Hi Sanji, first of all, it sounds like your family are more hung up on the idea of the "prestige" that comes from having you studying medicine and are not only not considering your wishes, but also don't really have the first clue about what radiography entails. I doubt they could explain the difference between Compton Effect and Photoelectric Absorption in x-rays, or explain how the Lorentz Force and precession are used in MRI. Radiography is a hard degree, with a high entrance barrier and a high dropout rate. Not as hard as doing medicine, but its not like you rock up and they hand you a degree. Radiography takes 3 years, vs the 7 years of medicine. I've just qualified as a radiographer and I was done in at the end of the 3 years
I have no idea how medical students do it for 7.
Career wise, once qualified you can choose to specialise in CT or MRI or sonography (very competitive). If you want to push past band 5/6, you can become a reporting radiographer, go into advanced practise or become a consultant radiographer. Or you could go into research/academia. Lots of different routes you can take.
Two questions
1) Have you done any work experience in a hospital radiology department? If not, try and arrange to do this ASAP as this will give you a better idea of the job role. I got 2 days in my local hospital and I enjoyed CT & MRI but found x-ray was like healthcare McDonalds with the pace that patients came in and out. Which was I chose radiotherapy in the end.
2) Have you considered radiotherapy? Therapeutic Radiographers are the lesser known (but better
) cousins of diagnostic radiographers, using high energy radiation to treat cancer. If you want to do something clinical that helps people, then radiotherapy is perfect. Unlike diagnostic where they are one and done with their patients, we see ours every day for up to 7 or 8 weeks through their treatment and really get to form a relationship with them. We are also "just button pushers", but that button pushing is <10% of our job. The ten seconds of pressing buttons is preceded by 15 minutes of technical checks, positioning, anatomy.....We support our patients through treatment, giving them advice about side effects, signposting to support services etc.