By Dana Prince

Those who are thinking about embarking on a career as an x ray tech would definitely benefit from knowing what’s ahead in terms of their x-ray technician training choices. This is an important part of planning for a career change. 

You’ll want to understand what types of training you’ll receive at xray tech school, what topics will be covered, as well as how you can go about learning the material. Today’s student isn’t always straight out of high school and doesn’t always have an open schedule to dedicate to their education. There are now distance learning courses, online courses, part-time night school options, and other options that make continuing education and expanding career horizons more possible than ever.  

Learning all about your options is good. This will help you choose the right x ray technician training program and plan and arrange your life so that you can get great marks, get through your course as quickly as possible, and prepare to become a skilled and qualified x ray tech. 

An x ray technician can be trained and earning money as an x ray tech in a pretty short amount of time — but the training is in-depth and extensive, whether you choose a quick certification course or a degree program. Be sure your x ray tech school is accredited and be sure you understand any licensing and final exam requirements that will enable you to have the credentials that are necessary for getting a job where you live. Not all countries have the same regulations and even in the US, there are certain regulations that only apply to specific states.  As an example in the U.S, there’s a requirement for accreditation by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiographic Technology and in thirty-eight states there is a licensing requirement. Knowing vital info about the field in your area will help you prepare for lucrative and fulfilling job opportunities. It’s recommended that all x ray techs seek AART certification.  AART.org recommends that RT’s (Radiologic Technologists) become very knowledgeable about the field and provides a lot of helpful information to support those who are learning (or who want to learn about) this exciting medical field. 

Some programs offer a one year training course and others offer up to four year degree programs. It’s wise to look into your options and most x ray technician schools are happy to send information packages out to those that are interested in learning more. By reviewing various course plans you can decide which x ray technician training option best suits your short term and long term career goals. 

X Ray Tech Schools Course Info: 

If you’re becoming a basic x ray tech, your certificate program will likely consist of: 

• Intro to radiology
• Diagnostics
• Anatomy
• Medical Terminology
• And possibly other areas such as administration in imaging offices, too 

Intro to radiology is going to teach you about the important field of radiology and how it works to help diagnose medical problems as well as bone fractures. It is a vast field of study which has made diagnostics much more advanced. 

How do radiologists use medical imaging to diagnose medical problems? Diagnostics will cover various areas of anatomy and help x ray tech students learn about diagnostics. 

Anatomy is a vital aspect of learning, as is medical terminology. X ray tech students will learn how to get the best image possible. They’re also going to need to understand standards, guidelines, and laws about handling patients’ medical records. In many cases, skilled technicians are able to provide a lot of information to a doctor to help diagnose, even if they’re not a radiologist. Experience and expertise along the way allow those in this position to continually upgrade their skills and knowledge. 

Course Costs 

Some people are really apprehensive about furthering their education because they’re worried about the cost of getting an education. Many courses have payment plans and tuition assistance programs. You may even qualify for help getting a discount or getting your certification without cost. Don’t let costs today prevent you from a lucrative career tomorrow. The ROI (return on investment) in a new career can be immeasurable when you look at job satisfaction, career opportunities, and the ability to make a positive difference in the world — such as with medical imaging careers. 

In terms of career opportunities, there is room for growth and specialties such as in: ultrasound technology, CT and MRI technology, radiology, and more. Many of the fundamental skills learned in this course can help in any career in the medical field.

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By Dana Prince

If you’re thinking about becoming a trained x ray technician, you might want to learn more about various aspects of the life and job of an x ray tech, such as: the job, the pay, the opportunities, and getting trained. Continue reading to help you learn more about these individual topics so you can decide whether or not you want to become an x ray technician as well as to help you learn more about x ray technician training opportunities. 

The job

The job of an x-ray technician is one that requires formal training. What will you be doing? In essence, an x ray tech takes pictures of the human body. There are many specialties within the field of x ray technology so there quite a few job opportunities. 

Pictures are taken for various reasons in terms of diagnosing medical issues, broken bones and fractures, and diseases and of course the xrays are taken of various body parts. The technician is trained on medical terminology, taking the photos, as well as working with the patient. 

