About to start...

[Sarah-Jean]

Hi!

I'm new here and am really excited that I found somewhere to post!

My name is Sarah-Jean. I'm 20 years old and just getting ready to start my BSc in Radiology next October. I've had to start later because I have two baby boys, who are 19 months and 8 months old at the moment and I'm married. So by the time I start my course I'll be classed as a mature student.

This is something I've always wanted to do, and I really can't wait to get in there and get started and get on with building my career!

I am really just looking for friends who're in the same field with the same interest, that I can talk too as everyone I know thinks I'm made for doing this, but I know I can do it, and I know I will do it.

Anyway, I don't really know what to say. I feel kind of stupid coming here cos I'm sure you all know what you're talking about all ready and you're probably used to seeing people bouncing around with enthusiasm like I am, all the time!

Look forward to sharing yours and my journey with you all and hopefully finding some good friends along the way!

Sarah-Jean

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[bat21]

Hi Sarah-Jean,
How is your Radiology training in the UK structured? For us, after college, medical school and internship, we don't begin radiology training until age 27 at the earliest.

 

[Sarah-Jean]

Well, over here we do GCSEs in school at the age of 16 (although I did mine at 15), then we can choose to go to College and do A Levels for 2 years... Although because I'm home educating myself I've just started my A Levels to finish in a few months time. And then we go to University were we specialise in whatever we want basically. I'm going straight into Radiography, were I'll be doing 3 years of working supervised (50% at the Uni and 50% working in a hospital) before becoming qualified (and my qualification will even have standing in most countries) and then IF I want to I can go and specialise in any number of different Radiography careers, such as Obstetric Sonography etc... Which is basically on job training or a few weeks/months of Uni again.

All of this is paid for by the NHS as well! Which is great!



Wow! I can't believe your training takes so long... Why does it take that long? Do you have to become a Dr first over there?

Love,

Sarah-Jean

 

[bat21]

To be a radiologist you have to be a doctor first. Your training is similar to what radiology technologists undergo over here.

 

[Sarah-Jean]

Hmmm... Over here a Radiology Technician is an Assistant to a Radiographer...

How strange that the two countries are so close in everything except when it comes to education!

If you want to see more about how we're trained, you can take a look at the University that I'm hoping to get into's site.... City University Radiography Dep!

Or maybe I'm getting confused with what the two careers in our countries meanings are...???

Love,

Sarah-Jean

 

[MrGreed]

We are talking about an United States trained radiologist. This is an MD/DO who has completed 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship, and 4 years of a general diagnostic radiology residency. Additional training is available in the form of fellowships in the various sub-specialities of radiology.

The UK equivalent would be someone who obtained an MBBS degree in medicine...then spent one year as a house officer before they become a registrar with the NHS or something I forget...they then can undergoe further specialized training leading to position of a mister and then finally a consultant...it's been awhile I hope this info is correct...if I'm wrong somebody please correct me

 

[Airborne]

Mr Greed:

I spent a few months working with the NHS as an international elective -

I think you correct in most of your time-line for UK grads, except it is my understanding that only surgeons regain the title of "Mister" after completing their training. Thus they become "Dr" after their MBBS training and lose it once fully qualified.

This practice dates back to the days of the Surgeon/Barber who were looked down upon by their physician counterparts - and not allowed to use the title of "Dr". Thus, the surgeon title of "Mr" is now a form of reverse snobbery (in the true British tradition).

As I said, I've only interacted with Surgeons who have regained their "Mr" and not other specialties, although I could be mistaken.

Airborne

 

[xraydoc]

Originally posted by Sarah-Jean
Well, over here we do GCSEs in school at the age of 16 (although I did mine at 15), then we can choose to go to College and do A Levels for 2 years... Although because I'm home educating myself I've just started my A Levels to finish in a few months time. And then we go to University were we specialise in whatever we want basically. I'm going straight into Radiography, were I'll be doing 3 years of working supervised (50% at the Uni and 50% working in a hospital) before becoming qualified (and my qualification will even have standing in most countries) and then IF I want to I can go and specialise in any number of different Radiography careers, such as Obstetric Sonography etc... Which is basically on job training or a few weeks/months of Uni again.

All of this is paid for by the NHS as well! Which is great!



Wow! I can't believe your training takes so long... Why does it take that long? Do you have to become a Dr first over there?

Love,

Sarah-Jean

I looked at your web site and from what I can discern, This is a technologist program to train radiographers just like the programs here in the USA.


All of us in this forum are fully trained physicians and have done surgery, internal medicine etc... We have all specialized in Diagnostic or Interventional radiology. This takes about 14 or so years after high school. Technologist programs here in the USA take 2 years after high school. The difference is that the radiologist can diagnose and treat disease using all the latest radiology methods and interventional treatments. The technologists job here is obtaining the best images for the radiologist to use.

Here the average technologist makes maybe about 12-20$ an hour to start depending on their speciality. Radiologists here make about an average of 300-500K a year (about 190K to 320K british pounds). We pay for our own education and usually have post grad debts of up to 100K or more.

You still have to be a Dr. in UK before you can be a radiologist.

Here is a description of Sarah-Jeans program for the common interest, taken off the website that she provided:

As a diagnostic radiographer, you play a key role in the assessment and treatment of patients as you are responsible for producing medical images to assist with the diagnosis of disease or injury. You are trained to use a wide range of specialist equipment and different imaging techniques with skill and confidence. Both the production and evaluation of clear, high-quality images are central to your professional role as these images provide essential information about a patient?s heart and blood vessels, digestive system and other parts of the body, and play a crucial role in the diagnosis of illness. Most hospital patients are referred to the diagnostic imaging department at some time in their treatment. As a radiographer, you will need to respond with empathy to people of different ages and cultures, and with a wide variety of illnesses and injuries. You also need excellent communication skills as you are fully involved with your patients, explaining the procedures and positioning each patient carefully for their imaging session. All large hospitals and many smaller units have an imaging (X-ray) department and it is here that most examinations are carried out. However, radiographers may also take special equipment to wards, Intensive Therapy Units and operating theatres. Most imaging departments provide a 24-hour service. Newly qualified radiographers soon gain experience of being ?on-call? and responding to accident and emergency work, as well as becoming involved with patients whose treatment is more long term.


Sarah-Jean, you are certaintly welcome to post here and ask questions even though you are not going to be a radiologist. It would be nice to have some interaction with the people we radiologists work with most (technologists)

Thanks!