I’m 16, but I’m taking classes at a local college and want to decide what I want to get a degree in. I’d like to do something in healthcare but i don’t like the dirty work in a field like nursing. So I am considering maybe radiology but I was wondering what a typical day consists of for someone in the field, and how many years they went to school for? Also what specifically are you, a technichan, technologist, or therapist? Finally, you like you’re job?
Radiology
- Thread starter TMan22
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Hi Tman, it's great that you are looking into a medical career at 16. I often recommend becoming an EMT to people who aren't sure if they will enjoy working in the medical field. The schooling is pretty short and inexpensive compared to other medical professions. However, you mention you don't want "the dirty work in a field like nursing" so I'm not sure that an Emergency Medical Technician will be good for you. Could you be more specific about what you mean by "dirty work"? If you mean you don't want to deal with patient care, you may want to focus on the research side of the medical field. There are great opportunities for people who don't want to care for patients there.
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take your general requirements, and where free, in things you think you will like
see what you are BOTH *good* at, AND *enjoy*
focus on getting the best grades you possibly can, and learning!
start with your science and math requirements early on.
not so early that you're not good at "college" yet, but everyone has to do *some* science, and a lot of it counts for *any* degree and for a health career
I had AP Bio credits from high school, and started with Intro to Bio 101 my first term. Then I think Zoology. It doesn't have to be Comparative Enzymatic Processes in Higher Order Insects 541.
Then, see if doing your basic science and math requirements is working well for you, if you are good at and enjoy them.
Read the Bureau of Labor's website about different jobs, and the internet.
More importantly, do a variety of extracurricular, volunteer, shadow experiences. Real life interactions and conversations.
Most importantly, get to know yourself. What are you good at? What do you like? Can you separate that from just what you assume you are like? Or what others expect of you? What really matters to you in life and in your job? How hard are you willing to work? How hard are you able to work?
see what you are BOTH *good* at, AND *enjoy*
focus on getting the best grades you possibly can, and learning!
start with your science and math requirements early on.
not so early that you're not good at "college" yet, but everyone has to do *some* science, and a lot of it counts for *any* degree and for a health career
I had AP Bio credits from high school, and started with Intro to Bio 101 my first term. Then I think Zoology. It doesn't have to be Comparative Enzymatic Processes in Higher Order Insects 541.
Then, see if doing your basic science and math requirements is working well for you, if you are good at and enjoy them.
Read the Bureau of Labor's website about different jobs, and the internet.
More importantly, do a variety of extracurricular, volunteer, shadow experiences. Real life interactions and conversations.
Most importantly, get to know yourself. What are you good at? What do you like? Can you separate that from just what you assume you are like? Or what others expect of you? What really matters to you in life and in your job? How hard are you willing to work? How hard are you able to work?
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Depends how you define healthcare. On the path to healthcare, is often a lot of sick, old, frail, smelly, slow, annoying, ignorant, hurting, sad, lonely, drippy, people with a lot of PROBLEMS that they need help with. Most of that help will require a lot of rolling up your sleeves. Most physicians still end up needing to take off their suit jacket or white coat and touch sick gross people every day.
To be a physician, you must finish an undergraduate Bachelor's Degree, so-called 4 year degree, but can and often does take longer to include all the necessary coursework to be considered for medical school. There is a lot of other experiences and requirements along the way. Medical school, also called undergraduate medical education, then takes at minimum 4 years, typically, to complete the medical degree. Often it is 2 years of rigorous classroom based health science courses, followed by 2 intensive clinical training. The hours generally average 60-120 per week of either study, exam taking, or clinical experience. If successful in obtaining both degrees, which usually takes 7-8 years at least, one can begin residency training. This training is often 6 days a week, 80 hours a week. Most physicians do 3-7 years of this training to be able to actually practice in a specialty. Not all physicians can train in their first choice of specialty.
Radiologists do all of the above. Their specialty training is for 5 years past the medical degree. That would be a minimum of 9 years after getting their Bachelor's. Typically 13 years total, maybe longer.
There are different kinds of radiologists!
Figure out if you're really good at school, science, math, taking tests, helping people, caring for the ill, working for really long hours. That is how you figure this all out. Good luck!
