Students in Pennsylvania College of Technology's radiography program will contribute to the celebration of National Radiologic Technology Week, Nov. 5-11, by creating educational posters and displaying them in hospitals where they perform clinical rotations.
The students' posters will be displayed at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg; Jersey Shore Hospital; Lock Haven Hospital, Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College; and Susquehanna Health, Williamsport.
National Radiologic Technology Week celebrates German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen's discovery of the X-ray on Nov. 8, 1895, and the importance of medical imaging and radiologic oncology.
Radiographers use X-ray equipment to produce images of the tissue, organs, bones and vessels of the body. Sonographers use sound waves to create images of anatomy.
Some radiographers specialize in mammography, CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging. Radiographers can also pursue additional education to become nuclear medicine technologists, who use radiopharmaceuticals and special cameras to produce images of organs, or radiation therapists, who administer radiation to treat cancer and other diseases.
According to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, as technology advances and the American population ages, the demand for radiologic exams and procedures has soared, offering a promising future, job stability and good salaries.
A 2006 survey by ASRT showed that wages averaged about $21 per hour for entry-level radiographers and $30 per hour for entry-level radiation therapists and for sonographers.
For more information about the academic programs offered by the School of Health Sciences at Penn College, call (570) 327-4519, send e-mail or visit online.