Episode 10
Cross Trained or Pay for MRI School? What I'd Do Today.
Welcome to A Couple Of Rad Techs Podcast!
If you’re pondering whether to let your employer foot the bill for cross-training in a new radiology tech career or to take the plunge and pay for it yourself, you’re in for a treat! Chaundria dives into the nitty-gritty of her own journey and the ups and downs of navigating the world of MRI training. She spills the tea on the challenges she faced when waiting for her employer to offer cross-training, and trust me, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows! With a treasure trove of options today that weren’t available back in the day, she encourages all you aspiring techs to take charge of your own training and make strategic choices. Grab your favorite beverage, kick back, and let’s explore how you can elevate your radiology career without waiting around!
When it comes to advancing your career in radiology, the question of whether to wait for your employer to cross-train you or to pay for your own training can be a real head-scratcher. Chaundria draws from her own experiences in the podcast, recounting her journey as a CT technologist who wanted to break into MRI. From the struggles of finding an employer willing to cross-train her to eventually taking charge of her own education, her story is both relatable and inspiring.
Chaundria emphasizes the importance of taking initiative and not relying solely on your employer’s timeline. She recounts how she had to navigate her own path, purchasing online courses and hustling her way into MRI training. The episode is packed with practical advice for radiology techs, urging them to consider all their options. With a wealth of resources at their fingertips, today’s techs have opportunities that many didn’t have years ago.
In a playful and engaging tone, Chaundria leaves her audience with a vital message: Don’t let others dictate your career path. Whether you choose to pursue cross-training through your employer or invest in your own training, the key is to make a choice that aligns with your goals. With a few laughs along the way, this episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone looking to elevate their career in radiology.
Takeaways:
- If I could rewind, I'd skip waiting for my employer to cross-train me, for sure!
- Don't just sit around hoping your employer will cross-train you; take the initiative!
- Explore all your options—there are plenty of ways to get cross-trained today!
- Finding a facility willing to cross-train can be tough, but persistence pays off!
- Consider online courses to get that didactic learning while seeking clinical opportunities!
- When faced with the choice, weigh your options carefully—cross-training might be the way to go!
MRI training, cross training MRI, MRI technologist career, MRI certification options, medical imaging education, CT to MRI transition, online MRI courses, clinical training for MRI, MRI job opportunities, MRI technology skills, MRI technician resources, medical imaging career advice, MRI schools and programs, cross training strategies, continuing education in radiology, MRI job market insights, self-directed learning in MRI, MRI professional development, imaging department needs, MRI training challenges
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Transcript
What I would do differently if I was going back to MRI school this time around, the first thing would be I would not wait on my employer to cross train me.
Speaker A:Now, you may be saying, what other option is that?
Speaker A:There are a lot of options out there that you guys have now that we didn't have back years ago.
Speaker A:When I was trying to learn mri.
Speaker A:I was already a CT technologist.
Speaker A:And trying to cross train and find a facility that would cross train me was really hard because, I don't know, maybe it was some politics in there.
Speaker A:Maybe it was just, you know, hey, they just didn't have the need for it.
Speaker A:But what I found was they did have a need.
Speaker A:They needed MRI technologists in several hospitals that I worked at, but they would pick and choose who they wanted to cross train.
Speaker A:Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker A:I just could not get cross trained.
Speaker A:So maybe some of you are finding that to be a struggle, but I had to persist because there were not a lot of options.
Speaker A:But I did do this.
Speaker A:I purchased an online course that didn't come with clinicals at the time.
Speaker A:It was very hard to find schools that actually gave you clinicals and gave you didactic learning.
Speaker A:I just went on and purchased the didactic part so I could educate myself.
Speaker A:And in the meantime, hopefully I could get cross trained at one of the many hospitals that I was prn.
Speaker A:Eventually it happened after I got in didactic work in, I was able to kind of negotiate the fact that this particular facility that I worked at prn, and I was covering first, second and third shift for them in ct, they could not seem to keep people in mri.
Speaker A:So I said, well, you know, just give me the opportunity.
Speaker A:And you would have thought they didn't know me from Adam.
Speaker A:I'm just being real here.
Speaker A:This is what some technologists go through when they're trying to cross train.
Speaker A:So that's why I try to encourage you to be smart, strategic, and don't wait on your facility to cross train you.
Speaker A:If they do, if they don't, go get your own, and then you can have options after that.
Speaker A:And nobody has any kind of control over you because they cross trained you.
Speaker A:Now I was finally able to get cross trained.
Speaker A:They realized that they weren't getting anybody interested in coming to work at this hospital, and particularly in that MRI department for a reason.
Speaker A:The option they gave me, though, was interesting.
Speaker A:Now, I was an employee at this facility for many years, but in the CT department and worked flawlessly.
Speaker A:No issues.
Speaker A:And y'all, I'm just telling you the real of what some people go through to try to get cross trained.
Speaker A:So if you have the opportunity, take it, go with it, but make sure you choose the best opportunity for you.
Speaker A:That was the best option I had.
Speaker A:Well, they gave me 30 days to learn MRI.
Speaker A:I had never scanned MRI before.
Speaker A:I just did the book work.
Speaker A:There were no schools out there.
Speaker A:Yeah, 30 days was not enough.
Speaker A:But you know what?
Speaker A:This is what I did to make sure I did not miss my opportunity.
Speaker A:I was there all 30 days except some Sundays.
Speaker A:And I was there on Sundays when they got called in.
Speaker A:I live close to the hospital, so I would come in when they called.
Speaker A:People in the particular tech would call me and say, hey, I'm coming in.
Speaker A:You want to meet me?
Speaker A:We got this exam that I think you would like to see most Saturdays, Monday through Friday, definitely for the entire shift.
Speaker A:They were only open to like 6:00.
Speaker A:I was there all day, every day for those 30 days.
Speaker A:Days.
Speaker A:And after 30 days I could scan on my own basic things.
Speaker A:And over time they realized, you know, I went on the set for my registry.
Speaker A:I wanted to stay in there until the end.
Speaker A: ean like really until I think: Speaker A:And this is why I tell you all not to bash anyone, but just to really help technologists out there, use the opportunities that you have now that many of us didn't have then.
Speaker A:And this is why I make the content so you can make sure when you are trying to elevate your career as an MRI technologist or anything else in the profession of medical imaging and radiology that you don't wait on other people to call the shots for your career.
Speaker A:Y'all have facilities out there that are willing to cross train you.
Speaker A:Maybe they'll make you sign for extra year or two.
Speaker A:And then you have schools out there that will actually allow you to come in and do your clinicals there.
Speaker A:You pay them a lump sum of money.
Speaker A:If you had the option to get all your didactic and your clinical work done at a place and say they charged you twenty five hundred dollars or three, five hundred dollars but you're done in a couple of months or you're sitting here begging this employer that you've been working for very hard and very loyally to cross train you and nothing's happening, which one would you do?
Speaker A:I would love to know in the comments what you guys would choose.
Speaker A:So hopefully this was helpful and you take it upon yourself to elevate your career and let me know what kind of certifications are you interested in getting it Would you cross train, or would you pay for it yourself?
