught in-house, which allows you to take a rotational role where you work in multiple modalities, which I find helps break up the week a little bit.

Hi ,

Are you a newly qualified Radiographer?? or just applying to start a degree in Radiography ?

I'm just curious as to how you know that you would like to specialise in MRI or Ultrasound ? Have you experience in these modalities ?

I'm a senior radiographer.

If One is pregnant is it harmful for baby to be exposed to xray? Just in terms of clinical work experience before starting the degree, should this be done after month 3 of pregnancy or is it not advisable to do at all during pregnancy?

It would be fine to do at any time, as long as they are aware of it. For clinical work experience you would just be observing and you would be behind the lead screen during any exposures which would protect you.

Pregnant radiographers often continue working through their pregnancy. There isn't really an issue but the work they can do is limited to protect both the radiographer and the baby. Often the radiographer will stick to general outpatients and a&e xray, no theatre or portables, no pushing trolleys or pat sliding patients etc.

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Hey guys,
I tried applying for radiography last year and only got two interviews and offers from unis which I really did not want to go to (location, way they structured their placements etc) and relied on clearing to get into the uni I wanted to, but that didn't go well as the place went to another student whilst on the phone sooo I am being forced to try again for the 2015 intake. They said I should be able to get more interviews this time as I'll be holding grades instead of predicted ones. I just don't know what to do with my year other than save up I already did my radiography observation last year and that was hard enough to arrange as it is!
(BTW I'm technically a mature student as I turned 21 a few months ago :/)

Newly graduated radiographer-now working in London-subscribing to this thread.

If you have any questions quote me here or send me a PM and I'll try to help as best as I can.

My first question is how much does your job as a diagnostic radiographer differ from what you expected it to be, both before university and during. Also how well prepared did you feel for your career when you first got a job? Thanks

Before starting the course I didn't realise how wide the role of the radiographer-in the sense that you're not just stuck in the x-ray department, you get to go up to do mobile x-rays, go up to theatre, fluoroscopy, and the other modalities you could specialise into.

I think being on placement does prepare you well, for most part, for your first job. As a student you get to see most, if not everything, that a qualified radiographer does. The only thing I felt under-prepared on was doing mobiles and theatres on my own. As a student you always have a radiographer there to help and talk you through things, and they can take over if you get stuck. Going up on my own I found very daunting at first and trying to find the right people to ask for help.

I think if you research properly what the job entails, and being pro-active during placements, things shouldn't that big of a surprise once you start working.