Radiology X-Ray Technician Schools near Levittown PA 19054 - Find X-Ray and Radiology Tech Schools

How to Pick an Xray Technician School near Levittown Pennsylvania

Levittown PA x-ray tech internship program Congratulations regarding your career choice to enroll in an x-ray tech school near Levittown PA so you can become a radiology technologist. But now that you have made a decision to go into the rewarding field of healthcare, just how do you tackle selecting the right college and program so that you will get the appropriate training to become a skilled professional? And considering that most states do mandate that radiology technicians become licensed, depending on where you ultimately work you might require preparation to pass a licensing examination. So it’s important that you investigate each of the colleges you are looking at so that you can evaluate each program. Most prospective students begin by looking for technical schools or colleges that are within commuting distance of their homes. Next, they check tuition and typically settle on the most affordable cost. But while cost and location must be considered, there are other significant qualifications as well. For example, you must ask if the radiology tech schools are accredited, or if they sponsor internship programs. These inquiries and others you must ask the schools you are reviewing are provided later in this post. But first, let’s explore what a radiologic technician does and the degrees and education choices that are offered.

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X-Ray Tech Occupation Description

There are several professional titles for x-ray techs (technicians or technologists). They may also be referred to as radiologic technicians or technologists, radiographers or radiology techs. No matter what the name, they all have the identical principal job description, which is to use imaging machines to internally visualize patients for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment. Some radiologic technologists may also provide radiation therapy for treating cancer. Some choose to practice as generalists, while there are those that have chosen a specialty, such as mammography. They can work in Levittown PA hospitals, clinics, family practices or outpatient diagnostic imaging centers. The imaging technologies that an X-Ray tech may work with include:

Traditional and specialized X-Rays
Computerized tomography (CT) or “CAT” scans
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Sonography or ultrasound
Fluoroscopy

Radiographers must care for their equipment and frequently evaluate its functionality and safety. They are also required to keep complete records of each of their diagnostic procedures. As Levittown PA health practitioners, they are held to a high professional standard and code of conduct.

Radiology Tech Degrees Available

x-ray machine in Levittown PA The basic prerequisite for enrolling in a radiology tech college is to have attained a high school diploma or equivalent. Radiologic technologist pupils have the choice to earn either an Associate Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree. An Associate Degree, which is the most prevalent among techs, usually takes 18 months to two years to finish depending on the program and course load. A Bachelor’s Degree will take longer at up to four years to finish and is more extensive in nature. The majority of students select a degree major in Radiography, but there are additional related majors that may be acceptable as well. Something to keep in mind is that Levittown PA radiographer colleges have a practical training or lab component as a component of their course of study. It can often be satisfied by taking part in an internship or externship program which many schools sponsor through local hospitals and clinics in their area. Once you have graduated from any of the degree programs, you will need to abide by any certification or licensing mandates in Pennsylvania or the state you will be practicing in as applicable.

X-Ray Tech Certification and Licensing

After you have graduated from an X-Ray tech college, depending on the state where you will be employed you might need to become licensed. Most states do mandate licensing, and their criteria vary so check with your state. Currently, all states that do require licensure will recognize The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination for the purpose of licensing, but a number provide other options for testing as well. Several states also call for certification as part of the licensing procedure, otherwise it is voluntary. Having said that, many Levittown PA employers will only hire radiology techs that are certified so it might enhance your career options to earn certification. ARRT’s certification program involves graduation from an approved program as well as a passing score on their rigorous exam. ARRT also calls for re-certification every two years, which can be satisfied with 24 credits of continuing ed, or by passing an exam.

Online Radiology Technologist Classes

attending x-ray tech school online in Levittown 19054 As a part of every degree program, x-ray tech colleges will have clinical or lab training included in their curriculum. This is no different for online degree programs. So even though you can still earn your online degree, a substantial amount of the training will be satisfied either in a college lab or in an externship off-campus. Practical training is typically conducted in regional hospitals, outpatient clinics or private practices in sponsorship with the colleges. But the online section of the training can be attended in the privacy of your Levittown PA home. Students who keep working while obtaining their degree usually find that the online approach to learning is much more convenient with their busy schedules. Plus online programs are often more affordable than traditional options. In addition to reduced tuition, expenditures for commuting and study materials can be lessened also. But just be sure that the online program you pick is accredited (more on the benefits of accreditation later). So if you are disciplined enough to learn with this less structured style of training, then online classes may be the best option for you.

