Despite working with Chanelle for only a few months I came away from every interaction feeling confident that the patients we were working with together were going the get the absolute best care.  She is a wonderful mix of confidence and compassion that makes every patient put 100% of their trust in her.  I learned so much from her in this quick chat before her shift at the hospital and I know you will as well.  Thank you Chanelle!

Radiologic Technologists*

Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging examinations on patients that are licensed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, which is an organization offering credentialing in medical imaging, interventional procedures, and radiation therapy.

2017 Median Pay: $58,440 per year ($28/hour)

Educational Degree: Associate's Degree

Number of US jobs in 2016: 241,700

10 Year Job Outlook: 13% growth, faster then avg.

*Sourced from and edited based on information found on Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Radiologic and MRI Technologists, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiologic-technologists.htm (visited October 25, 2018).

Terms Covered in Episode

AART - American Registry of Radiologic Technologists

Inpatient/Outpatient - Inpatient is someone staying, at minimum, overnight in the hospital, outpatient generally refers to a clinic patient.

Pre/Post Op – The phase just prior to or after surgery for a patient

Fluoroscopy - Imaging technique that uses X-rays to obtain real-time moving images of the interior of an object.

Radiologist - Physician who specializes in interpreting diagnostic images such as CT, MRI, X-ray, etc.  May also perform procedures during diagnostic tests.

Psych Patient - Someone generally suffering from a schizophrenic break, suicidal thoughts, or self harm when they are seen in the Emergency Room. 

Constipation - Difficult time having a bowel movement (poop), induced by lack of hydration and movement when in the hospital, may progress to the more severe term call "Obstipation."

Small Bowel Obstruction - Physical blockage of the small intestine more commonly due to previous surgeries that can cause adhesions (walls of intestines stick together).  May resolve on it’s own with time or may require surgery to correct. 

Abdominal series - Used to help diagnose cause of abdominal pain.  X-ray series that usually consists of a standing abdominal x-ray, laying abdominal x-ray, and chest x-ray.

Diagnose - Identifying the cause of the medical issue. 

R.T. (Respiratory Therapy) - Therapists in the hospital that assist in all manner of care regarding the respiratory system during times of recovery from illness, injury, or maintenance of a long term lung disease. 

O.R. (Operating Room) - Where surgeries take place

Esophagram - Exam performed of the esophagus (tube that goes from mouth to stomach) to assess frequent heartburn (upper abdominal pain), gastric reflux (food/acid coming back up), aspiration (food or fluid in your wind pipe, aka Trachea), difficulty eating, drinking, or swallowing.

Barium Sulfate - Low toxicity high density chemical compound used as a radio contrast agent in x-ray and other imaging of the digestive tract. 

Speech Therapy - Therapist who specialize in all manner related to language formation and often assist patients who are having difficulty eating to help properly retrain or assess how to physically get nutrition. 

Aspirate - To have food/liquid accidentally go down the Trachea (“wind pipe”) and may result in pneumonia (lung infection, may be fatal).

Ultrasound - Diagnostic and therapeutic imaging using high frequency sound waves.

Prerequisites - Classes you may need to take before further applying to a program.  Usually a focus on science/math for the medical flied. 

Clinical's - Rotations where students are working in the hospital or clinic getting medical exposure during their training. 

CT Scan - Image made using computerized axial tomography (aka CAT Scan), which gives us various angles to assess the anatomy with much more detailed look compared to x-ray. 

Radiation Therapy - Type of cancer treatment that uses beams of intense radiation (energy) to kill cancer cells in hopes of a cure or sometimes as a comfort measure to decrease the size of the cancer. 

Positioning - The right orientation of the patient for the x-ray to take an image of a part of anatomy.  Varies by each image.  A variation off of the desired positioning will result in a subpar image. 

kVp (Kilovoltage Peak) - The voltage applied to the X-ray tube.  The radiation dose to the patient is directly proportional to the square of kV.

Milliampere-seconds (mAs) - Measure of radiation produced over a set amount of time via the X-ray tube.

Thyroid - Butterfly shaped endocrine gland located on the front of the neck responsible for thyroid hormone that assists in regulation of metabolism and protein synthesis. 

Nuclear Med Technologists - Technologists who prepare and administer radioactive drugs to patients for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. 

Gastrograffin Challenge - Diagnostic procedure used for assessment of small bowel obstruction.  Involves administration of water-soluble barium like contrast followed by serial abdominal x-rays.

Each and every episode of Maybe Medical is for educational purposes only, not to be taken as medical advice.  The opinions of those involved are of their own and not representative of their employer.