Academics

The health care industry is constantly evolving, and with that comes changes in radiologic technology as well. One example is the changing expectations for radiologist schooling — workers who once could follow a hospital’s training program must now hold at least an associate’s degree in order to qualify for licensure in most states.

If you’re like most radiologic technologists, you may be faced with a new unexpected question: “What degree program will be best for me at this stage of my career?” Your answer will depend upon your own personal situation, but make sure to consider how long-term trends in this ever-changing industry might influence your career potential.

5 Skills you’ll gain with a Bachelor’s in Radiology

As new technologies continue to evolve in radiology, radiology departments will need to adapt quickly. Your department’s leadership will play a key role in how well your team manages change and remains at the forefront of progress.

If you are a radiologic technologist, you can start to stand out in your department by developing a health care administration mindset. A Bachelor’s-level education in Radiology Administration can help set the stage for continued growth in your field, helping you develop valuable skills for administration and radiologic departmental leadership.

Read on for a quick look at what you stand to gain through an online Bachelor’s degree in Radiologic Science Administration.

1. You’ll learn to speak the administrator language

As you work with managers in your own department or across a health care organization, you may hear them bring up topics that involve cross-functional issues. As health care administrators, they are thinking about organizational challenges from a slightly different perspective. By diving into a bachelor’s degree program that emphasizes health care administration, you’ll be better equipped to participate in those discussions and bring your department’s specific needs to the table.

2. You’ll develop management qualities

Any manager will tell you, leadership requires a unique skill set. It is not simply about being a standout employee. How will you motivate your team? How will you prepare them for changes in the field? Will you have the foundational skills to manage a budget or navigate legal compliance? Before you go after a next-level job, make sure you have the management aptitude to succeed when you get there.

3. You’ll start to see the big picture

Many health care professionals are focused primarily on individual patients — as they should be. But there is still value in understanding how your individual role, single patient interactions, and your specific departmental challenges influence other areas of the health care organization.

Expanding your education will expose you to larger topics of budgeting and finance, health care quality control, legal compliance and regulations, as well as liberal arts courses that connect what you do to the world at large. These experiences can not only bolster your career, but also add a sense of greater purpose to how you approach your profession.

4. You’ll renew your skills in oral and written communication

Once you’re entrenched in your specific career field, it’s easy to lose touch with other important skills — even ones we used to practice regularly. Just like any other professional skill, communication requires regular practice in order to be proficient.

If you’re looking to stand out as a professional in your field, or at the very least be prepared for an ever-changing role in your health care organization, you should feel comfortable with written and verbal communication. Completing a bachelor’s degree program can help you keep those skills sharp.

5. You’ll hone your research and critical-thinking skills

Every job can start to feel repetitive once you get comfortable in your role. While you may be confident in your ability to do quality work for patients, it is important that you remain curious and engaged. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree will help engage your research and critical-thinking skills so you can ask the important questions that keep your radiology department moving forward.

Why earn your Bachelor’s degree as a Rad Tech?

The minimum educational requirement for a radiologic technologist (commonly known as a rad tech) varies from state to state. But for the most part, individuals must possess at least an associate’s degree to even be eligible for state licensure. This means that if you want to remain in your current position, you’ll need at least some level of college education.

While an associate’s degree may address some immediate job security concerns, working rad techs are well advised to consider what career expectations will be long term. We used real-time job analysis software to examine more than 22,000 radiologic technologist job postings from the last two years.^*The data helped us identify the preferred education levels employers are seeking when filling rad tech positions, revealing that between 2016 and 2017, there was a 28.3% increase in the number of job postings that listed a bachelor’s degree as the desired level of education. Do you have the education you need to stay ahead of this growing demand?

Be a leader in your evolving radiology department

With the health care sector growing due to an aging population, there is plenty of room for radiology leadership growth as well. Stand out by developing your leadership skills in the online Bachelor’s of Radiologic Science Administration program at Saint Joseph’s College. Request more information today.

^*Burning-Glass.com (analysis of 22,611 radiologic technologist job postings, Jan. 1, 2016 – Dec. 31, 2017)