Various xrays can be taken, such as: dental, limbs, chest xrays, head xrays, etc.  The x ray technician who is specialized in sonography may also take photos of pregnant bellies to determine measurements of a growing baby and may even be required to take internal xrays, such as a vaginal ultrasound.  The job requires medical equipment operation skills, training, people skills, and a love for medicine is definitely helpful, too. 

The pay 

How much do x ray techs get paid? X ray tech salary will vary, depending on many factors such as: the city, the job location, their experience level, and / or their specialty.  Most x ray techs in the USA earn salaries that start in the mid $30 k range. Some areas may pay slightly lower but some technicians earn up to $90 k or more as well. The median salary is typically in the mid $50,000.00 range. This depends, of course, on your job but it is a field that often has opportunity for overtime pay, specifically if you work in a hospital and medical benefits tend to be good to very good in this field as well. 

The Opportunities 

Because the field of medical imaging is a vast one, there are many different opportunities.  Trained x ray technicians can consider this to be a ‘portable’ career. Move to any city just about anywhere in the world and you should be able to find career opportunities. Because of the aging population and the technological advances, this is a field that is expected to continue to grow. 

You don’t have to learn the skills and do the same job indefinitely, either. The field of x ray technology also includes, MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging – which requires separate training and mammography, which covers mammograms. Some x ray technicians work in general departments whereas others take training for a specialty area such as: CT (cat scan), MRI, sonography, or Flouroscopy (for digestive systems), and other areas as well. 

Where can you find work? You can work in a diagnostic imaging laboratory, in a doctor’s office, in a hospital, in a dental office, to name a few options. In terms of career paths there are many opportunities for career growth due to emerging technology and the need for management in this field as well. It’s also a career choice that has a good degree of job security. 

Getting Trained 

How do you become trained to be an x ray tech? You’ll find many different x ray technician schools throughout the USA, Canada, and elsewhere of course. X ray technician schools have varied programs and you can learn in a traditional bricks and mortar classroom as well as through distance education which could help you do your x ray technician training both through online classes as well as in-person training.  

How long does x ray technician training take? Depending on the x ray tech school’s program, it could take on average of one to two years and if in a specialty, could take as long as four years. You may choose to get a certificate in x ray technology or a degree.   

Finding accredited x ray technician schools isn’t difficult. Use the internet to help you browse through websites for x ray tech schools and discover information about class options, curriculum, tuition, and even tuition payment assistance. If you find medical imaging fascinating and enjoy working with people, an x ray tech job could be perfect for you.

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Job Description

X-Ray technicians get to work with cutting-edge medical technologies on a daily basis.  Typical job duties include taking x-rays, performing MRI’s, and other imaging technologies (ultrasound, etc.).  In essence, any type of imaging procedures that a doctor needs will be executed by the x-ray tech.  They not only perform the imaging procedures, but also prep patients and the necessary equipment for filming.  The job requires a great deal of precision as the equipment and patient must be in the proper place in order for the procedure to be successful.  This requires an extensive knowledge of both anatomy and imaging technologies.  You may even get exposed to more advanced imaging technologies like MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CTs (Computerized Tomography), or even complex tests like flouroscopies.

Work Environment

X-ray Technicians typically work in a medical clinic or hospital in a radiology department.  There are some limited physical demands due to needing to be able to position patients (some may have difficulty moving on their own).  There is generally some concern regarding radiation exposure, but the proper use of shielding equipment takes that out of the equation.  If you follow the proper procedures and use the proper equipment, you have nothing to be concerned about.  Generally, x-ray techs are on duty 40 hours per week and almost always on-call in the event that their services are needed outside of normal working hours.

Education and Training Requirements

There are many different degrees that can be used as a starting point for a career in radiology.  There are certification programs that can take less than a year, associate’s degrees that normally take 2 years, and bachelor’s degrees that usually take 4 years.  All of these can be accelerated depending upon the capabilities and schedule of the student.  It is generally recommended that you get a minimum of an associate’s degree if you want to be a tech and if you want to get into administration or move up the ranks then a bachelor’s degree is strongly desirable.  It is important to make sure that the program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiographic Technology, and licensing is required in 38 states at the present time so make sure your college program prepares you for licensing exams.

