Anyone here an x-ray/ultrasound tech?

[Juan]

My wife is absolutely hating her job and is looking for a career change and is interested in being an x-ray/ultrasound tech in a medical setting. Anyone here in that field? Can you recommend a good school? We live in Los Angeles.

thanks,

Juan

[nianfong]

one of my best buddies is a cardiac ultrasound tech. but he got his training in the air force.

[Juan]

Got it, I'll have her enlist tomorrow.

[Ralteria]

That was awesome.

[meeks]

if she's capable of taking photos on her cell phone and uploading them to facebook she should be quite capable of learning xray tech.

[qiphlow]

AFAIK: radiology tech is a pretty good field. the senior techs at my hospital make around 45 bucks per hour, and those that specialize (ultrasound, CT, MRI, nuclear med, etc.) probably make a bit more than the generic tech that only shoots plain films. the classroom part is about 2 years, i think, and there's some clinical time involved. around here, the community colleges have the programs.

[Michael]

How's their cancer and sterility rate?

[qiphlow]

How's their cancer and sterility rate?

http://radiology.rsna.org/content/233/2/313.full
http://radiology.rsna.org/content/229/1/16.full
http://bjr.birjournals.org/cgi/content/full/75/895/637
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/104535521/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1740936
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/134804.php
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/12/943

[Michael]

Thanks for the links. I was reading the second one you posted and came to this:

Is this not evidence that there might be some underlying benefit to occupational exposure to radiation?...This statement blatantly assumes that radiation has no potential beneficial effect on the occurrence of other diseases.

Bloody brilliant, these blokes. Ionizing radiation beneficial? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

The one published by Pubmed says

Conclusion: Similar to results for single acute dose and fractionated high dose radiation exposures, there was increased risk for non-CLL leukaemias decades after initial protracted radiation exposure that likely cumulated to low-to-moderate doses.

Medical News Today

The risk of developing cancer among radiation workers increases with the dose of ionising radiation they are exposed to, according to a study by the Health Protection Agency published today in the British Journal of Cancer *. The observed cancer risks are consistent with the international scientific consensus on radiation protection.

Breast cancer mortality for radiological workers

Our finding—that breast cancer mortality was highest among technologists who first worked in the earliest calendar periods—probably reflects changing exposures to radiation over time. Recommended exposure limits for medical radiation workers decreased from 70 rem/year before 1934 to 30 rem/year in 1934, 15 rem/year in 1949, and 5 rem/year in 1958 (24). This cohort, with its large number of women, estimated wide range of radiation doses received, and the extensive information available on risk factors, is uniquely suited to address the risks of breast and other cancers that are associated with long-term, low-dose radiation exposure.

[zenman]

I think U/S techs make more money are are more in demand. I've worked around a lot of x-ray and U/S techs but never dated one because they would see right through me.

[qiphlow]

I think U/S techs make more money are are more in demand. I've worked around a lot of x-ray and U/S techs but never dated one because they would see right through me.

*rimshot*