Introducing the Topics in Radiography Newsletter

I am pleased to announce the launch of the Topics in Radiography Newsletter.  I will be sending out a monthly newsletter to subscribers with updates on the latest TiR material, some upcoming CEU opportunities, and there will even be a few give-aways from time to time. 

Why wait?  Let's start now... I will randomly select one of the first 50 subscribers for my first give-away:

Subscribe now and you could receive a new copy of "I'm Sorry to Hear That", a great resource for patient care providers to understand the 101 most common complaints from patients about health care (and how to effectively respond to them).

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Effects of Collimation on Radiographic Density and Contrast

One of the most interesting experiments for first-year radiography students is the effect of collimation on density and contrast.  If you have not had the privilege of performing this with film/screen imaging, it's probably not going to yield as much of a profound result.  The idea is to take two radiographs.  The first one (we did ours on an abdomen) was taken with the collimation open to the entire phantom, and the second was taken with a 5" x 5" field size.  We used the same regular 8x10 film for each, as well as the same technical factors.  For best results, we did both exposures without the added variable of a grid - so table-top.  Here's what we got:

The film with the open collimation on the left is overall higher in radiographic density.  This is due to the increased amount of scatter radiation due to a larger volume of tissue (or phantom) being radiographed.  This causes fog, or unwanted density to a greater degree than with a well-collimated view.  The scatter also reduces contrast.

We measured two adjacent shades of gray on each radiograph.  Contrast can be defined as the difference between two shades of gray.  The densitometer had readings of 0.87 and 0.99 for the non-collimated exposure, and 0.36 and 0.54 for the collimated film.  The lower density difference means there is lower contrast. 

Sometimes, if anyone has a hard time visually seeing the difference between the two radiographs prior to taking optical density readings, you can take a pair of scissors and cut out the exposed field in the 5" x 5" exposure, and use it as a template to cut the same size piece with the same anatomy in the other image.  Since I don't have to do that on my blog, I just did it digitally... here's a closer look:

So the results concluded that an increase in collimation (increase in beam restriction and decrease in field size) will reduce radiographic density and increase contrast.  You can perform the same experiment with CR or DR, but the contrast effect will not be so pronounced due to the software compensation on the image.  You will, however, see exposure indicators affected in the same manner.

How Many Hours do You Work?

I know the job market is still in the dumps, but I'm finding it somewhat ironic that everyone I know who is employed happens to be working 2 or 3 jobs, and a lot of times are being asked to work overtime.  Why is this?  As my shortest blog post yet, I simply wanted to ask those of you who are actively employed as a Technologist how many hours you work... feel free to comment here, on my Facebook page, or my Twitter.

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Improve your Exam Efficiency

While this post might apply more to beginners in the field, or students, I think even seasoned Technologists can make small tweaks to their routines, based on different places of employment, to improve their efficiency in the Radiology Department.

Place some forethought into your exams - develop a routine for performing exams that will remain the same every time you do it.  This helps on two levels... first, it will make something that you originally had to put a lot of thought toward into a habitual routine that you will later realize that you may be performing subconsciously.

Example:  When I do an outpatient chest x-ray, I bring the patient to the dressing room, and while they are changing, I will set up my control panel for my first exposure.  I use AEC with the two outer cells on the wall bucky.  I set the kVp to 120 and bump up the mA station as high as it will go.  I then place a CR cassette into the upright bucky (pre-scanned), and then detent my x-ray tube to 72" and transverse to the wall bucky, and raise it far above head-level so the patient doesn't have any chance of collision.  I also place the rolling lead apron near the wall bucky.

When the patient enters the room, they simply need to walk to the upright bucky for the PA view where I adjust bucky height, align my x-ray tube, and roll the shield behind them (less than 10 seconds) before giving breathing instructions.  On an average patient, start to finish is from 5-10 minutes but the patient will feel like it's about 1 minute because that's how long they are in the exam room.  You can be completing paperwork while they are getting dressed, and don't forget to keep an eye out for them leaving the dressing room so you can walk them out.