Salary Range

According to the Indeed.com, the average salary for x-ray techs is $54,000 which is 16% below the average salary for jobs currently listed on indeed.com and other similar job boards.  Depending upon your education level and experience it is very possible to make even more money.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job growth for X-ray techs is growing faster than average for all occupations and that it will remain very strong at least through 2012.  They also report that doctors and hospitals are reporting that they are struggling right now to find qualified candidates to hire as x-ray technicians.

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I actually love my iPhone, no seriously… it was love at first sight. Since that first day, I have found many ways to spend more time with my iPhone as it helps me make the most out of my internet marketing business. I have put together a list of the best iPhone applications for Internet Marketers (specifically for all of us SEO’s out there). If you have an iPhone and you own or run a website, you really should check these out. I do want to state that I have nothing to do with the creation or marketing of any of these apps, just a typical SEO user trying to help others out who are needing the same type of internet marketing iPhone applications.

1) SEO Search Ranking – This application costs $1.99 in the iTunes store but can easily pay for itself if you need to monitor unlimited keywords for an unlimited number of sites. This application utilizes the Google AJAX API so you don’t have to worry about any screenscraping that other apps do which eventually will cause problems for you if you like to search the web using Google (and who doesn’t – Google won’t temporarily block you from other searches with a CAPTCHA). The down-side is that if your site hasn’t cracked the top 64 for a particular keyword, you can’t monitor it with this application. Of course the fact that it only works with Google can also be a downside if you are trying to monitor your progress in Bing and Yahoo as well. You can download the application via iTunes here. For the most part this application works really well, but for some reason it does seem to struggle some with new domains so be patient… The green and red fonts indicating moving up and down the rankings is really a nice touch. Once again, I love to see the green!

2) SiteRank – This application is a free one that simply grabs your Google PR ranking and your Alexa rank. I guess what makes this application better than most of the others out there is that a) it’s free and b) it keeps a history of your ranks. I definitely think over time this is a great tool to have because at least for me it is nearly impossible to remember what my PR rank was for any individual site for more than one year (max). This application is actually perfect for this one task (which is pretty much all that it does so… well done there). In regards to the total value of knowing your Google PR and Alexa rank, well it doesn’t mean as much as it used to but it’s definitely good to be aware of where you are trending. You can download the application via iTunes here. Of course this one struggles with new domains as well, but of course that should be expected due to the low frequency of Google PR changes.

3) PokeSeo – This application costs $.99 at the iTunes store and really is a nominal fee that gives you at least a consistent measure of something different – backlinks. So it measures backlink counts for your domain from Google, Yahoo, Bing, and AOL. Keep in mind that every single tool that you use is going to give you a different backlink count, so don’t drive yourself crazy with that. I use these counts as a barometer that just gives me a feel for how I am doing. My backlink counts should be going up (of course) and if they are then my SEO initiatives are working if they are holding or dropping I know I need to step up my game. You can download the application via iTunes here. So like most SEO tools and the one’s mentioned above this just won’t do much for any new sites that you have and want to monitor. The other fairly annoying thing about this application is that it doesn’t remember the domains so you have to type it in again EVERY time you want to check a site. Other than that, it’s a good tool to have on your iPhone.

4) Domain Tracker – This application is a free one that has almost the exact same functionality as the SiteRank application that is up in the #2 spot. So quickly… it is an application that will check your Google PR and Alexa rank as well. Like SiteRank, it keeps a handy history of your performance as well. I have found this feature to be the most important for ALL iPhone apps, but especially those targeting us SEO’s. Keeping historical information and avoiding having to re-key domains all of the time is really important to me at least. Anyway, so this application ranks #4 because it is simply slower at retrieving the results than SiteRank is on my phone. It’s still a good tool to have and I haven’t found anything really wrong with this one. You can download the application via iTunes here. This is yet another tool that won’t help you at all with a new domain so pick this up after your domains have baked a while (3-6 months).

