Thread by @mentorshipzim

My name is George. I am honored to share with you all some insights about radiography specifically and careers in general. I will begin by introducing the science of radiography, then present my own journey and the lessons I learnt along the way. I will also be available to

answer questions.
In my short career I have had the privilege to introduce radiography to college students at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The word radiography is made up of 2 words-Radio&graphy. The radio is short for radiation&graphy refers to pictures.

Radiography is therefore the science of producing pictures using radiation. That sounds simple and it is. However, it is very diverse. It encompasses diagnostic radiography, Computer Tomography(CT scans), Ultrasound, Echo, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Medicine,

Positron Emission Tomography (PET scan), Radiation Therapy (or Therapy Radiography), Radiation dosimetry. Most people will be served by a radiographer at some point in their lives and more than 80% of patients seeking assistance at hospitals will undergo 1 form of radiographic

intervention or another.
So the question is how do we introduce such a diverse profession and how do we explore the opportunities availed by a career in radiography. Perhaps a good starting point is the Genesis of Radiography followed by its Exodus.

Radiography started in the Labs of some the world's most renowned scientists. Wilhem Rontegen won the very 1st Nobel prize in Physics. Although he preferred to call himself a mechanical engineer and a physicist, he was actually a radiographer.
nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/dre…

Rontegen's Nobel Prize was for producing an X ray image of his wife's hand. He was not the only scientist who was awarded a Nobel Prize for radiography related work. In fact the only scientist to win two Nobel prizes-Marie Curie (1903&1911) worked on groundbreaking research

in Radioactivity and Radiation which is the backbone of Radiography. Many people have heard about Albert Einstein and the theory of general relativity but few people know that Einstein's Nobel prize was on radiography. The Photoelectric Effect for which Einstein was awarded the

1922 Nobel prize in Physics is what allows us to see bone as white on an X ray and soft tissue as black or dark. Ernst Rutherford's 1908 Chemistry Nobel Prize was also on radiation. The 1979 prize for Medicine was also awarded for the discovery of the CT scan.

Why all this history? Why waste time on trivia? The answer is simple. It explains almost everything from salaries, to shortage of radiographers, to working conditions and even entry requirements for courses in radiography.

Now that we are done with trivia let's put it all together.
First, to practice as a radiographer one must obtain qualifications in radiography or related discipline.

Since radiography started in the Labs of scientists who won Nobel prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Medicine it is
makes sense that they were recruiting people with a background in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. When radiography had its exodus from the Labs to the

hospitals university set these 4 subjects as the prerequisites for admission. Most universities in the world require 3 of these subjects at A level. In Zim 1 must get at least 10 points but because of limited space often the cut off is as high as 12 points. Both UZ and NUST

offer Bsc honors degrees. For all the years I was at UZ, I sat on the board that selected students for enrollment for all the College of Health Sciences programs. I would like to share some insights that I gleaned from those years which I believe are very important.

First, most applicants are not aware of the entry requirements. We had applicants with 15 points in Maths, Chemistry and Geography applying for radiography but because Geography is not 1 of the required subject these students ended up in the Bsc general program.

Secondly, we had applicants with 27 points being turned down while those with 14 points being admitted. This is because subjects such as Maths,Pure Maths, Statistics&Further Maths are considered as 1. So if you have 4As in these subjects&2Bs in the street you have 28 points but

College admission purpose you have 13 points. The universities consider the points gained in ONLY 3 (Maths, Chemistry, Biology or Physics). For admission purposes, there is ABSOLUTELY NO ADVANTAGE in doing more than 3 A level subjects.

Multiple A level subjects are important when competing for MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS for those seeking to study abroad. If there is 1 scholarship the applicant with 27 points has a slight advantage over the 1 with 15 points. Even then it is important to realize that besides points

Universities have extra criteria they use to award scholarships such as community service or triumphing over adversity and well articulated vision in the essays.

In summary 1 needs to do well in at least 3 A levels sciences to enroll for radiography. Different countries have different approaches to the training of radiographers. In many countries, notably USA and Canada, most students enroll in radiography as a second degree after

a first degree in Health Sciences or the natural sciences. Few universities offer Nuclear Medicine, MRI and Medical Ultrasound as a first degree. These are often offered as specializations. In the Commonwealth (CWC) countries&former CWC the path almost always starts with a Bsc

in Diagnostic Radiography or Bsc in Radiotherapy Radiography(also called Therapy Radiography or Radiation Therapist).

With this let me end the introductory section. In the next section I will address labor issues. Thank you for following so far.