I always suggest to my students that you can start this practice simple with the ABC's of beam alignment once the patient is ready to be positioned.  A - set your control panel... do this first so that if a position is uncomfortable or awkward, you can run quickly to expose, keeping the patient from having to hold the position very long.  B - line up the tube with the image receptor (if using the table)... don't get carried away with palpating and aligning the central ray.  A common student mistake is forgetting to line up your bucky/image receptor.  C - position the patient... make sure the patient is in the position you need, then float the table top to fine-tune your positioning.

If you're performing multiple exams, do them in a sequence that requires the least patient movement.  For example, if you're doing a C-spine, T-spine and L-spine, this is an example of how I would perform the exams:

1. upright lateral C-spine
2. upright obliques for C-spine
3. supine odontoid
4. supine AP C-spine
5. AP T-spine
6. AP L-spine
7. RPO L-spine
8. LPO L-spine
9. Lateral L-spine
10. L5-S1 spot film
11. Lateral T-spine
12. swimmer's view if needed

This might not sound efficient by switching the order of the different body parts you need, but think about the patient.  How much time will you spend if you do the entire C-spine series, then the entire T-spine, then the L-spine.  How many times will you roll the patient up on their side, and how much discomfort will you cause if they are in pain when they move?  If you plan it out in advance it should be much quicker with the least amount of movement required from the patient.

Enlist some help... have someone process your images (if you're not lucky enough to have DR).  Ask for assistance with sliding patients up in a gurney or leaning them forward to place a gridded cassette behind them.  Someone else can be moving the patient out of the room while you complete your tracking and/or paperwork.  It's true that it only takes a few seconds, but over the course of an entire day, the cumulative total of time saved could mean that you get to go to lunch on time or go home on time.  Looking even more long-term, it will increase the productivity in your department, allowing your Manager to hire additional Technologists more easily.  This also means that you should also be seeking opportunities to help your fellow techs too when you are not otherwise occupied with an exam.  Good teams don't necessarily have to ask for help.

For portable exams, check to see if there are any pending portables on the way or near an exam that you are heading out to perform.  If someone is already on a portable run and a STAT portable is ordered near where they are, take a cassette to the tech and offer to process their original images, or take the portable machine from them when they are finished with their original exam and perform the STAT procedure yourself.  If your department has a mobile phone, it's a good idea to have the portable tech carry one with them to communicate STAT exams.

Fluoroscopic exams can be tedious to set up for.  It's a great idea to try to have some supplies set up at the beginning of the day when you have a busy schedule ahead.  Be mindful not to open any supplies that would need to be discarded if not used.  Sometimes patients do not show, and you may have filled an enema bag already.  It will have to be discarded if not used that day.  I would recommend keeping an un-used enema bag around until the end of your shift, even the patient that you prepped it for does not show.  You never know when you will receive an add-on enema due to an incomplete colonoscopy.  You might just be saving some time later in the afternoon by hanging onto it.

Make the most of slow moments.  The first thing that anyone wants to do who works on their feet all day when there is a lull in activity is sit down.  If you can resist this urge for a few moments, it can pay off later in the day.  Check linens and supplies to see if there's any stocking that may be needed.  Make sure there's fresh sheets and pillow cases on your table, and that the rooms are clean.  These things should only take seconds if regularly kept up with, and if you're totally exhausted, take turns doing this with your teammates.  Nobody wants to have a BE blowout only to learn there are no towels in the room!

These are just a few examples of what I like to do to increase efficiency in my department.  Everyone has their own system that works for them, and I'm sure there are endless variations from the way that I like to do things, which is okay.  Regardless of whether you like my routines in this post or you are being shown a different way than you might go about things, try to keep an open mind.  You need to spend some time to develop routines that work for you, as well as the team you are working with.  You are all there for the common goal of providing quality care in an efficient manner to the patients you serve. 

