How to Become a Radiographer in Ghana
The place of a radiographer in medicine cannot be overemphasized. Apart from occupying an important niche in the health sector, they’re also well-paid professionals. So if you’ve been wondering how to become a radiographer in Ghana, you’re at the right place.
Radiography has always been a core discipline of health sciences. Radiographers are trained to produce many of the diagnostic images of the patients that radiologists use to diagnose patient conditions.
Radiographers are an essential part of a working hospital environment. You’ll find a diagnostic or therapeutic radiographer in almost every healthcare facility in the country. If you want to contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of patients, this may be the job for you.
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What is Radiography?
Radiographers, otherwise known as Medical Imaging Technologists, are allied health professionals who take x-rays and other medical images, which doctors view in order to diagnose diseases and injuries.
At the heart of modern medicine, radiographers are integral to accurate medical diagnosis, and in turn, the long-term health outcomes for patients.
There are two types of radiography careers for you to choose from: therapeutic radiography and diagnostic radiography. As part of a diagnostic health team, radiographers are highly skilled individuals who operate extremely advanced technical equipment such as MRI scanners (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computed tomography) and mobile X-ray machinery.
Radiographers combine medical knowledge, patient care and technical skills in their daily responsibilities. You could be working in a hospital or private practice, or in a clinic or emergency room. You can even choose to progress in one area and have your own speciality.
What Do Radiographers Do?
As a diagnostic radiographer, your day-to-day tasks may include:
- producing and interpreting high-quality images of the body to identify and diagnose injury and disease
- screening for abnormalities
- taking part in surgical procedures like biopsies (examining tissues to find the cause of disease)
As a therapeutic radiographer, your day-to-day tasks may include:
- planning and giving treatment using x-rays and other radioactive sources
- working closely with medical specialists to plan treatment of malignant tumours or tissue defects
- assessing and monitoring patients through treatment and follow-up
Skills Needed to Become a Radiographer?
You’ll need to have:
- excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to explain procedures to patients
- a supportive and caring disposition
- good observation skills and attention to detail
- self-motivation and the ability to work under pressure
- organisation and decision-making skills
- the ability to work as part of a healthcare team
- confidence in using leading-edge technologies
- IT skills
- a high level of emotional intelligence to manage the emotional and distressing situations you may encounter.
How to Become a Radiographer in Ghana
To become a radiographer, you usually have to complete a degree in radiography at university. To get into these courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate.
Prerequisite subjects, or assumed knowledge, in one or more of English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics are normally required. You may also be required to attend an interview. Universities have different prerequisites and some have flexible entry requirements.
Additionally, you also need to practice to become a qualified radiographer. This experience can come in the form of an internship.
Furthermore, you’ll need to register with the Allied Health Professional Council, Ghana before you can practice in Ghana.
Conclusion
There are so many opportunities in the medical field and radiography is one of them. The field lacks qualified professionals and you can leverage on that to become a radiographer in Ghana. Also, a ScienceDirect report reveals that there are just 300 radiographers in the whole of Ghana. This shows that there are so many opportunities for professional radiographers is on the increase.