What to Ask Radiologic Tech Schools

As soon as you have selected the kind of degree that you want to obtain, you can begin the process of searching for and assessing Levittown PA x-ray tech schools. You will also have to decide if you prefer to attend classes online or drive to a local campus. If you opt for the latter, then obviously the location of the school will be relevant. The cost of tuition and ancillary expenditures will be a material variable also. But along with location and cost, what else should you factor in when comparing schools? Well, you need to find out if the schools are accredited, and if they sponsor internship or externship programs. To help you find out some of these essential details prior to making your selection, we have put together a list of questions that you should ask the schools you are considering.

Are the X-Ray Technician Colleges Accredited? A large number of radiology tech schools have earned some type of accreditation, whether national or regional. However, it’s still important to confirm that the school and program are accredited. One of the most highly respected accrediting organizations in the field of radiology is the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). Schools obtaining accreditation from the JRCERT have undergone a rigorous examination of their instructors and course materials. If the school is online it can also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which targets distance or online learning. All accrediting organizations should be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. Besides guaranteeing a superior education, accreditation will also help in getting financial aid and student loans, which are often not offered for non-accredited colleges. Accreditation might also be a pre-requisite for licensing and certification as required. And many Levittown PA health facilities will only hire graduates of an accredited school for entry-level jobs.

Are Internship Programs Offered? Find out if the Pennsylvania radiology tech schools you are evaluating have relationships with regional clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a terrific manner to receive practical training in a clinical setting, they are additionally a means to fulfill the practical training requirement for the majority of programs. As a secondary benefit, they may help graduates and students form professional relationships in the Levittown PA healthcare community and help with job placement.

Is Job Placement Help offered? You will most likely want to secure employment quickly after graduating, but finding that first job in a new profession can be difficult without support. Find out if the x-ray tech programs you are assessing have job assistance programs and what their placement rates are. Rapid and high placement rates are a good indication that the schools have sizable networks and good relationships with Levittown PA healthcare employers. It also corroborates that their graduates are well regarded and in demand.

Where is the College Located? For many students, the school they select will have to be within commuting distance of their Levittown PA home. Individuals who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don’t reside within their districts.

What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the Levittown PA colleges you are considering what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the radiology technician program as well.

Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the radiographer program you finally pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in Levittown PA, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.

Why Did You Choose to Become a Radiologic Technologist?

When getting ready to interview for an X-Ray Tech job, it's helpful to review questions you may be asked. One of the questions that recruiters typically ask radiographer applicants is "What compelled you to decide on radiography as a profession?". What the interviewer is trying to uncover is not merely the personal reasons you might have for becoming a radiology technician, but additionally what qualities and skills you have that make you exceptional at what you do. You will probably be asked questions relating specifically to radiography, along with a certain number of general interview questions, so you should organize a number of approaches about how you would like to address them. Because there are so many factors that go into selecting a career, you can answer this primary question in a variety of ways. When readying an answer, aim to include the reasons the work interests you in addition to the strengths you possess that make you an exceptional X-Ray tech and the best candidate for the job. Don't attempt to memorize an answer, but jot down some concepts and talking points that pertain to your own strengths and experiences. Going over sample responses can assist you to prepare your own thoughts, and give you ideas of what to discuss to impress the recruiter.

Enroll in the Best X-Ray Tech School near Levittown PA

Selecting the ideal radiology tech college is a critical first step toward beginning a satisfying new career providing diagnostic medical services to patients. The ideal radiologic technologist must be in good physical shape. X-Ray techs often stand for the greater part of the workday and move and at times lift the patient to obtain the proper image. Candidates must also show a capability to pay strict attention to detail and to adhere to the safety guidelines developed to protect both the patient and the medical team. X-Ray techs work very closely with patients, other techs as well as the doctors and radiologists. Possessing interpersonal skills is a must in order to have a good work environment and provide the best possible care to patients. As has been covered in this report, there are several questions that you need to ask each college you are considering before making your final decision. This is equally true whether you participate in an online program or drive to classes on-campus. By asking the right questions you can examine and compare each program so you can focus your options and make your final choice. And with the right education and your dedication to be successful, you can achieve your goal to practice as a radiologic technologist in Levittown PA.

