Anyone in radiology?

[JakeJenna]

I am going back to the local CC, one of the severalradiology fields seems like a good thing for me to get into. Most of what I have read online says its one of the fastest growing fields and projects to be a strong and stable field in the future. I have also read from people that are in the field that the job market is over saturated with new graduates, so which is it?

 

[indygirl99]

I have been an RN for 30+ years. You hear about the nursing shortage right. In the area I live in there are 700+ nursing graduates each june and no one can get a job. The unit I work in won't hire unless you have current experience (read 3+ years).

How many radiology schools are there in the Toledo area?
How many students do they graduate each year?
How many hospitals and clinics are there in the area?
Have you looked at the hospital/clinics websites to see how many jobs are posted?
Of those jobs posted what are the requirements?
Are you willing to relocated to get a job?

I work for a hospital that has 6 hospitals in the system and 18 associated clinics. I just looked at our job postings and there is ONE job for a xray tech and 4 jobs for ultrasound tech and ALL the positions are on call and require previous experience.

So if you lived where I do I would say that job prospects are slim.
Try answering the above questions and that might help you make an informed decision.

A quick look shows Mercy has positions for MRI/CT and ultrasound but require certification AND 2-3 years experience. And the University of Toledo has one position and it is internal only for an ultrasound job.

Again doesn't look to promising from just a quick internet search but answer the above questions and you may have a clearer picture of things.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do and remember sometimes relocating can be so very much fun. I went to school in Indiana and have worked in 9 different states and the District of Columbia.

 

[JakeJenna]

There are at several radiology programs in toledo, my quick job search yielded about the same results yours did. We hope to move to the SD area in five years or so, as we both need to graduate before we can dream of affording California's cost of living. I'm just really torn with what to do and I have to schedule classes Friday. I have worked crap jobs my whole life I really don't care what I do for a living(to an extent) all I care about is being able to find and hold a job and make a decent wage.

 

[ReneeA]

Here's what I think: it's a 2 year degree at a community college, which mneans it's fast & fairly cheap. My ADN degree 4 years ago cost me2 years & $8,000, and I was lucky to sneak in just prior to my hospital cutting the loan forgiveness program, so technically I "paid" the college 2 years & my hospital 4 years.

Do it. There's a saturation of the market now, but you will get a job, it'll just take a bit. What you need to do is get into the program, then find a job at the hospital you want to work at. Any job - transporter, receptionist, food service - get in and talk to people. Meet people & network...tell them you're in the program, love this hospital, love the work & want a job.

That's what I did, and had a job waiting for me before I graduated...in the ICU division, no less...and the market was just as tight ( or tighter) then as it is now.

Good luck!

 

[carrie1626]

Please research carefully.

Our local TECH College announced recently it is dropping the Radiology Program because of over saturation.

You want to know that there will be a need for your skill once you're done!!

 

[disneygirl_wdw]

My fiancé just graduated from a radiology program and is still working retail. His certificate cost the same as 4 years at the university I went to. There is an over saturation in the field. He's had calls for 2 interviews and graduated top in his class. Another thing since he went for his lmr people he went to interview also wanted him to have his ma (medical assistant), no one at the school informed him of this and at this point he couldn't stay in school.
The school he went to is actually being investigated because of false numbers. Said there was a 98% job placement rate when reality is its only 20%. I would do careful research. Many students he graduated with are in the same boat. More student loans and working retail.

 

[indygirl99]

There are at several radiology programs in toledo, my quick job search yielded about the same results yours did. We hope to move to the SD area in five years or so, as we both need to graduate before we can dream of affording California's cost of living. I'm just really torn with what to do and I have to schedule classes Friday. I have worked crap jobs my whole life I really don't care what I do for a living(to an extent) all I care about is being able to find and hold a job and make a decent wage.

Have you taken all the core classes that are required for most degrees? English, math, science? If not sign up for those and work with a school counselor to help find a productive future career path.

Where in SD do you plan on going? Look up online the local newspapers and see what types of jobs are being offered.

Again good luck in finding a career path.

 

[JakeJenna]

Have you taken all the core classes that are required for most degrees? English, math, science? If not sign up for those and work with a school counselor to help find a productive future career path.

Where in SD do you plan on going? Look up online the local newspapers and see what types of jobs are being offered.

Again good luck in finding a career path.

First of all thank you everyone for weighing in. I'm going in completely fresh, if I chose the program I wouldn't actually apply until June but I could take classes now that are required in the program. I actually was more interested in the dental hygiene program but I had second thoughts about that because it would seem there wouldn't be much growth as far as promotions go. I also wouldn't graduate from that program until 2017. I just don't know what to do, anyone with any advice in other fields you would recommend would be greatly appreciated. Yes I do know that all locales are different, as I said with a few exceptions I don't care what job I do as long as I have security and a decent wage.

 

[disneygirl_wdw]

You're not alone. Both myself and my fiancé are in the same boat. Everything that might sound interesting to him there are no jobs. He loves healthcare, but feels jolted from last time so he doesn't know. He likes working on computers but everyone is telling him its a dying field being in IT unless doing programming which he doesn't want to.
I graduated college with 2 degrees right when the economy crashed and one of the highest growing fields became the lowest. I'm trying to go back for education and hoping I can find a teaching job.
Many 2 year programs will probably be saturated. The longer and harder the program the greater the job prospects. I would just spend some time on job hiring sites. See what's out there.

 

[indygirl99]

Almost all programs that end in and associates or Bachelors degree require math, English, science. Start with those classes and you can work on finding what is the right career for you as you are going to school.

Sometimes being exposed to others with different backgrounds and opinions like at school can spur you to what you really want to do. As your mother what you said you wanted to be when you grow up as a child.

Are you working now? what do you like to do? Do you like people, animals, are you crafty, handy with your hands, able to solve puzzles, see things others don't recognize.

 

[JakeJenna]

Almost all programs that end in and associates or Bachelors degree require math, English, science. Start with those classes and you can work on finding what is the right career for you as you are going to school.

Sometimes being exposed to others with different backgrounds and opinions like at school can spur you to what you really want to do. As your mother what you said you wanted to be when you grow up as a child.

Are you working now? what do you like to do? Do you like people, animals, are you crafty, handy with your hands, able to solve puzzles, see things others don't recognize.

I'm thinking that I may just do this for now, I have to get started now or I will probably never get back to this point. Medicine has always been what I have wanted to do, but I would be more than willing to do something else. It just seems everything at the CC isn't much of a step up financially from what I do now. I am kind of at the point where I may consider a bachelors if school agrees with me in my first semester. The problem is I'm soon to be 28 with three kids, while my wife is more than capable of working her earning potential is only about half of mine. The other thing is I qualify for the pell grant, I'm not sure if its worth taking on the loans for years three and four as opposed to the free Associates degree.

 

[Kellydelly]

I'm thinking that I may just do this for now, I have to get started now or I will probably never get back to this point. Medicine has always been what I have wanted to do, but I would be more than willing to do something else. It just seems everything at the CC isn't much of a step up financially from what I do now. I am kind of at the point where I may consider a bachelors if school agrees with me in my first semester. The problem is I'm soon to be 28 with three kids, while my wife is more than capable of working her earning potential is only about half of mine. The other thing is I qualify for the pell grant, I'm not sure if its worth taking on the loans for years three and four as opposed to the free Associates degree.

What about going for a nursing degree? I know they are hiring nurses in Metro Detroit. They just hired a couple Canadians on my unit (which I totally don't understand, aren't there still U.S. nurses looking for work?). It's good money and a very portable career. Can you go into the service and get your schooling that way?