Any radiographers here ?

[TheThoughtPolice]

I'm seriously considering retraining in radiography, starting this Sept. I wanted to ask a few questions, if that's ok?

During training, what were the placement shifts like? Did you find them relatively easy to juggle with the workload. I have children, all school aged, and a DH who works long and stressful hours so obviously that may pose a few problems from a shift work perspective, although it is not insurmountable.

Now that you are qualified what are the shift patterns like? Do you have to do on-call? If so, how frequently?

What about career progression, further training etc? Presumably, like most healthcare professionals, you are required to update your skills with study days etc throughout your career?

Answers from all welcome, especially those who work or trained in larger hospitals with busy xray departments.

Thanks

[PuzzleRocks]

Bumping for you.

[TheThoughtPolice]

Thanks PuzzleRocks

[TheThoughtPolice]

Are any of you folk back from work yet ?

[cmotdibbler]

Do you mean diagnostic or therapeutic ?

If diagnostic, then it is shifts - many places 24 hours, some on call only at night. You could go for community or mammography which is daytime, week days, but those obv have less career progression.

If you are prepared for further study, then theres a really extended role available now.

Therapeutic radiography is much more family friendly (pretty much 9-5 weekdays), high tech, continued contact with patients, and some have extended roles with prescribing, patient review, symptom control etc.

I'm not a radiographer, but a medical physicist and have worked closely with both groups, but mostly therapeutic radiographers

[hotbot]

Hi, im a radiographer manager, whilst training you would be 9-5 and no weekends. until your last year when you would be expected to do a small amount of shifts,to let you know what to expect when you qualify i love my job, but because of afc - pay sceheme there is a lot less opportunity for career progression unfortunately the govt have yet to recognise us for the job and skills that we have,
if you can and have the choice if i were having my career over again i would look at nursing or a profession allied to medicine whereby i could also work for myself so i wouldnt be so beholden to the nhs iyswim , podiatry or physio for eg. i hope i havent put you off - l love what i do but its best to go in with eyes open. and it is lot better for fleixible working than ever these days i am more than happy to employ 2 pters as well as 1ft iyswim

[TheThoughtPolice]

Hi all, thank you for your responses.

I have looked at both diagnostic and therapeutic, both are available at the university I hope to attend. The only problem with the therapeutic pathway is that the centres where placements are done are very far from my home. The uni itself is 45mins away and the nearest centre is at least another 15mins onto that, the furthest being about 1h 30m away . It could end up as a 1h 30m round trip every day of placement at the very minimum.

Whereas diagnostic placements are much closer for me. I could do a placement in the hospital where I currently work which is 10 mins from my front door. I know that it is important to look at the whole picture and the 20+ years of working life I would have after qualifying but I also have to consider the impact of the training for the more 'awkward' pathway (in my case radiotherapy) would have on my family and whether it would even be workable.

[TheThoughtPolice]

Oh. and please don't worry about putting me off ! I want to hear both sides, the good and the bad.

[TheThoughtPolice]

any more views ?

Thanks to Puzzle, hotbot & cmot for their input so far

[TheThoughtPolice]

Any more thoughts on this ?

Has anyone got any experience of the radiography degrees offered at what used to the University of Central England (UCE) ?

[TheThoughtPolice]

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