Some Background on Levittown Pennsylvania

Levittown, Pennsylvania

Levittown is a census-designated place (CDP) and planned community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 52,983 at the 2010 census.[2] It is 40 feet (12 m) above sea level. Though not a municipality, it is sometimes recognized as the largest suburb of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania[3] (while Upper Darby Township, Lower Merion Township, Bensalem Township, Abington Township and Bristol Township are municipalities larger in size in the three surrounding Pennsylvania counties). Starting with land purchased in 1951, it was planned and built by Levitt & Sons. The brothers Bill Levitt and architect Alfred Levitt designed its six typical houses.

The majority of the land on which it is built was purchased in 1951. Levitt and Sons only built six models of house in Levittown, all single-family dwellings with lawns: the Levittowner, the Rancher, the Jubilee, the Pennsylvanian, the Colonial and the Country Clubber, with only modest exterior variations within each model. The homes were moderately priced and required only a low down payment. Construction of Levittown began in February 1952, soon after completion of Levittown, New York, located on Long Island. Levittown, Pennsylvania was the second "Levittown" built by William J. Levitt, who is often credited as the creator of the modern American suburb. To speed up construction, Levitt & Sons perfected a 26-step rationalized building method that was essentially an assembly line type of home building. The house remained stationary, while the construction workers moved from house to house. Each worker had one task such as pouring slabs, framing, installing electric sockets or installing washing machines. This highly regimented process enabled Levitt's workers to produce a finished house every 16 minutes. Construction of the homes commenced in 1952 and when completed in 1958, 17,311 homes were built.

What set Levittown apart from other developments at the time was that it was built as a complete community. Levitt & Sons designed neighborhoods with traffic-calming curvilinear roads, in which there were no four-way intersections. Each neighborhood had within its boundaries a site donated by Levitt & Sons for a public elementary school. Locations for churches and other public facilities were set aside on main thoroughfares such as the Levittown Parkway, likewise donated by the builder to religious groups and other organizations. Other amenities included Olympic-sized public pools, parks, "greenbelts", baseball fields and playgrounds, and a shopping center located in neighboring Tullytown borough that was considered large and modern at the time of its construction (and in fact was the largest east of the Mississippi). The first set of four sample homes were put on display in a swatch of land near the future Levittown Shop-a-Rama, and an estimated 30,000 people viewed them in that first weekend.[4]

Residents (who are sometimes called Levittowners) were first expected to comply with a lengthy list of rules and regulations regarding the upkeep of their homes and use of their property. Two of these "rules" included a prohibition on hanging laundry out to dry on Sunday and not allowing homeowners to fence off their yards. These proved unenforceable over time, particularly when backyard pools became financially accessible to the working class and privacy concerns drove many to fence off their yards.[5] In the years since Levitt & Sons ended construction, three- and four-story "garden apartments" and a number of non-Levitt owner-occupied houses have been built in Levittown.

Levitt & Sons would not sell homes to African Americans. Levitt did not consider himself to be a racist, considering housing and racial relations entirely separate matters. However, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) conditioned essential financing for this and similar projects on the restriction of home sales to those of "the Caucasian race", as stipulated in housing rent and sales agreements and deed covenants.[6] This did not prevent Bea and Lew Wechsler, a Jewish couple from the Bronx, from reselling a home to an African-American family. Levittown's first black couple, William and Daisy Myers, bought a home in the Dogwood Hollow section in 1957.[7] Their move to Levittown was marked with racist harassment and mob violence, which required intervention by state authorities.[8] This led to an injunction and criminal charges against the harassers while Myers and their supporters refused to surrender and received national acclaim for their efforts. For instance, Daisy Myers has been hailed as "The Rosa Parks of the North",[9] who helped expose the northern states' problems with racial inequality of that time. Daisy Myers later wrote a book about her family's experiences.[10] She died Dec. 5, 2011, in York, Pa.[11] The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union opposed Levitt’s racist policies, and the Federal Housing Administration threatened to refuse mortgages on his next Levittown. Levitt still refused to sell to blacks, and developed plans for yet another whites-only Levittown—this one to be in Willingboro Township, N.J.—while fighting legal challenges in New Jersey courts. Ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case.[12]