What is the difference between Radiologic Technology and an X-ray Technician/Medical Assistant Back Office?
Asked by Curiousmom
My Voc/Tech school offers both course and says they are both different and the price is double to be a Radiologic Technologist. Other people that are already working out there says, they are the same, they just prefer to be called Radiologist Technologist... I'm so confuse...pls any advice would be great.

Best Answer:
An x-ray technician is a limited permit tech. This means that there are many x-ray exams that they cannot perform. Limited techs are generally licensed to do only extremity x-rays (arms, legs, feet, hands etc) or chest x-rays, for example. I wouldn't waste my time or money on a limited tech program. A radiologic technologist can use the title RT and has graduated from an accredited program, and can LEGALLY perform any exam involving radiation. RTs do more than just x-rays of bones. We do fluoroscopy studies (involving the intestinal tract and barium), arthrograms (assisting the radiologist with injecting contrast or dye into joints for evaluation) and myelograms (assisting the radiologist with injecting contrast into the spinal canal). If you work in a hospital setting, you will do portable exams in ICU, CCU, the ER and even surgery. Some RTs take x-rays in the morgue. Limited permit techs cannot do most, if any, of these exams. Most RTs will also become proficient and licensed in other modalities, such as mammography, CT and/or MRI. This training does not require any additional formal training, and is usually learned on the job. The more licenses you have, the more money you can make, as you will be in higher demand. With additional schooling, you can also do ultrasound. A limited permit tech cannot cross-train into these other modalities. Most limited techs work in orthopedic offices. An imaging facility or hospital imaging department wants a fully licensed RT in their employ. They want a RT, who can do anything that comes through their doors. A limited tech will also make less money than a RT, if they can find a job at all. Look at this site, and see which program is the accredited program. Just search "radiography" and your state: http://www.jrcert.org/cert/Search.jsp
I am a RT(R)....
Answered by Lissacal

I'm not sure of the technical differences of x-ray tech and radiologic tech though perhaps the former 'only' deals with basic x-ray and the latter can also be trained or deal with cat (computerized axial tomography) scan and mri (magnetic resonance imaging) scan. Just fyi, there are not supposed to be too many jobs for the medical assistant (or medical biller or coder) despite what private $$ schools proclaim :) Please do also look into a county vo-tech school (if still interested in medical assistant) or community college (perhaps non-credit course) as they tend to be more affordable. For general career info: http://www.bls.gov/oco and search radiologic technologists, medical assistants or such. Please steer clear of online, for-profit schools such as penn foster, stratford career, university of phoenix and others: http://www.uopsucks.com http://www.ripoffreport.com and can type into search.
Answered by jannsody

It looks like the other posters have a handle on the x-ray part of your question, so I'll explain the Medical Assistant "back office". Usually when someone refers to an MA as "back office" they mean that the MA is clinical. They take back the patients, take vital signs, a brief history, and prepare the patient for the doctor. They can also perform simple diagnostic tests (EKG, spirometry, etc.), give immunizations, and usually are also certified to draw blood. I would honestly think that the pay would be better for Radiologic Technology. There is high demand for both positions, but MA's typically do not make very much money.
Answered by ~Gemini~

With the two above posters said before I agree with but also fyi, I would not go to a vocational school for x ray at all. It is too expensive and god knows what kind of education they give you is beyond me or even if it is accredited. I just wouldn't trust those kind of schools. I recommend a hospital based program or a community college but a hospital baed program's clinical education is superior than a college based one and gives you a higher percentage of getting hired.
Answered by blazindaddyj