Top 5 Radiology Pet Peeves

I don't typically write posts just to rant or complain... there's usually some kind of important issue if I do that influences patient care or the overall status of our profession.  However, the last month or so has provided me with a list of pet peeves that seem to be growing and growing like tumor in my brain.  I hope I don't "bring you down" or "send off bad vibes" with this post as my Step-Father's circa 1969 vocabulary (still in use) might suggest, and please feel free to reply with your own pet peeves... it can be quite therapeutic to vent these things, and you never know... we may be able to come up with some solutions to these issues together.


Pet Peeve #5 - Patients wanting to know your opinion about their x-rays:

I'm not talking about patients who are unaware that it is illegal for you to give your opinion.  I'm talking about the ones who, after you explain that you cannot give your opinion because you are not a Physician and you could lose your license for doing so, persist saying things like "come on... I know that you know what you're looking at!" Simply wanting a quick result of an x-ray isn't enough to call it a pet peeve... it's the pursuit of your opinion beyond explanation of legality that drives me batty.  I have had patients argue with me for 10-15 minutes (until a transporter arrives sometimes) about not being able to tell them their results... the best defense for me so far has been "I just make the x-rays look good, and the Doctor gets to read them" or "would you rather have my 2-year education diagnose you or the Doctor's 12-year education diagnose you?"  Are you willing to risk your license and career to provide your opinion when a Physician will read the x-rays just a few minutes from the time of the exam?  I, personally, am not.


Pet Peeve #4 - The Complacent Technologist:

As a working Technologist (prior to any supervisory level experience), I have dealt with this a few ways.  Early in my career, I would simply ignore these Techs and work my rear end off, not worrying about the workload of those around me.  I kind of miss these days because I was getting paid to perform one patient exam at a time, and I didn't have to multi-task very much for the good of the department.  I knew that if I kept a good work ethic, I would find myself getting optimum raises and increased opportunities at work regardless of what other Techs were doing.  I quickly became known as "good with patients, dependable and hard-working"... a Supervisor's ideal employee.

Now that I am involved in leadership, I have a LOT more responsibility for the overall productivity of the department. Techs who go missing or take extra long breaks or lunches really take a toll on the department.  A Technologist who just wants to collect his/her paycheck, barely performing the duties within their job description, but never going above and beyond should not (in my humble opinion) be in the medical field.  When you are taking care of real people, leave your complacency at home folks!  Even if you work at a slower pace than your peers, you can have a huge impact on patient satisfaction of you enjoy your job, which all dwindles down to taking care of people.  I would rather hire someone who is lacking in some technical skills or efficiency, but who has a good attitude and strong work ethic, than someone who seems complacent.  Skills can be taught, but attitude cannot.

Pet Peeve #3 - Disrespectful Nurses:

I will start by saying that I have a huge respect for the work that Nurses do... in many ways, I feel that Nurses are tasked with caring for the patient, while the Physician researches what to do for the patient.  They are the front line between the patient and their Physician, and often do not get cooperation from Physicians, leaving them in an awkward role.

What I cannot tolerate is Nurses who are disrespectful to their patients and/or other staff members throughout the hospital.  I do not hesitate to write up any Nurse who neglects a patient (example: not changing soiled bed sheets for 4 hours).  I have been in the hospital with my kids too many times... the notion that we may get one of these "bad apples" as a Nurse for one of my children worries me.  I guess I have a personal bias for unprofessional conduct.

