North Dakota Radiology Tech Careers and Degrees
Receiving your Radiologic Technologist Training in North Dakota
To work as a radiologic technologist in North Dakota, you must complete an accredited training program. Although there are several accrediting agencies, the most common is the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), reports there are only about four radiology technician schools in North Dakota. Radiologist technician programs are generally 2-year associate degree programs; however, the radiologist technician programs in North Dakota are either 4-year bachelor degree programs or 2-year programs aimed at individuals who are already registered and certified radiologic technologists.
Graduates of the 2-year programs earn bachelor’s degrees and can work in various areas of specialty in radiology sciences. Admission into these programs is based on GPAs in science and math, completion of prerequisite courses, academic ACT/SAT scores, personal interview and experience in the healthcare field. Time in the program is divided between classroom studies and clinical rotations, as well as a clinical internship. You will learn about radiation protection, digital image acquisition, advanced patient care, positioning and medical imaging. You must maintain a “B” average in all classes to succeed in the program.
Radiology Technician Licensing in North Dakota
North Dakota requires their radiology technicians be licensed, although it does not mandate the ARRT-administered exam for state licensing purposes. If you are pursuing a career as a full radiographer, you can take a state exam, the ARRT exam or the American Chiropractic Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ACRRT) exam. Limited radiographers are not required to take any exam. You only need to pass your training program with passing grades; however, limited radiographers can only do procedures on ribs, chest, abdomen, skull/sinuses, podiatry, extremities and spine areas.
North Dakota does not require full or limited radiologic technologists to complete continuing education credits. However, radiology techs that are ARRT-certified must complete 24 continuing education credits every two years if you wish to maintain your certification as a Registered Technologist. Radiologic technologists working in North Dakota are not required to renew their licenses, according to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT). Before radiology techs can be ARRT-certified, they must meet educational, ethical and requirements. These requirements include successfully passing an accredited radiologic technology program, being of high moral character and passing a certification exam.
The Radiologic technologists can become members of the North Dakota Society of Radiologic Technologists (NDSRT), a professional organization for Registered Radiologic Technologists. The NDSRT offers radiologist technicians many valuable resources, including info on educational opportunities, workshops, certification and continuing education, among other things.
North Dakota Radiologic Technology Association
North Dakota Society of Radiologic Technologists
Career Outlook for Radiology Tech Jobs in North Dakota
Radiology technology is a field chosen by individuals who want to work in the medical field and be part of a state-of-the-art technology. It’s also a field that offers excellent career opportunities and a faster-than-average employment growth, reported the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, who stated these medical professional could see an increase in employment up to 28% between the years 2010 and 2020. The BLS also reported that North Dakota employed about 530 radiologic technologists as of May 2012, and these professional had a mean yearly salary of $46,670. Radiology techs in other parts of the nation earned a slightly higher wage of $56,450 during the same period. In addition to being part of a challenging and rewarding career, a radiologist technician can branch out into various areas of specialization. Radiologic technologists will continue to be in demand and those with various certifications may be more valuable to their employers.
Other related titles a radiology tech may pursue include radiographer, sonographer, mammographer, nuclear medicine technologist, cardiovascular-interventional technologist, computed tomography technologist, magnetic resonance technologist and bone densitometry technologists. These careers require additional training and certifications, but open up almost endless employment opportunities.