5) QuickSense – This application is $3.99 at the iTunes store. I have multiple sites running currently that publish Google AdSense ads and actually check the revenue and clicks frequently throughout the day. QuickSense gives you a real quick glance at how your sites are doing for the day, yesterday, last 7 days, and for the month. If I need any additional information, I can usually wait until I am in front of my computer, QuickSense really lets me constantly be on top of my ads. I have never experienced any problems with the Google login and am very happy with my purchase of this application. You can download the application via iTunes here. This is tool is great for all sites young and old, you just need to be running Google AdSense ads on them for it to have any value.

6) Analytic Agent Pro – This application is $2.99 at the iTunes store. Most SEO novice and pros alike have sites that are leveraging Google Analytics for information about who is visiting their site and where the traffic came from. The pro version of Analytic Agent Pro gives you insight into your AdWords and AdSense activity as well. If you leverage Google for analyzing visitor trends, this application is actually invaluable as you can have all of that visitor information at your finger tips. I highly recommend this one and look at it often for visit counts, page views, and bounce rates. You can download the application via iTunes here. This is tool is great for all sites young and old, you just need to be running Google Analytics on them for it to have any value.

7) SEOStats – This application is free at the iTunes store and provides some of the same information as SiteRank, but is only partially useful. In addition to your Google PR you can also see the number of links you have in Yahoo, the number of .EDU links, and the number of .GOV links. I use it just to see how many wikipedia links I have to a site as well as to check my compete.com rankings. The big problem that I have with this application is that the Google backlink utility just doesn’t work right at all. So for the other links as well as the additional metrics, this free application has earned a permanent place on my iPhone. Unlike some of the others this app does not keep historical information and you have to re-key each domain when you want to view its metrics. You can download the application via iTunes here. This is tool really only works well for established sites (3-6 months old).

8 ) SEO Automatic – This application is $9.99 at the iTunes store. It’s pretty expensive but really can help make your on page SEO efforts a lot easier to manage. The algorithm behind this application is the brain child of a well respected Google SEO by the name of Scott Hendison. This goes through your site and looks at all of the meta tags to make sure that everything is as optimized as it should be. It also can verify whether or not you have given the keywords you are trying to rank for the prominence that they deserve without keyword over-kill (also known as keyword jamming). This is a really smart way to just make sure that you are always concerned with how the search engines view your site and not just visitors (although both are very important).You can download the application via iTunes here. This is tool is great for all sites young and old as you might have guess seeing as it’s main purpose is conversion and making sure that you get the keywords and point of the site across in the meta tags and heading tags.

9) Domainer Pro – This application costs $0.99 in the iTunes store and is very different than the other tools in the list. I spend a lot of time trying to come up with new niches for me to get into and this application is really giving me new ideas. It’s a new application and I normally wouldn’t be so pumped as to put it in the top 10, but it’s such a pressing issue for me (coming up with new niches and domain) that I had to add it to my list. The application allows you to search for domain auctions that may be in your niche area and also lists several for you to just check out if you have a few minutes (this is actually how I am using it… killing some time). So far, so good with this application and I do hope the developer keeps working on it as it’s a great idea. You can download the application via iTunes here. Unlike every other tool, this is a domaining tool and doesn’t have anything to do with how old your site is, etc. However, it may have everything to do with the age of the domain you are looking to buy.

10) Rankings – This application is free and a great way to track your rankings on Google, Yahoo, & Bing for any of your sites and its respective target keywords. This application was developed by the team at AuthorityLabs which actually has a great keyword monitoring web application that every SEO should also check out. They definitely leveraged all of their knowledge to build a great iPhone app that delivers results in real-time from Google, Yahoo, and Bing. If you are in the top 100 on any of those SERPS, you can monitor your movement with this application. You can download the application via iTunes here.. NOTE: this application stopped working for right now so don’t bother downloading it until they release a new version! I left this in the list because their web service is so good and this actually does show some promise. It’s still on my iPhone for the same reason

So, these applications really are a great tool for me and a good way to pass time while I am away from my office without feeling like I am losing touch with my sites or missing out on any important information related to them. Don’t get me wrong, I have my fair share of games on my iPhone too (i’ll save that list for another article). The difference is that I actually still feel like I am being productive when I am using these SEO apps on my iPhone. Plus, every SEO I know is pretty much constantly checking the SERPS and watching their sites (well… at least the good one’s do that).

