Specialties within Radiology

Modern medicine is capable of treating a tremendous range of human disease and injuries, but the usefulness of all medical specialties depends on accurate diagnosis. Virtually every conceivable medical specialty relies on radiological technologies to provide formal diagnoses, making radiology one of the most important of all medical specialties. Radiologists enjoy some of the best working conditions in modern medicine and typically experience very positive employment conditions. Consequently, their services are generally in very high demand, with many starting out with six-figure annual incomes immediately after completion of their professional training.

Within the field of radiology, there are: (1) radiologists who are physicians specializing in interpreting diagnostic images in connection with diagnosing illnesses and injuries and monitoring medical conditions in relation to many other areas of clinical medicine; (2) radiological nurses specialize in providing nursing services exclusively in connection with radiological medicine; (3) radiologist assistants are the first line of support for radiological physicians and perform many of the procedures and tests ordered by radiologists; and (4) radiological technologists operate and maintain some of the sophisticated medical imaging systems and tools and work side-by-side radiologist assistants and radiologists in conducting the diagnostic tests on patients.

Radiology is one of the few so-called “physical-science”-based fields of medicine, making it a challenging and rewarding application of an academic interest in science. It combines advanced knowledge of human physiology with principles of atomic physics and nuclear decay, electricity and magnetism, and both organic and inorg...

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...things I like the most about my degree program is that it is not all about academic studies even though it is heavily science-oriented. In that regard, my classes do emphasize atomic physics and chemistry, but they also offer substantial opportunity for practical experience. In the words of Professor Hejny, "It's not just classes; clinicals, homework, and practical experience make this a full-time program."

For me the TMCC radiologic technologist program has been tremendously rewarding. It is a challenging academic curriculum that allows much more hands-on experience working with scientific equipment than most medical support degree programs. At the same time, I know that completing the program will enable me to work in a wide range of different clinical specialties in an area of medicine that will always be in very high demand in the job market after graduation.