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Medical Radiation Technologists

People in this occupation work in hospitals, cancer treatment centres, clinics and radiological laboratories.

[ 2002-04-17 ]

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At Work

People in this occupation work in hospitals, cancer treatment centres, clinics and radiological laboratories. Radiological technologists operate X-ray, radiographic and fluoroscopic equipment, specialized CT scanners and mammography units to produce images of the body for use by radiologists in the diagnosis of disease or injury.

Nuclear medicine technologists operate radiation detection equipment such as gamma cameras, scanners, scintillation counters and ionization chambers to acquire information for use by nuclear medicine physicians in the diagnosis of disease.

Radiation therapists operate linear accelerators, and cobalt-60, X-ray and other radiation therapy equipment to administer radiation treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists.

This occupation also includes mammography technologists, angiography technologists and magnetic resonance imaging technologists.

Education, Training and Experience

Medical radiation technologists must complete a two- to three-year college, hospital-school or other approved program in their specialty: diagnostic radiography for radiological technologists, nuclear medicine technology for nuclear medicine technologists and radiation therapy for radiation therapists.

Most recent entrants have a community college diploma.

They must complete a period of supervised practical training. They must be certified by the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists or a provincial counterpart or an appropriate provincial governing body.

With experience, they may become supervisors, managers, commercial representatives and instructors.

In These Occupations

13,000 people were employed in 1998, an increase of 13.4% from 1988.

Most of the growth occurred from 1993 to 1998, when employment increased 13.0%.

In comparison, employment in all occupations grew 12.3% over the same ten years, and 8.2% over the last five.

26% work part-time, compared to an average of 19% for all occupations.

1% are self-employed, well below the average of 17% for all occupations.

81% are women, well above the average of 45% for all occupations.

The unemployment rate averaged 1.6% from 1996 to 1998, compared to the national average of 6.0%. This rate is among the lowest for technical, paraprofessional and skilled occupations.

The average earnings are among the highest for technical, paraprofessional and skilled occupations but are comparable to those for other occupations in the health sector.

National Outlook to 2004

Currently, chances of finding work in this occupation are rated "Good", since employment opportunities and earnings are both well above average.

Over the next five years, this outlook is not expected to change, as the number of job openings is expected to be matched by the number of qualified job seekers.

Technological change, in particular the introduction of sophisticated imaging technologies, will create new skill requirements in this field. The effect on demand for these technologists will depend on the extent of government funding for these new technologies.

With restructuring of the health care system, the best opportunities for medical radiation technologists may be in private sector clinics.

Almost all of the increase in employment requirements through 2004 for this occupation is expected to occur in hospitals and in private health practices and medical laboratories.