Any Radiographers out there care to comment on the possible choise of this as a career?
Current area of work is on the decline and 5 yearly cycles of boom/bust getting to me so looking for a change. NHS is one of the bigger employers were I stay which is important and there is a Part Time course nearby that I could do.
Cheers
Will
might be worth checking out other nhs jobs at the moment as a few are offering free grants for people studying them. i heard audiologists (sp?) are getting about 4grand a year to study
Physio students get their fees paid and get £3k a year grant plus the student loan. Radiographers will get the same. Bugger all in the way of jobs though, at present.
I'm the imaging manager for an NHS Trust.
Career prospects a re fairly sound, and there are jobs in this area. Starting out, like any job can be a bit tricky, but we do struggle to fill jobs beyond basic radiographer grades. Have a look [url= http://www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk/ApplySearch/Advanced.aspx?catID=®ionID=&orgID=&word=radiographer ]here[/url] to see Scottish jobs.
FWIW, the big political thing just now is waiting lists. Diagnostic imaging is a key part of the diagnostic process, so increasing imaging capacity reduces waiting lists by reducing diagnostic times. Meaning there are jobs.
you live up north then ? there was a course going up there part time student part time on the job on 12k while training with a job at the end.
trail rat
is that the one at Carlisle?
will
Will - I suspect he is talking about the north of the next country up.
I currently stay in Dumfries so in the right country perhaps just the wrong end!!
"but we do struggle to fill jobs beyond basic radiographer grades"
Is there a reason for this?
I do know that one of the radiographers at Derriford hospital is absolutely lovely. Forgotten her name though.
Radiographer here!
To be a fully qualified diagnostic radiographer you need to do a 3 year degree (full time, with 50% of it made up of experience in the hospital doing 9 to 5 days, so no '3 hour a week' course). You could train to be an assistant practitioner which involves doing the first year of the degree course. There are Trust offering to employ people to do this (i.e, get paid full time for it). However the AP route means that you cannot work unsupervised and have to get everything checked by a qualified radiographer (although local policies maybe slightly more flexable about this). There is also a very limited career path, i.e you cannot really specialise.
I really enjoy my job, well did until the last week when I have been finishing off my MSc dissertation, and have felt the stress rise!
it was an assistant post in fraserburgh iirc willv
Ti29er.
As I understand it (maybe wrong) the NHS tries to guestimate how many radiographers will retire and leave the profession, then combine this with potential service expansion (e.g cancer waits). Then, they support bursaries for the number of people to fill this (creating spaces on the degree course). However, there is 3 years till they qualify and alot can happen. This effect of limited jobs happens every 10 years or so for a couple of years, when they got the sums wrong. There are jobs if you are willing to move, and the job situation is nowhere near as bad as physios.
JammieDodger, my experience can echo that. When I started training as a dietitian there were jobs galore. When I finished, there were hundreds of graduates and only a handful of jobs. Two years later (now I'm completely de-skilled)and jobs are coming up all the time. Thankfully, I managed to find a job in healthcare that I enjoy a lot more than being a dietitian.
I used to be a radiographer. Jammiedodger is spot on with the course assessment. It is hard graft in terms of the hours. Now that the course is a genuine BSc(hons) rather than the old style 'diploma of the college of radiographers' it is a bit more versatile.
Give one of the unis running the course a ring or have a chat & visit with a hospital.
Whilst the training schedule & bursary and the ultimate pay weren't as good as physio posts in my day, there were always jobs if you didn't mind moving. And not the same fearsome competition for course places. These days the scope of jobs is probably even greater than when I left.
There's therapeutic and diagnostic to decide between.
is there a reason that there's a struggle to fill 'basic radiographer grades'? I wonder if it's something to do with the moniker?
Jammiedodger, are the grades the same as they used to be? radiographer, senior I, senior II, superintendent I-IV? And what are today's prospects for movement through the ranks?
Don't tell fibs at the interview.....
They'll see right through you.
Oh well just found out course in Carlisle isnt Part Time anymore as no interest.
When on clinical placement i assume you dont get paid an NHS wage?
Financial aspects of going back to Uni are pretty scary with kids,mortgage etc etc
WillV - I'm going back to uni in a couple of weeks time. I have a mortgage, a wife and two young kids. It'll be a bit tight maybe, but there are 22 non-uni weeks in the year to go out and work.
No wage on placement.
Goan - I am afraid there is not 22 non-uni weeks with Radiography. Its a long course with 5 weeks off in summer, 2 at chrimbo and 2 or 3 other weeks at other time. Clinical placements 9-5 every day in clinical blocks like I said and assignment / exams to revise for when you get home at 530.
Pay grades are agenda for change rates now - just like the physios etc. Start at band 5 and work your way up. I have been qualified 12 years, had a year in Oz, had 3 years locuming (so no chance of career progression) and have still managed to get to band 7. I have done a PG DIP ( and now a MSc- which gets me nothing!) The PG dip enables me to write clinical radiology reports (diagnose) on images, like a consultant radiologist (but not with the pay!)
Most places do not interview anymore which is good if u do decide to go for it.
No salary for placements when doing the degree - just the bursary (which is not much). Our students do pick up some bank 'helper' duties at the weekend to earn a few pennies though.
PS Can be long hours, I am 13hours into a 20 hour shift, hence the hour of the reply!
Hope that helps - anymore questions