I recently had a conversation with a Nurse who felt competent to hire Radiologic Technologists because she was an "IR Nurse" 20 years ago.  I found this extremely insulting.  I said "well I was an IR Technologist about 7 years ago... do you think I am competent to hire a Nurse?"  In her eyes, being a Nurse required far more education and expertise than "pushing a button" did, and of course I wasn't competent to hire any Nurse.  All I'm asking for is a little bit of respect... some acknowledgement that I went through the same amount of specialized education than Nurses do, with (for the most part) an entirely different skill set at the end.  I don't ever claim that Nursing is "just hanging out with patients all day."  Mutual respect will go a long way in bridging a gap between departments as well as obtaining what should be our mutual goal of outstanding care for the patient.

Pet Peeve #2 - JCAHO Inspection

For those of you that don't know, JCAHO is an accrediting body for the hospitals which, once accreditation is received, provides a certain level of benefits including reimbursement for costs among other things.  Bottom line... if accreditation is lost due to a failed inspection, the hospital loses a lot of money - and it could mean many jobs, and in this economy, maybe even a near-future shut down of the hospital as a potential result.

It's not the inspection itself that bothers me, it's the attitude of hospital employees when they are made aware that JCAHO may be visiting.  People go into panic mode as if a tornado siren went off.  Frantic orders are placed upon employees to make sure everyone is doing everything by the book, supplies and drugs aren't expired, the best patient care is observed, work orders are properly placed for damaged equipment, cabinets are locked that should be locked, HIPAA is observed, and break times are logged... among many things I haven't mentioned.

The irony lies in that patient care is often impaired because attention is being focused so intently on all of these things.  I believe that it is good practice to run a mental checklist to make sure all of these things are being done properly, but not that anyone should be really stressed out about them.  All of these things should be done every day anyways, right?  I propose that the amount of panic, fear, and stress load is proportional to the belief that your hospital is not doing the things it should according to accreditation standards.  The more you think you're not doing things they way they are supposed to be done, the more your staff will stress out about a JCAHO inspection.


Pet Peeve #1 - Physicians not Explaining Exams

Part one of this pet peeve is failure of the Physician to explain the reason for the exam... this is difficult on two levels.  First, the patient may have no idea why the Physician ordered an exam.  This requires a large amount of time to determine through patient history and even possibly a phone call to the Physician to get a little bit more history on what he/she is looking for.  Second, the hospital will not get reimbursed for the procedure if there is not an accurate reason (stated on the prescription) for the exam.  The correct ICD-9 (soon to be ICD-10) code will not be provided, and the hospital has to suck up the cost of the exam.  Not a great way to go about billing with all of the health care reform and cuts in medicare reimbursement going on!

Part two deals with when a Physician orders an exam for a patient (a Barium Enema for example) and tells the patient they're "going for an x-ray."  First of all, patients hear this and think "my last x-ray was a chest x-ray, and that took about 10 minutes."  They may not make arrangements to be in your department for over an hour or expect the potential discomfort and recovery needed for some of the exams we perform.  The definitely don't expect the "upside-down volcano" that a bowel prep can cause, or any tampering with their rectum in the radiology department!  Half the time, they end up refusing the exam, or if they proceed, they get upset because they had an unpleasant and unexpected experience provided by you, the Technologist.  Two months down the road, negative comments come up on patient satisfaction surveys, and if the patient complains to the original ordering Physician about the procedure, that Physician may cause a stink over it at the administrative level (which eventually trickles down to the Techs) or the Physician may stop sending business to your hospital with enough complaints, unaware that they are part of the problem.

Doctors, you spent a large percentage of your life-time in school to help patients... you can start by speaking to them.  We want to help too!

To summarize, I think a majority of these personal pet peeves can be solved with the golden rule of simply treating people how you want to be treated.  And again, I do not intent to spew negativity, but as workloads increase with the cutting of costs and even work-force, we are all going to be a little more stressed in the next few years, and may be in the need of an outlet.  What are some of your pet peeves in your radiology department?

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Loopogram

I've only seen a handful of loopograms in my career, but every time I encounter the procedure, I am often in the company of Technologists and Radiologists who have never heard of or seen one.  So what is a loopogram? 