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If you’re thinking about embarking on a career as an x ray technician, you’ll want to carefully look at your options before making a decision. You’ll need to find and select an appropriate x ray technician schools for your needs and you’ll find a number of x-ray technician training programs listed online but perhaps you should first take a step back and consider whether or not this is the right career option for you.

Using the internet as a comparison shopping tool is a great way to discover which courses and options are best for you. It’s also a great way to determine whether or not becoming an x ray tech is the right vocational choice for you. You can find information and opinion based on the industry as well as check for job postings, average salary, and the cost of becoming trained. 

Why Become an X Ray Technician? 

There are quite a few potential benefits to being an x-ray technician, such as job opportunities, pay, and job satisfaction. 

• Job opportunities continue to rise due to an aging population that needs medical care. You can also advance and specialize in specific areas once you are a certified technician or radiologist.
• Job security is good with many union positions available and because of the popularity of the field it’s a portable skill that you can take just about anywhere.
• Salary and benefits are typically good to very good in this field.
• Job satisfaction is almost guaranteed, especially if you’re someone who wants to make a positive difference in the lives and health of others. 

What Does an XRay Technician Do? 

X Ray technicians can get jobs in various locations, such as: doctor’s offices, medical clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. You may take general xrays such as dental images or images of other body parts, mammograms, sonograms, or MRIs, and CT scans, depending on your area of expertise. You may want to be a radiologist, an ultrasound technician, or perhaps you haven’t set your sights on a particular specialty yet. 

An XRay technician operates medical equipment as well as ensures that the images are usable. An XRay technician will often work closely with doctors and specialists and works very closely with patients and nursing staff as well. Patients may need to be instructed so that they can help the tech obtain a usable image and a positive bedside manner is an important personality trait for this type of career. Patient safety is also a prime objective for an x ray technician. 

While it’s an exciting opportunity, this type of career can be stressful at times. You may be working with difficult patients or dealing with tough medical situations in a high-pressure environment.  You may also be required to work on rotating shifts, depending on where you work. 

Those with a positive outlook and helpful personality who want to work in this field benefit from experience and training, which helps you to best deal with difficulties and stress. There are a lot of different high-pressure career choices in the medical field but the field can be very rewarding as well. 

X Rays can diagnose medical problems, reveal helpful information, and save lives. Being part of something as life-changing as medical imaging and diagnostics can be an extremely rewarding career. 

Are There Risks? 

Working with medical imaging devices does carry a degree of risk. X Ray technicians are exposed to radiation. But there are precautions that can be taken that minimize the degree of risk. 

How to Find X Ray Technician Schools 

Once you’ve decided that you want to pursue a career in the radiology and medical imaging field, finding an accredited training course is important. You’ll find a lot of information about x ray technician schools online. 

Here’s some helpful advice on what to look for: 

• Find an accredited school. Don’t be afraid to check accreditation.
• Check reviews and testimonials of former attendees and graduates.
• Look for a school with a high rate of placement for xray techs that graduate their program
• Look for flexibility in class options. You may want to take night school or part of your courses via distance education, for instance.
• Compare pricing and payment options.
• Look at options for fast-track / accelerated learning and / or extended learning options so that you can either get certified fast or have extra time due to needing to take a part-time course.
• Look closely at x ray technician schools that focus on student services, which can: help you get extra help when needed, have options for financing, and get you the help you need with career placement after you graduate. 

Investing in your education equals investing in your future so whether you decide that you want to become an x ray technician or not, taking a look at all your options is a wise decision.

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