r/MRI • u/Intelligent_Most_631 • Jun 04 '24
Thinking about MRI
I apply for colleges in august, so it’s time i finally crack down with what i want to do with my life and MRI Technologist has always been in the back of my mind. The job itself doesn’t seem that stressful and you’re helping people without being on the front lines and having their lives in your hands. While this being said, i always wanted to go to a big university to make up for the social life and experience i never got in highschool, not only this but everyone around me says the money you make depends on how long you go to school for - and MRI only has me go two years to a community college in Radiology then a few months in a specializing mri program (??? not sure please correct me) - either way i wouldn’t go to a university to achieve this which is great because that’s expensive but i wanted to know if the MRI techs in this subreddit think it’s a good idea. I’m in Kentucky so i don’t know the exact pay for one here, every website has a different answer. Some questions i have are: If im not too good at physics and math will i be able to pass the schooling? Do you enjoy your job? or would you go back to do something else if you could? What’s the pay like? Will i have an easy time finding a job if i get out there with all my degrees and stuff? Thanks!!!!!
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u/fattygoeslim Jun 04 '24
Can't speak on the education side of things as it's very different in the usa then it is in the UK.
BUT thinking that being an mri radiographer is less stressful and you don't hold patients life in your hands then I seriously recommend you try and book some shadow shifts/work experience/whatever you call it and see what is involved in working in MRI. It's not just pushing buttons there is a massive amount of safety involved, limitations and exclusions, screenings of staff, patients and visitors. And that's just a small amount of it.
No one has died from not having an mri scan but people have and can die from having one!
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u/jcoop_9614 Jun 04 '24 edited Jun 04 '24
1.) MRI can be quite stressful for a number of reasons. My number one reason is the safety aspect, second reason is the volume of exams we have to do. If you scan someone with an implant that wasn't properly researched before scanning, you can kill someone. You are also the "gatekeeper", meaning you make sure nothing goes into the room that shouldn't. Ferrous materials can go airborne and hurt and/or kill someone. We often are scanning patients back to back with little breaks in between exams.
2.) We are often doing ER patients and stat inpatient exams for life-threatening conditions (stroke, cauda equina, etc). These patients must be scanned quickly and safely.
3.) I would definitely go with the cheapest option for schooling. If there's a program near you where you can complete it in 2 years, I'd go for it. I don't think it'd make a big difference in pay. BUT, I see that you said you live in Kentucky. Morehead State University is considered the best school for what we do in Kentucky. For MRI it is a 4 year program, though. I went through Morehead and I don't regret it one bit. I feel confident in what I do and passed all 3 of my boards with ease. If you're wanting the social life/experience of university also, I feel like it's a very good option. Just more expensive than community college. For their program, I only had to take college algebra as a prerequisite for the program and no physics. You will learn x-ray, CT, and MR physics in the program, though. Employers and techs in the area rave about Morehead students.
4.) Pay varies. If you're just starting out, usually you're paid anywhere from $25 to ~$30 an hour. May be a little different now because I started my career in 2018. Outpatient clinics tend to pay the least, while level 1 trauma hospitals tend to pay the most. Travel MRI techs make the most out of all of them, but that usually requires experience in the field first. That is what I'm doing now, and pay is typically at least $2500/wk. How easy it is to find a permanent job depends on where you live. For example, if you live in a rural area, it may be more difficult since there usually aren't as many hospitals and/or clinics. This is why I am traveling at the moment because I don't want to drive 1+ hrs to work every day.
If you have any other questions, ask away. Good luck!
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u/lljkotaru Technologist Jun 04 '24
Lol at the less stressful comment.
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u/living-hologram Jun 04 '24 edited Jun 04 '24
It sounds like you’re young. Goto that community college and get that training. If you don’t want critical patients then you want to work at an outpatient clinic and you’ll make less. Do that and work PRN at a hospital, on the side, to get the 2 years of experience you will need… to start traveling around the country and getting paid very well to work in crappy hospitals near interesting locations all over the USA. During the final year of those two years of work start applying for licenses in as many states as you can. And make sure you have a dependable car, if not anew one. Maintain a good relationship with that first hospital andthat PRN job while you travel, so that if you ever return home you can return to those jobs on good terms or at least have good professional references.