Whenever there is a large amount of bladder removed, usually due to Ca, the ureters can be connected to a loop of small bowel (ileum) which drains out of an ostomy (also called an ileal conduit) into an external drainage bag.  The x-ray exam involves placing a small foley catheter into the conduit and injecting contrast retrograde to evaluate the bowel loop, ureters, and kidneys.  The following supplies are needed:

• Iodinated contrast (we use Omnipaque 240)
• Small foley catheter - 10-12 Fr.
• Lubrication jelly for the foley
• 60mL cath-tip syringe for the contrast
• 5 or 10mL syringe for the foley balloon (if needed)
• gauze
• chux or towels to catch any drainage
• new drainage bag if needed
• gloves
• hemostat

Start by clamping the drainage bag, then removing it from the abdomen, making sure there are chux or towels underneath the patient's side of interest.  You should have the contrast drawn into the 60cc syringe with foley connected and contrast flushed through the catheter.  The Radiologist should apply the lubrication jelly, insert the foley and inject while the Technologist operates fluoroscopy and tends to patient needs.  Here are some images during a loopogram:


Initial injection of about 10mL with the foley balloon inflated.

About 15mL - beginning to see retrograde filling of ureters to renal pelvis on patient's right side.

Contrast seen in patient's left renal pelvis after 20mL injected.

Post-drainage KUB with drainage bag reconnected - showing retention of contrast.

A normal loopogram should not cause much pain, but possibly a little discomfort.  If there is pain, it could indicate extravasation of contrast from a leak.  Obliques are typically acquired (not shown here) and the contrast should drain on its own after the exam is completed.

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How to Become a Radiologic Technologist

There is a lot of misinformation going around the internet about what we do... and unfortunately, there are a lot of people looking to make money off of individuals who would like to become Radiologic Technologists, but may not know the difference between that and a "x-ray technician" or simply an "x-ray tech."

I subscribe to google alerts for "radiography", and this morning I received this link:  http://www.stridemagazine.com/what-is-the-yearly-salary-of-the-radiologist#comment-3346

It's not the first link that I have come across with loads of inaccurate information.  Its title reads, "what is the yearly salary of a Radiologist?"  As we know, a Radiologist is a Physician, but the article goes on to describe (mostly incorrectly) how to become either a Radiologic Technologist or a Limited Licensed Technician, unable to distinguish the two.

Let me just say that if you are currently in, or have graduated from a JRCERT - accredited x-ray program, possessing ARRT Registry, you went about it the proper way.  There are many schools popping up claiming to provide you the education to "be an x-ray tech" but lack the proper accreditation.  This infuriates me to no end.  I have met several students who found out they were not qualified to work in a hospital setting only after they paid a hefty $20k to one of these programs, and ended up enrolling in their local Community College program later.

As far as I know, there is no law against these schools doing this, but there is such a thing as false advertising.  Many schools come very close to this, and will tell you (verbally - not in writing) that you will be qualified to work in any hospital after completing their program.

I am writing this post specifically as a word of caution to those who are seeking to be Technologists, as well as to offer any assistance to those who would like to ask any questions about the process.  It is important to educate yourselves prior to enlisting in any school, and to know your options.  I am currently writing a book on the subject due to the massive amount of misinformation that is going around about it, but it will not be complete and/or published at least for another 6-8 months.  You shouldn't have to wait for this basic information though... let alone pay $20k to find out the hard way that the education you received is inadequate.  You should also be wary of the job market in your area for Technologists right now.  It's pretty tight, although the next 3-5 years are expected to really pick up due to the Baby Boomer generation retiring (which makes up the largest percentage of the work force in health care).  Please feel free to post questions here, or send me an email if you do not want your questions addressed publicly.

If you do not trust me as a source of information, you can go to www.jrcert.org where there is a database of Radiography schools searchable by state.  The contact information for each Radiography Program Director is there.  You can email or call them to find out how you can attend an information session, or get additional info on the program you are considering, but they MUST be listed on this website.

