Advancing from Radiology Tech to Healthcare Administrator

Radiologists are integral parts of a medical team. They help to diagnose and treat patients. Radiology is a fulfilling career field for someone who wants to help others and who also has an affinity for science.

Many radiologists decide to pursue advanced degrees that will allow them to move into hospital administration. It is just one of the many directions a tech can choose in this diverse and dynamic field. Radiology is a great field of study because it involves the latest technology, and this technology is always changing. There are now what the hospital refers to as PACS, Picture Archive Communication Systems.

Debbi Lehner: We are filmists these days. Everything is electronic, so you have the ability to view images online. They are electronically sent between facilities. It is just really wonderful. There is no more lost film.

That means instead of old-style X-rays, everything is digital. Any doctor in the hospital system can view an X-ray, even though the patient and the doctor might be on different campuses. It is just one of the many amazing technological advances Debbi Lehner has seen since beginning her medical career as a radiological tech at the age of 17.

Debbi Lehner: I think it is very, very neat, the interaction between surgery and the various imaging components. It is fascinating to think that they are going to be doing an MRI on somebody at the same time they are doing brain surgery [on the same person]. The information that they are gaining from that is just phenomenal.

Lehner eventually went on to get an advanced degree and moved into hospital administration, just as Hickey is planning to do

Debbi Lehner: Radiology is one of the more extensive technologies in the hospital, so that is a logical progression, to be more on the management side.

Both Hickey and Lehner see the sky is the limit for someone who is interested in radiological technology. While both of these women have chosen to pursue master’s [degrees], a radiographer with a bachelor’s can look forward to a challenging and varied career.

Debbi Lehner: Generally, the expectation is that you work as a technologist for a bit, so that that you get the feel of [working] in a department. You could work as a general radiographer. You could go on and get some specialty training for other areas. There are a lot of different paths that you can take with a bachelor’s in radiography.

Whichever path is chosen, it promises to be one on the cutting edge of technology. Advancing from a radiology tech by getting a Masters degree can really improve your salary if you move into Health Administration. We have detailed pages showing the kind of salaries you could expect in a similar job on this site, make sure to check it out.

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