Radiology, like many other high-tech areas of the modern healthcare industry, has become a very promising job market. The demand for highly qualified professionals in this sector is always high. As for future employment prospects – it is expected to be better than today. Population growth and the growth of the elderly segment is creating an increased demand for healthcare professionals, including radiology technicians. Besides, radiology technicians can find work everywhere across the country, so the necessity of relocation—moving with a family to another unfamiliar city or country—is not much of a problem for such professionals. The advantages of the radiology technician occupational specialty determine its popularity among other high-tech sectors of the healthcare industry. This is a great supporter of radiology.
On the other hand, there are no professionals without contras, as they say. The current professional environment for radiologists is both highly competitive – with many men seeking an attractive and rewarding career in the field – and dynamic. Thus, a good professional, in order to remain in the team, must take care of continuous promotion and enhancement of professional qualifications, which is officially required by healthcare industry regulations. It is critical to understand the necessity of continuing education for radiology technicians. Otherwise, the professional will not be in a position to advance his career in this field. The formal requirements for radiology staff qualifications are very strict and specific – any radiology technician registered with the ARRT (American Register of Radiological Technologists) is required to have 24 hours of continuing education credits – if not, the man will forfeit his hard-earned professional standing. Even worse, at least half of these credits must be Class A. This requirement came into force fifteen years ago, and today a recognized continuing education assessment mechanism is concerned with raising the level of professional excellence in radiology technicians and their skills – they must always be of the highest quality!
A lot of people probably consider continuing education just a waste of time, but with radiology majors, it’s different – any radiology technician must take a keen interest in staying ahead of the game throughout their career. The applied sciences in technology and radiology are constantly moving, modern medical technology is advancing rapidly, and healthcare protocols are changing. Any healthcare professional needs to upgrade their skills and knowledge at least once every two years.
What are the requirements of the American Registry of Radiological Technologists for continuing education of radiologists?
In accordance with the requirements of the ARRT, any registered radiology technician is required to renew their registration. The minimum requirement is 24 continuing education credits within the past two years. You must be able to prove that you have these credits, otherwise ARRT will not renew your registration, and you will be suspended. And you’ll be left without an all-important career designation like enrolling in ARRT! As you can see, continuing education is far from a waste of time for radiologists!
Is it difficult to provide 50% of Class A credits, as approved by a recognized continuing education evaluation mechanism?
The good news is that the minimum requirement of at least half of continuing education credits for radiology professionals is not as difficult as it sounds. The term Class A Activity Credits means that these credits need to be approved and assessed through a recognized continuing education evaluation mechanism, as simple as that. The level of difficulty of such activities is no higher than the activities you engaged in during the course of study you undertook to obtain your degree and become a certified radiology technician. So, you don’t have to worry about that. Detailed information regarding the continuing education assessment mechanism and its requirements is readily available on the ARRT’s official website and other online resources.
Keeping up with the requirements of continuing education is critical to the successful career development and professional growth of any radiology technician interested in a further career in the healthcare industry. The recognized continuing education assessment mechanism is far from being a fancy thing or a bad handicap, designed to make radiologists’ lives miserable. Nothing of the kind, this procedure, unpleasant though it may seem to foreigners, helps the radiologist to remain at the first level of professional fitness, which is an excellent thing in itself!