Careers in medicine usually mean six to eight years of schooling in high stress and high pressure environments. However, there is a whole realm of medical careers that have been largely overlooked until recently. These are in the medical technician fields as well as medical assistants and other fields that require a two year certification or Associate’s degree. X ray technician schools in Massachusetts have flourished recently, due primarily to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that show growth in the medical industry that will outperform almost every other job market in the country.
Over the next ten years, hospitals, clinics, and medical centers are going to see an increase in demand for services, especially in the diagnostic and screening departments. This is due to a change in demographics in this country that we have never seen before and don’t expect to see again for a while. The aging generation is larger than any generation before or since: the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers are reaching ages, between their late 50s and early 60s, when they need more regularly scheduled test and screenings due to higher risk of developing serious diseases and conditions like cancer, heart disease, and broken bones.
Across Massachusetts, colleges and universities are poised to take advantage of this increase in demand by educating future employees of hospitals and medical centers. They are also lining up clinic hours relationships so their students can work with their potential future employers as part of their training. If the match fits, eventually students simply go from student-trainee status into employee status and everyone is happy. You don’t have to train a new employee who has been around for a couple of years already.
Additionally, the rich medical tradition in Boston has great opportunities for specialization. Whether you want to focus on working towards curing cancer or identifying broken bones in the emergency room, as an x ray tech you can work at the forefront of technology as well as medical advances. Not many fields offer that kind of opportunity for a two year degree.
Of course, there are a number of higher degrees available, as well. If you are interested in simply getting yourself in the job market as quickly as possible, a certificate or Associate’s degree program will probably be perfect for you. But if you want to go farther in the field or add to your skill set in the future with other higher degrees, consider getting a Bachelor’s of Science in radiography. Below are a few examples of accredited programs in Massachusetts. This is by no means an exhaustive list. For more accredited option in MA and around the country, visit www.jrcert.org.
Certificate Program:
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Charlestown Navy Yard
26 1st Ave
Boston, MA 02129-4557
www.mghihp.edu
Associate’s Degree Program:
Northern Essex Community College
Lawrence Campus
45 Franklin St
Lawrence, MA 01841-4911
www.necc.mass.edu
Bachelor of Science Degree Program:
Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
179 Longwood Ave
Boston, MA 02115-5896
www.mcphs.edu