Anyone studying or qualified in Radiography?

[ChloeAndDeclansMumma]

I am doing an access to health course which entails psychology, sociology, maths & Biology (I wanted to do midwifery but have changed my mind) and want to study Radiography. Someone mentioned I might have to do a GCSE in Physics. Is this right?

I'm a radiographer. It's been a while since I was involved with recruitment though. I'm going to work soon so I'll try to find out for you. I'll post later if I get any info. (My gut feeling is that it won't matter, at age 36 they'll prob be more interested in you not your acaedemic background, though it would help you if you have an interest in physics as you will have to study it as part of the training).

tiredemma - to be honest the competition is so tough. Nearly everyone on my course wants to do nursing or midwifery. I applied to Cardiff and got turned down so need to think of something else. I have put a lot of effort into my access course, and don't want to give it up.

I will have to think of something that doesn't involve sciences, like social work or counselling. The thing is, its not really what i want to do.

thanks kinki.

im a diagnostic radiographer.
are you thinking of doing diagnostic or theraputic?

i did an access course in health which had biology, chemisrty physics amths ans computers and i have to say that the access course physics was harder than the degree's.

I want to do diagnostic radiography, but I question whether I can do it. I am struggling with Biology (access). I have been told I need to do GCSE Physics.

also, as for the biology, for diagnostics knowing the bones was the most important, but they teach you all of this, so long as you now which is an arm and which is a leg it will be ok!! i managed it, i started my access when ds1 was 20 months and then went to uni when he was 3. as you have to work full time whilst on placement, and depending on the uni, some study times are 9-5 also. we also dint get the school holidays off, but i think they may have changed that now. we had 2 weeks at xmas 2 weeks at easter and 3 weeks off in the summer.

Thanks. I am trying to find a college that teaches GCSE physics. I can't find one.

but who told you that you need to?
the uni or some one else?

i dont think 75% or rads have actually studied physics as a gcse or alevel, and if they did then i think they would have gone on to do something more relevant to physics as you honestly dont use it all once qualified.

have a look at www.xray2000.co.uk (or something like that) they do some tutorials on there and you can contact other students/prospective students and ask them lots of things.

ChloeandDeclansMumma - You need to speak to the Uni you will be applying to to find out what their admission criteria are. Admission criteria vary from Uni to Uni, course to course.

You can do a distance learning type course for you GCSE. Or your local college may do GCSE's in the evenings ?

Hi

Physics would be good but if you really ennjoy the course it will be easier. I did (o level) - showing my age now!! But doing the radiography course was actually easier.
I wont pretend it isnt tough but i really enjoyed the job and i am now having difficulty getting back into it. There are massive NHS cuts in this area and no chance of any jobs or even unpaid!! work for a while.
Good luck with it - having a good attitude with people is far more important in the end than being accedemic.

have a look at this its a brilliant website, for students and qualified

i have to go pick ds1 up from school but will look fyou later if you think of anything else!!

otherwise do it, its such a good job with such good prospects,,
ultrasound ct, mri, mammography, theatre work, etc etc

www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/courses2/phygc.html

Wolverhampton college do Physics GCSE via distance learning.

www.ool.co.uk/GCSE/GCSEPhysics.htm

Oxford Open Learning do too

I looked into doing Radiography at UCE (Birmingham) and they DO like to see a good knowledge of physics. In fact I was accepted onto the Access to Radiography course and the focus was very much on the physics and maths. The access course was actually devised in conjunction with the uni and was geared up to provide students with EXACTLY the skills the admissions board wanted to see.

In the end I went with Access to nursing course.

thanks so much. i have to go and pick up DD. be back on later,

Hi C&Dmum, just done my little stint at work! The short answer to your question is no, you don't need physics GCSE.

Now for the long answer. I spoke to 2 students today. They're both 'mature' students (I'd say late 20's and mid 30's). Neither have any physics qualifications. Both did the access to health course, which sounded similar to yours, but specifically neither studied any physics on this course. When they applied to various uni's no-one asked about lack of physics. Nor was the subject broached at their interviews. And obviously they were both accepted onto at least one course! It seems that one of them has struggled a bit with the physics on the course, but to overcome this she hired a private tutor for a while until she learnt a few of the basics and her confidence grew. (Must admit, that's the first I've heard any students doing that!).

I also spoke to a colleague who is involved with selection of potential students. Her immediate thought was also no, you wouldn't need physics. But then she went on to remind me that because of various reasons (no fees, possibility of bursaries etc) lots of people apply for radiography these days. And that some uni's could use physics as a selection criteria, ie, to weedle out some of the applicants, although she's never done this or heard of anywhere doing it. She did say that with applicants above the age of about 25 she's more likely to consider their life experience rather than qualifications.

But finally, I think the most useful bit of advice is to contact the uni's and speak to one of the radiography lecturers. Perhaps ask to come in for a chat and a quick look round. One last thing, the one time I was invited by the uni to come and sit in on interviews for students, the thing that impressed me most were the students who had done a bit of work experience at their local hospital. You could do that either through your college or maybe directly to the head of the radiography department. This will also help you confirm in your mind that this is what you want to do, as well as showing your keeness to the uni's.

Sorry this has been so waffly. I hope it helps. Good luck. Radiography can be a rewarding career.

Thanks Sallystrawberry. There seems to be a lot of competion in nursing these days. I find quite ironic that in the 90's we had a desparate shortage or nurses and no one was too interested in going in for nursing.

There seems to a lot of interest lately. I have been told there are nurses qualifying now and have no jobs to go to. That is worrying. I don't think I will go for nursing, although I have done care work in the past.

kinki. Thanks so much for that very helpful post. I have already spoken to the head of the Radiography department at my local hospital & he said I can spend a day there shadowing a qualified Radiographer to see what its all about and if its really what I want to do.

As for the Physics thing. I spoke to the admissions tutor at the uni I want to go, and he said although they have accepted access to health student in the past, priority is given to those with Physics GCSE, hence for the reasons you gave about one of the students at your hospital.

The radiographer I spoke to at my local hospital said exactly the same thing and he was a lecturer in Radiography at the Uni I want to go to.

I guess different Uni's want different entry requirements.

Too be honest, even though I am 36, I am in no rush to get to uni because my kids are still young. However, I want to be in a position to start in 2008, so that gives me a year to get my GCSE Physics. I just hope my age won't go against me.

Thanks again.

Age shouldn't count against you. I know of someone who started studing at age 55. Not sure what became of her though. And a good friend of mine started at age 48, qualified at 51 and is still enjoying work at age 56. Admitedly both of these were several years ago when applications weren't so high. If you did decide to get the physics, it would probably give you a head start and show your eagerness. But I wouldn't thought it necessary.

Thanks kinki .