The Advantages of Being an MRI Tech

If you want to join the medical field but you want to stay clear of the hectic and toxic schedule that most healthcare professionals follow, then being an MRI tech might be the best choice for you. In fact, a predictable schedule is one of the biggest advantages of this profession.

Technically speaking, an MRI technologist is assigned to do one task: to operate the MRI scanner. However, there are a lot of other duties and responsibilities that are related to that job that these professionals must also do.

Aside from just learning how to use the MRI machine, an MRI tech should also know how to maintain it. But more importantly, they must understand their patients and work with them personally to make them feel comfortable while undergoing the procedure. Furthermore, they also work with doctors and help them interpret the scan results.

It doesn’t take long to be an MRI tech. Most of the time, a 2-year associate degree in a related field is enough to make one eligible to enroll in an ARRT MRI training program. Such a program will teach you the basics of being an MRI tech and everything you need to know to do well on the job.

An ARRT MRI training program will include educational units in human anatomy, patient care, electromagnetic resonance, and patient safety, among others. All of the topics discussed in the program are essential to an MRI technologist’s role, which is why students must be very careful in choosing where they should get their education.

Compared to other professions in the healthcare industry, the path to becoming an MRI tech is much faster, easier, and more affordable. Many MRI technologists could start their jobs without worrying about paying many student loans. The associate degree and accredited training won’t cost you a lot.

As stated earlier, among the benefits enjoyed by MRI techs is a regular working schedule. It’s possible for MRI scans to be operated only during business hours, although some machines are made available 24/7 in a hospital setting. Even so, the work schedule of MRI techs is more predictable than the others in the medical field.

Furthermore, MRI techs can choose whether to work in a hospital, clinic, or diagnostic center. There is a lot of demand for this profession, and there’s a need for MRI technologists almost everywhere, including private laboratories and government agencies all over the country.

If you want to be an MRI technologist, the first thing to do is check the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists certification requirements or ARRT. The ARRT is the certification body of MRI technologists, which means they are the ones who determine whether you’re eligible to take the ARRT MRI registration examination or not.

There’s also another organization you should consider joining, which is the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. Seeking membership in this association gives MRI tech access to many useful resources and materials to help them perform better in the field, and further boost their careers.