Radiology Forums

steve1234 · Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 2

I want to pursue a career in medical imaging, but not sure the best route. If a person gets a A.S in radiography can they be cross trained in fields such as MRI, CT, Ultrasound, and Nuclear medicine? Or does nuclear medicine need its own A.S degree? I'm trying to find a school close by to get a B.S in radiography but having hard time finding one in the Louisville-Cincy area. If I do get a B.S in radiography will I get a job directly in the Mri field and skip being a x-ray tech? What I'm really interested in is Nuclear medicine. I found a school that gives an A.S for Nuc Medicine but if I go this route will I not be able to cross train in the other medical imaging modalities( MRI,CT,..)??? Bascially I want to be certified to do it all..is this possible.. how long would something like that take...could it be done with an A.S or must it be a B.S in radiography?
Is nuclear medicne impossible to get into without any medical experience? Would they except an RT over a person that isnt, and would they accept a student with no experience into the program? Very hard program to get into?

hjhogle · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:09 pm Post subject:

The short answer is "no".

You can enter separate programs, one at a time, which will educate/train you to become ready to take the certification exams for Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology and Ultrasound. These three fields of study are distinct and becoming certified in one does NOT qualify you to become certified in the other two.

Additionally, MRI is on its way to a distinct educational pathway, as well. Currently, it is still possible to become certified in Radiography and then cross train into CT and MRI.

Nuclear Med, CT, US, MR ... they are all demanding fields and are, in a lot of ways, totally unrelated to what you'll learn in Radiography.

For accredited programs in the fields you choose, look here on the ARRT website:
http://www.arrt.org/index.html?content=http://www.arrt.org/nd/listOfSchools.ndm/listSchools&iframe=yes

Good luck, whatever you decide.
hjh, RT

azradgirl · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 33 Location: Mesa, AZ

I have a question about this. I am going to school to get my AAS in Radiological Technology and will be able to sit for the exam when I graduate. The reason I'm doing this is because I want to go to school to work in ultrasound, BUT every ultrasound program that I have seen requires you to be licensed in another field. This is taken right out of the prereqs portion of one of the programs I was looking at:

"The Ultrasound Program will ONLY accept students who are currently licensed from the following health care occupations: RN, RT, RRT, CNMT, RVT or RDCS. We do not make exceptions to the entry requirements. If you do not have these credentials we will not be able to accept you into the program."

So does that not contradict what you said above? Or maybe you were meaning you have to take the RT program in addition to the specialty. I'm going to talk with the RAD director at my college to confirm this, because I don't want to spend 2 years in a program that I don't need. But looking at all the Sonography schools I have to be in RT first. Question

hjhogle · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:21 am Post subject:

Be careful of generalizing based on only the small number of programs you've investigated.

Looking in KY/OH (because that's where the original poster was looking), I found these two Associate degree programs -

1) Bowling Green Technical College:
http://www.bowlinggreen.kctcs.edu/Sonography/AdmissionReq.php which does not require students applying for the US program be certified RT first.

And 2) Cinncinati State Technical and Community College: http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/FutureStudent/Academics/AcademicDivisions/HealthTechnologies/HealthDivsionDiagnosticMedicalSonography.htm

Look a little harder and consider looking outside of your immediate area. Try using the CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) website here: http://www.caahep.org/Find_An_Accredited_Program.aspx

For more information on sonography in general and educational requirements, check out http://www.ardms.org/default.asp?ContentID=1&menubar=1 (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography) and http://www.sdms.org (Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography)

hjh, RT

azradgirl · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 33 Location: Mesa, AZ

I did a search using CAAHEP and the only program that came up was Gateway Community College, which is where the quote came from, that I mentioned in my last post. All the other schools in my area have the same requiments, you have to be licensed in another area before you will even be considered. I'm married with two girls so looking outside my area is not possible. Rolling Eyes