Start the New Year with an X-Ray Technician Career – Classes Start December 11th in Orange County!
As an ACCSC accredited X-Ray Tech School, we’ve had the opportunity to work with many students who have gone on to a successful X-Ray Technician Career. We’ve been training X-Ray Techs in Southern California since 1981; furthermore, we’re one of the only X-Ray Technician schools in Orange County. As a result of our long stance within the industry, we’ve been able to see what works and what doesn’t. Moreover, we’ve been able to fine-tune our X-Ray Tech program in order to meet Healthcare employers’ and industry needs. As a school who trains hundreds of X-Ray Technicians, it’s easy to get lost in headcount. Instead, our programs offer a hands-on learning environment with small class sizes inside real-life labs and equipment.
X-Ray Technician Career Training Starts December 11th in Orange County
Because of technology, Radiology has evolved a great deal in recent years. X-Ray Technicians are on the cutting-edge of that digital technology and on the frontlines of patient care. The role of the X-Ray Tech has also slowly evolved over the last few decades and we pride ourselves on keeping up with those changes. If you’re thinking about becoming an X-Ray Technician or even a Rad Tech in California, it’s important to find an accredited training school. Furthermore, because your education is vital in preparing you for what you’ll encounter in the field, you’ll want to ensure that the school has your best interests in mind before enrolling. Things like Clinical Internship, Job Placement Assistance, Financial Aid as well as the class structure and school’s philosophy can affect the overall success of your future X-Ray Technician Career.
In this article, we’ll explore why becoming an X-Ray Tech is a great career choice for 2018 and beyond. We’ll also take a look at how X-Ray Technicians work in the field, as well as different opportunities within Diagnostic Healthcare. We’ll also discuss why December is a great time to start training as an X-Ray Tech in California.
Why an X-Ray Technician Career is a Great Choice in 2018
Did you know that Southern California has seen a boom in the number of small clinics and urgent cares in the last decade? X-Ray Techs primarily work at the clinical-level, so this has brought with it plenty of welcome opportunities for grads. While things may be different in other parts of the country, here in California, most X-Ray Technicians are also trained Medical Assistants. Many XT’s spend their day medical assisting alongside taking x-ray images working alongside a clinical team.
We recently spoke with Adam Cooper, XT, who is an X-Ray Program Instructor and Radiation Safety Officer at our school. Adam gave us a lot of insight into a day in the life of an X-Ray Tech in California. He also walked us through some of the various X-Ray Technician Career opportunities. We covered a lot of ground in that interview, including why X-Ray Techs should also be great Medical Assistants. Moreover, we discussed the different career paths for the X-Ray Technician as well as how the job has evolved.
While Rad-Techs work at the hospital-level, there have not been too many new hospitals built in the last decade.
Here in California, Cross-Training as an X-Ray/MA is a Popular Career Path, and It’s Easy to See Why:
- Enhanced Job Security: more skills make you more desirable to Healthcare employers
- Employment Choices: as an X-Ray Tech, there are a wide range of places and shifts you can work
- Healthcare Career Options: X-Ray Technicians can continue to grow their careers in Radiology while earning
- More Tools in Your Shed: with more skills comes more opportunities to mold your X-Ray Technician career
- Quick Turnaround: X-Ray Tech Training usually takes 12 months to complete
Diverse Job Opportunities in an X-Ray Technician Career
X-Ray Techs in California can be found working in the following places:
- Small Clinics Urgent Care Centers
- Radiology Imaging Facilities
- Orthopedic Clinics & Offices
- Doctor’s Offices & Private Practice
- Corporate Healthcare Facilities
- Physical Therapy Clinics & Sports Medicine Offices + more!
What is unique about becoming an X-Ray Technician who is cross-trained as a medical assistant is that you can find the right job to fit your needs, schedule and personality. For instance, while many X-Ray Technicians enjoy working day-shifts or swing-shifts, others choose to work evenings, late shifts and even sleeper-tech. This is where you’re working from 7pm to 7am on weekends. It’s a very unique setup, where the clinic’s backroom is setup like a living-space for clinical staff. Patients arrive at various hours throughout your shift, ringing a bell for service upon arrival. Once you’ve completed your X-Ray Tech / Medical Assisting duties, you’re able to go back to your living space and wait until the next patient arrives.
While this is an extreme example, it illustrates the diverse opportunities within the X-Ray Technician career in California. That said, it’s a great example of the various employment opportunities which you can match to your personality, needs, and schedule.
An X-Ray Technician Career Offers Opportunities for Growth
We’ve highlighted this in several articles — an X-Ray Technician career can also be a great stepping stone. While some students used to want choose to start at the Rad-Tech level, it’s becoming more difficult these days. Unfortunately, there is a 5 to 6 year wait at most California junior colleges with a radiology program. Furthermore, pre-requisite classes are impacted as well. That said, if you want to become a CRT or Radiologic Technologist in California, you’ve got a wait ahead of you. We’re not sure how you feel about waiting 5 years (and that’s a conservative figure) just in order to start learning, but for most students it seems a bit extreme. Moreover, once you graduate you’re still not certain if you even enjoy working in the Radiology.
These challenges are magnified when you consider the competition and seniority at most hospitals where Rad Techs work. If you’re lucky enough to land a job as an RT in California after college, you’ll probably start working graveyards in ER. This also means being okay with the sight of blood and working in a high-trauma setting, with life-or-death situations. However, the RT position does pay well and is a great career once you’re out of school and established. For many, it’s the long wait at the college-level that’s a turn-off.
Quicker Career Path to Becoming an RT in California
The good news is, is that the X-Ray Technician career path can make becoming a Radiologic Tech easier for some. You can complete an X-Ray Tech program like the one at Modern Technology School in only 12 months. Afterwards, you have the option to start working as an X-Ray Technician or pursue a private Radiology college. This means skipping the 5 year waitlist at junior college Radiology/RT programs. It also means that you can earn quicker, and hopefully while in school.
Explore an X-Ray Technician Career with Modern Technology School
Modern Technology School has been training students for an X-Ray Technician career since 1981. We offer the best X-Ray Tech program in Orange County and we’re popular with students for many reasons:
- Built-in Clinical Internship in the latter portion of the program, where students work in a live clinic with patients, clinical staff & physicians
- In-house Job Placement Center offering career services, help with interviews, cover letters, resumes + Healthcare employer/network meet & greets
- Our X-Ray Tech program is all-inclusive, meaning your pre-requisite classes are built-into the x-ray program
- Books & scrubs, as well as the cost of your first California State X-Ray Exam and NCMA are included!
- We include Medical Assistant cross-training for X-Ray Technician students
- Day & evening X-Ray Tech classes are available at our Orange County campus
- Our faculty holds a combined 150+ years of field experience, teaching, education and certification
- Our X-Ray Tech class sizes are small and our instructors work directly with our students
- We believe in a students-first philosophy; it ensures a great fit for students and the school
- We offer Financial Aid to those that qualify
- We’re approved to accept the GI Bill and love working with our beloved Veterans
- Our Admissions process is simple and streamlined; we’ll answer your questions and walk you through
Call Modern Technology School to Explore X-Ray Technician Career Options Today!
Contact Modern Technology School if you’d like to discuss an X-Ray Technician career today! Our friendly Admissions Advisor is here to answer your questions. While other x-ray schools may simply want more warm bodies in classes, we want what’s best for our students. Call us at 714-418-9100 or simply fill out the green contact form on any page. We’ll contact you and answer your questions and find out if an X-Ray Technician career path is right for your needs. Lastly, we offer free tours of our ACCSC accredited Orange County X-Ray Tech School 5 days a week.
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