Tech Tips: Patient Identification

The number one patient safety goal in the country is proper identification of patients.  There have been many unnecessary procedures and/or surgeries performed on patients over the years that should have been prevented because one or more members of the health care team either neglected to, or were afraid to check the patient’s ID.

About 8 years ago, I performed an x-ray series on the wrong patient, and I will never do it again.  I was at an outpatient imaging center (where no wrist bands were worn).  I called the patient’s name, and an elderly woman stood up and followed me toward the x-ray room.  We were busy, so I didn’t bother asking for a date of birth because my paperwork said 80 years old, and she looked “about” that age.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  About one hour later, a patient with the same name inquired how long it would be from the front desk receptionist.  You can imagine the confusion that followed when I informed the receptionist that I already performed the x-rays on that patient.  After a considerable amount of time was spent sorting it out, I felt horrible because no one could identify the patient who I actually x-rayed (and who left an hour ago).  Being busy is no excuse!  Please learn from my mistake and verify name and date of birth in an outpatient setting with no wrist-bands.

I have heard exponentially worse stories of surgical teams who suspected that they were operating on the wrong patient, but were afraid to say anything because of a Physician’s demeanor.  Remember, you are the patient advocate just like everyone else on the health care team.  You can still check a wrist-band without making a big production, and you MUST inform the Physician if there is a discrepancy.  It’s not only the Physician that is liable, but every member of the health care team who came in contact with the patient, and should have confirmed ID.

You should always check the patient wrist-band in a hospital setting.  Two identifiers are required, but I suggest that three should be verified by all Technologists:  Patient name, date of birth, and medical record number.  If it is an outpatient, simply look at their wrist band while in the waiting room, and wait until you are behind closed doors to verbally verify ID.  Inpatients can be visibly checked in the hallway while waiting for an x-ray room to become available, but should also be verbally verified once in the exam room.  Please remember to protect their privacy.

It’s hard to admit that you have done something wrong, and sometimes it can be very painful, but no one will benefit from a mistake unless the error can be identified and steps are made to further prevent the same error in the future.

The Author's Paradigm

I'm sorry for my recent absence from the blogosphere... I have begun work on my own radiography book that has taken up quite a bit of my time.  I have this problem where I get really excited about a particular activity or project and I tend to spend all of my time and energy on that one thing.  This can be a great attribute when you are being paid to perform that task for an employer, but it can also make regular activities (like eating, sleeping, blogging, etc.) take a back seat, and for that, I apologize.

I definitely have some great posts coming up soon as I have gathered some new ideas.  I will be teaching a new group of students starting at the end of this month, and I would like to have more of the math tutorial videos for sample problems posted as examples to refer to for that group, as well as anyone else who needs to see some worked out.

As always, please feel free to shoot over topic suggestions, of if there is a particular discussion you would like to see among Radiographers or Radiography Students, please let me know.  Thank you for your patience!

Are There Too Many Radiography Grads?

There is quite the controversial discussion going on around town.  I have heard complaints from several students across the country, some of my own students, technologists in the hospitals and imaging centers, and even online in Radiology forums about how many new grads there are in the Radiologic Sciences Programs when there are "so few jobs" out there.  I have heard comments like, "the schools are saturating the job market" and "it all comes down to greed with college administrators."  I have even heard allegations that the hospitals pay off the schools to have students there, and vice-versa in a conspiracy to keep technologists who are already employed stuck in their current positions.  I think it's time to set the record straight on a few things.

I have never heard of any hospital or school having financial gain for their professional contracts.  That would be a huge conflict of interest.  To be perfectly realistic, there are some schools that don't look at the job market saturation and fill the seats in the classrooms with the motive of greed... but I think this is probably less than 1% of the cases in the United States.  The problems that hospitals and schools are facing on an administrative level has to do with a couple of things:  The upcoming surge of baby boomers retiring and the reduction in medicare reimbursement.

