Ever wondered who those people standing by those intimidating MRI, CT and X-Ray machines are?

Those knowledgeable individuals are radiographers – and The Society of Medical Radiographers Malta has dedicated their time to help people like you and me understand what they do. 

8th November is known as World Radiography Day, so we’re taking a look at the seven coolest things you didn’t know about radiographers and the impressive things they do. 

1. There’s never a dull moment 

As part of their day to day jobs, they find all sorts of things in places where the sun doesn’t shine – from tomatoes to bottles.

And you’d be surprised with how many children swallow batteries.

If you want to see just how quirky and wild people can be, the world of radiography can be a great place to start. 

2. They’re not doctors or nurses

The hospital may be filled with doctors and nurses, but other professions exist too. Radiographers are constantly being mistitled by the general public. Although they know quite a bit about anatomy and how humans work, their job is completely different to doctors or nurses. 

3. Radiographers aren’t radiologists 

The biggest thing most people don’t know is that radiographers aren’t radiologists.

Radiographers are in charge of painting the perfect picture, through their scans, for the radiologist to interpret. Presenting their colleagues with the easiest pictures to interpret is a crucial part of their job. 

Without them, a lot of the most important and common medical procedures just wouldn’t be able to happen.

4. And the job is more than just pressing a button

A whole load of physics is used when it comes to taking your scan.

Each person is different, so the details of the procedure need to be altered depending on the patient. Age, positioning, and a number of other factors are taken into consideration when altering the radiation dose. 

5. Radiographers are there to help 24/7

6. They are oncology heroes 

The gears in the oncology department would not turn without the radiographers’ work.

They are so crucial to radiotherapy treatments, as they are completely in charge of determining the optimal positioning tailored to each individual patient. They’re also in charge of targeting the tumour properly, ensuring safe treatments with very high doses of radiation. 

7. They help out in crime investigations 

The Radiographer is called in criminal investigations as any homicides are imaged to help out the court for ballistic studies. They also lend a hand in archaeology and art where they are needed to scan any findings or paintings to reveal hidden secrets.

BONUS – They were crucial to overcoming the pandemic 

Radiographers were front liners during the pandemic, as certain cases could only be confirmed via CT Scans. They also took x-rays of covid patients when the need arose.

Does this line of work sound like something up your alley?

Getting started in the field is easy – all you need to do is have a look at the undergraduate and post-graduate radiography courses at the University of Malta. This course allows you to take on many studies, allowing you to both perform and advise on procedures.

Once you have successfully graduated, you can work in the private or public sector, both in Malta and abroad. 

Think you’d be perfect for caring for patients, whilst also using radiation, technology, and all of the crucial equipment to the field? Radiographers bridge the gap between patients and doctors, aiding the patients to get ready for the procedure, whilst providing accurate information to the medical team and proving essential to the continuous success of medical procedures. 

Tag someone who needs to know about the radiographer life!