Radiographer or Radiologist?

PT78 · Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 1

I'm sure you're sick of hearing everyone say, "I need info on Radiology" but the fact of the matter is, WE DO NEED HELP. We are seriously interested and could use a little more advice than a sentence or two. My question is what is the difference between a Radiographer and Radiologist. I want to get into the field, and I'm in school right now getting through the pre-req's, but I don't want to be JUST a Rad Tech. I want to be a Doc. What are the steps?

Guest · Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:32 am Post subject: radiographer vs. radiologist

The radiographer is also known as a radiological technologist. This is the person that takes the x-rays and has the most contact with patient care. The radiographer is usually responsible for knowing how to do radiography, fluoroscopy, and generalized patient care.

The radiologist is the MD that reads the x-rays the radiographer takes. This person gets some patient contact, but not nearly as much as the radiographer. Radiologist are usually expected to read every modality, radiography, Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, mammography, and fluoroscopy, possibly other modalities according to what modalities the facility has. The radiologist is the person responsible for possibly diagnosing patients using just pictures...no clinical symptoms are really given to him, just generalized symptoms. The radiologist's job is very important, if he mis-reads an x-ray it can certainly come back to haunt him/her later on, in the form of a lawsuit, as with any doctor can be sued at any given moment.

Hope this info helps, if you need to know anything else, just ask.

jamie · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Posts: 2 Location: Louisiana

To be a radiologist you have to go through medical school, which is 4 - 8 years and then you need to go through additional schooling to specialize in that field. They don't have schooling just to become a radiologist. You can also look on the internet and search for radiologist and then a radiologist technican, that should tell you everything you need to know.

Hope this helps as well. Smile

gadz24 · Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Illinois

Ok, so if I want to be the person taking the X-Ray and bending the arm so it hurts more.....i want to be a radiographer.....not that i want to hurt someone but i know how it feels, lol

hjhogle · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:27 am Post subject:

To be the Radiographer - the professional who is trained in performing diagnostic procedures - can take either 2 or 4 years.

To be the Radiologist - the professional who is trained in interpreting diagnostic (and sometimes therapeutic) procedures takes: 1) a 4-year college degree, 2) 4 years of medical school and 3) a 4 or 5 year residency program. After taking and passing the national board exams, most go on to a 1+ year fellowship in a particular specialty.

So it's college, med school, residency.

radio_activity · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 62

It's quite harsh to say that you don't want to be JUST a Rad Tech, I'd only say that if I was at Mc.Donald's applying and I didn't want to be JUST a beef patty flipper. Rad Tech is more than just, in my opinion. If you need direct information, go to www.auntminnie.com to the Medical Student forum so you can get direct answers from people experiencing beyond the JUST in your head.