Baby boomers were born anywhere between 1946 and 1964, which means that by 2011, the first boomers will have reached age 65 - retirement age.  Unlike the last three decades, the healthcare field has made an effort to try to anticipate this reduction in work force, since the boomers make up the largest population of any age group in most hospitals.  They also make up most of the executive and administrative bodies.  Once they start retiring, there's going to be a large need for qualified employees to fill their shoes.  Also, the number of geriatric patients is expected to increase exponentially with this change.

How do the proactive efforts of the hospital systems contribute to increased graduates?  Well, most schools (typically community colleges) have a symbiotic relationship with the hospitals in their area.  For Radiography programs, there needs to be enough technologists to take on students, and there needs to be enough jobs when the students graduate in order to employ 75% of all new grads within 6 months of exiting their respective programs (JRCERT requirement).  The hospital administrators regularly communicate with college administrators to determine exactly how many graduates should be pumped out annually.

This all sounds great in theory... here's the problem.  More and more people are continuing to work into and beyond the traditional retirement age.  People are unsure about social security payout, and with the economy the way it is, a lot of people have lost money on their stocks, 401k's and other investments; basically, a lot of people cannot afford to retire yet.  The efforts made between the hospitals and schools are valiant and I commend those institutions that have been proactive, but these efforts relied upon information that was incomplete at the time.  Preparation for this scenario was started years ago and some of the variables have changed.

I have no doubts that this was a wise move, but it was conducted a few years too early.  Unfortunately, our market is rather saturated at the moment.  Those who do find jobs out of school are settling for undesirable positions as casuals for multiple employers and usually second or third shifts, weekends, and holidays.  Those unwilling to take these shifts or relocate are not able to find work.

The reduction in medicare reimbursement is a wild card.  It could serve to increase or decrease the demand for technologists... I happen to believe it will increase it.  One could argue that the more expensive studies like CT or MRI will not have the same reimbursement rate after reform officially kicks in.  Less expensive exams like diagnostic x-ray will increase in number, and reimbursement is more likely to be paid for the cheaper studies.  This may bring back additional volume to gen rad departments and take some volume away from advanced modalities.  Even if advanced studies are ordered, x-rays will probably have to be done first in order to show prudence that the cheaper study was attempted and found unsuitable to diagnose adequately.

Now is an awkward time for those who just graduated from a Radiography program.  I truly believe that the market saturation problem will slowly diminish over the next 5 years or so.  Now is the time to accept those unfavorable shifts and positions that require sacrifices that you might not have anticipated.  Get your foot in the door.  It will definitely pay off when the slump goes away and the more desirable positions need to be filled.  It's very competitive out there right now, but there will soon be room to grow and you will be thankful that you persevered through this difficult time.

Continuing Education Courses

I've been tossing around the idea of creating continuing education courses to place on this blog, but before I get carried away, I'd like your opinion... In the side-bar, I have placed a poll asking if my readers would like to see CEU's offered on my blog.  I would appreciate it if my readers would take the poll to give me an idea of whether or not the courses would be well-received here.

Any time I have seen CE credits offered on a website, it seems to be in one format only.  If you answer "yes" in the poll, and if you could spare a minute, please let me know what kinds of formats you would be interested in.  If this all works out, I would like to offer multiple formats, but I want to make sure it's something that my readers would appreciate.  Also, if you feel so inclined, I would like to know what kinds of topics you would be interested in, as well as if you would be more likely to recommend this site to a fellow Technologist.

Of course, I would probably start out offering courses slowly into 2012, and would more than likely do a one or two unit free CEU course to kick it all off just to see what kind of response I get.  Thanks in advance for your input!

Rheese View for Orbits

Sorry about the length of time between my posts.  Lately I've been pretty busy with work, but I've been wanting to do a video on the Rheese view for some time.  I used a google chrome app called biodigital human.  Hope you enjoy:

Looking for a Bachelors of Science in Radiologic Science?

