Radiology Classes - The First Step Towards a Promising Career

By Lisa S Thomas

Are you interested in pursuing a career as a Radiologist? If yes, then you should start looking into different Radiology programs and Radiology Classes right away.

Here's a quick guide to introduce you to the different radiology courses which you are likely to study during your degree program.

Foundation Courses

Foundation courses are common in all the basic Radiology Classes that you are bound to take regardless of where you are studying. The two main foundation courses required to become a Radiology Technician include:

1. The Radiographic Fundamentals Course

The Radiographic Fundamental Course is simply an overview of the field of radiology and its importance in the health care industry. Some of the key elements of this course include learning about imaging methods and various safety measures while using the radiation equipment.

2. Anatomy and Physiology Course

This encompasses the significance of learning about the human body. If you want to be a good Radiology Technician, then a thorough understanding of subjects like the imaging procedure used for diagnosing sicknesses is vital. Moreover, in this course, you will also learn about the human body, the bones and muscles, the skin, the respiratory muscles and the skeletal system.

Apart from the basic foundation courses, you are also required to take some very important core courses. The skills, competence and techniques you learn from these classes will help you in building your confidence and aptitude. A few of these include:

Procedures in Radiology: This course will be constant throughout the entire training program; however, you will discover the subject more in depth with time. This class includes producing and evaluating radiographic images; plus, it also allows you to learn the essential patient positioning techniques during the diagnostic imaging procedure.
Radiologic Imaging: Radiologic Imaging teaches you different necessary techniques such as image exposure, digital radiography intensification, and tomography. It is extremely important to ace this course since it covers most of the practical aspects of your job. Moreover, during this class, you will also be taught to examine, conduct hypotheses and form conclusions based on the images taken.
Radiology Exposure and Protection: One of the main things that you need to learn in your Radiology Classes is the radiology exposure from CT Scanners, X-Ray Machines and MRI machines. Learning how to protect against each of these is also important as exposure to their rays can be hazardous to your health. Hence this class will focus solely on teaching you about the different elements of x-rays, the quality of radiographic images and the types of radiology equipment used.
So whether it's the foundation courses or the core ones, acing a Radiology Class requires a lot of hard work, patience and determination. So, Good Luck!

Lisa Thomas is your guide to medical careers.

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Study reveals frequent pediatric rad exposure - Health Imaging & IT

The average child will be exposed to seven procedures using ionizing radiation before the age of 18, while nearly half of children receive a procedure with radiation in any given year, according to a study of more than 350,000 children published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

"To our knowledge, we report the first large, population-based study examining the use of diagnostic imaging procedures with low-dose ionizing radiation specifically in a pediatric population," wrote Adam L. Dorfman, MD, of the department of pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, and co-authors.

Dorfman and colleagues investigated the occurrence of procedures using radiation in 355,088 children enrolled in UnitedHealthcare from 2005 through 2007. The sample included all such enrollees residing in Arizona; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Florida; south Florida; and Wisconsin, and included plain radiography procedures, CT, fluoroscopy and/or angiography and nuclear medicine scans.

"Among 355,088 children across five large health care markets in the U.S., we found that use of these procedures during a three-year study period was frequent, with at least one of these procedures being performed in 42.5 percent of children. Importantly, many children underwent more than one procedure," the researchers reported.

A total of 436,711 procedures using ionizing radiation were reported over the three-year study. Plain x-rays comprised the most common procedures, with 40 percent of children receiving at least one procedure during the study. Twenty-two percent of children received two or more radiography procedures and 14 percent received three or more.

CT was the second most common procedure, with 8 percent of children receiving at least one over the study period. Two percent of children received one or more fluoroscopy and/or angiography procedures and 1 percent received a nuclear medicine scan. Radiography accounted for a total of 85 percent of all procedures.

"Based on these data, the average child in this study population will have received more than seven procedures by the time he or she reaches age 18 years," Dorfman and colleagues wrote. Overall, male enrollees had higher rates of imaging than females, with 44 percent of boys and 41 percent of girls receiving at least one procedure using radiation. Children over ten years of age also had significantly higher imaging rates.

The authors expressed concern given the National Research Council's findings that any exposure to radiation poses at least some risk, while also citing studies indicating that risk increases linearly with greater exposure to radiation. "Developing tissues in children are more sensitive to radiation and their longer expected life spans also allow additional time for the emergence of detrimental effects," said co-author, Reza Fazel, MD, of the department of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

The authors made no attempts to judge the appropriateness of the procedures, however, while also abstaining from estimating radiation doses due to "a paucity of available data on radiation dosimetry in the pediatric population." They also cautioned that conducting the study in five states and considering only insured children might limit the generalizability of their findings.

"Of course, there is immense life-saving value in medical imaging, so our study doesn't suggest at all that these tests shouldn't be used in children," said co-author Kimberly E. Applegate, MD, vice chair for quality and safety in the department of radiology at Emory.

"It should encourage discussions about the value of each imaging test that is ordered, recognizing that radiation exposure, even in small amounts, may not be risk free," stated Andrew J. Einstein, MD, PhD, a cardiologist at Columbia University in New York City.

Last updated on January 5, 2011 at 9:24 am EST

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