There are a lot more options to acquire a BSRS degree today than ever before.  One of those increasingly popular options is an online program.  I had an opportunity to interview Nancy Daugherty, MA, RT(R), the BSRS Program Director from PIMA Medical Institute with some important questions you may want to research if you are thinking about continuing your education:

Who is eligible to enroll in the BSRS program at Pima Medical Institute?

Students can transfer into the BSRS from most U.S. Radiography programs, both certificate and degree. Admission to the program requires that an applicant hold a registration by the ARRT and currently employed in radiography, or if not currently employed in the field, graduated from a radiography program within the last five years.  Applicants will need to have completed a total of 70 semester credits of specific coursework at the postsecondary level. The content of these 70 transfer credits shall consist of 15 general education credits and 55 radiography technical credits. Additional transfer credit may be accepted as determined on an individual basis by the campus director and program director. Pima Medical Institute has additional online radiography courses for applicants not transferring 70 credits. 

How long is the program?

The B.S. Radiologic Sciences program consists of 60 weeks of content, or 70 weeks including semester breaks. Students can Fast Track the program by receiving up to eighteen optional transfer credit for general education courses. Individual completion time may vary by student depending on individual progress and credits transferred.

What methods of instruction are used?

Pima Medical Institute’s online radiography course programs are taught online allowing for schedule flexibility to help students balance school, family, work and other personal commitments. These programs feature a rigorous curriculum and dedicated instructors and staff. Each online class is led by an instructor, and you will be part of a virtual class of other students. The courses are varied with different types of activities, quizzes, assignments and discussions to enhance the learning experience.

Is there any travel involved?

None at all.  The program can be completed 100% online.

What is tuition for the B.S. Radiologic Sciences program?

$250.00 per credit hour.

How many students are selected for each class, and how often are classes started?

We have chosen to keep our classes small and limited to 25 students. A new program begins each January, May and August.

What is unique about the B.S. Radiologic Sciences program at Pima Medical Institute?

I think it is the personal touch we try to provide to each student. Each enrolled student receives a one-on-one phone conference with the Program Director and the Financial Aid Advisor to answer any questions about the program.  I tell the students all the time to feel free to contact me with any questions.  I like to say I have an open door policy; even ONLINE.

What kinds of jobs have some of the graduates of the B.S. Radiologic Sciences acquired?

Our graduates are working in Medical Imaging as managers, technologists and medical sales representatives.

What are the advantages to obtaining a Bachelor’s of Radiologic Science?

Today it is almost a requirement to hold a BS degree for advancement. 

Who accredits the B.S. Radiologic Sciences program?

The program is accredited through Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)

Can classes count toward a Master’s Degree at a later time?

Yes. We currently have articulation agreements with Chadron State College and University of Phoenix. Students can contact other colleges to see if they will accept these classes towards a Master’s.

Can the program be completed while working a full-time job?

Yes.  Most of our students are working full time while completing the program. The semesters are set up in a 2 + 2 format so they take 2 classes at a time. Only the last course, the Professional Capstone is 15 weeks in length.

What does Pima Medical Institute do to remain competitive with other B.S. Radiologic Sciences programs?

What sets PMI apart from other B.S. Radiologic Sciences programs is one-on-one rapport that we build with our students as well as our curriculum. PMI has an instructional design team that works alongside subject matter experts to create online courses that captivate and engage.

Is there a Master’s Degree program in the future for Pima Medical Institute?

There are no current plans for this right now, but watch out! Anything could happen.

For more information or to inquire about enrollment, please visit www.pmi.edu 

Q&A: ARRT Preliminary Test Scores

Following up on a post almost 4 years ago... still getting questions about how accurate the scoring is.

Please feel free to comment... especially if you found that your preliminary score did NOT match your official score once received in the mail.