Radiography Courses

Last Updated on July 28, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Do you want to become a radiographer or radiologic technologist after 12th standard? If yes, pursuing professional radiography course will be of help to you. In this article, I’ve listed down some of the popular radiography courses available in India. This article covers topics like- course details, eligibility criteria, admission process, PG courses & further studies, career prospects and salary details.

What is radiography? Who is a radiographer/radiologic technologist? What are his/her tasks? What is the nature of a radiographer’ job? Got loads of doubts and questions like the ones mentioned above? Worry not, the next section will answer all your questions.

Radiography: An Introduction

Radiography is a diagnosis process where imaging techniques are used to scan the internal organs and parts of human anatomy. Inner parts, which are not easily accessible, can be thus scanned using minimally invasive or non invasive procedures, thanks to radiography!

 

Radiography came to prominence after the discovery of X-Ray. Earlier, X-Ray was commonly used to scan organs inside the human body and check for ailments and diseases in them. With time, more sophisticated and effective imaging techniques have been introduced. Some of these techniques are- Fluoroscopy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound, Computer Tomography (CT Scan), Angiography and Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

 

A Radiographer is an allied healthcare professional who is capable of using imaging techniques and equipment to scan inner parts of human anatomy and diagnose ailments and diseases in the process. Radiographers are also known by these names- Radiologic Technologists, Medical Radiation Technologists and Diagnostic Radiographers.

 

A radiographer’s main tasks include communicating with the consulting Doctor, carrying out the radiography test recommended by the Radiologist (Doctor), communicating with the patient and guiding him/her (before, during and after scan), operate diagnostic equipment, take care of pre, intra and post scan procedures (safety and medical procedures), analyze the scan result (depending upon qualification) and treat patient using radiotherapy (depending upon qualification).

 

Generally, a radiographer or radiology technologist works under the guidance/supervision of a qualified Radiologist (Doctor). Under certain circumstances, depending upon their qualification, they also take part in the treatment process that uses radiotherapy to cure patients.

 

Let us check out the course details now-

 

Radiography courses in India

In India, radiography courses are available in 3 main formats, when it comes to undergraduate level. They are-

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Diploma
• Certificate

 

Let us take a closer look at these 3 course formats and find out vital details about them.

 

1 Bachelor’s Degree courses

Well known Bachelor’s Degree radiography courses available in India are-

• B.Sc. Medical Imaging Technology
• B.Sc. Medical Technology (Radiography)
• B.Sc. Radiography
• B.Sc. Radiography and Imaging Science
• B.Sc. X-Ray Technology
• B.Sc. Medical Radiologic Technology
• B.Sc. Radiology and Imaging Technology

 

It is evident from the list of courses that Bachelor’s Degree radiography programs are variants of Bachelor of Science course. Let us check out more details about Degree courses.

 

Duration: Course duration is 3 years.

 

Eligibility criteria: “10+2 Science stream passed with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) subjects from a recognized board” is the minimum qualification set by majority of institutes offering this course. Note: In case of some institutes, 10+2 passed with Science stream subjects will also do the trick! Minimum aggregate mark criteria, if present, is generally around 50% aggregate marks in Science subjects.

 

Admission process: Depends on the institute. It could be merit based admission process or direct admission process. If merit based admission process is followed in an institute, marks scored by a candidate in board exam and/or relevant entrance test will be taken into consideration. Some reputed institutes are also known to conduct their own private screening/entrance test and interview.

 

PG courses and further studies: Pursuing PG course enhances one’s skills and also could help one specialize in disciplines within the field of radiography. M.Sc. and PG Diploma courses are well known PG course formats available in front of graduates. For further advanced studies, one could choose relevant PhD program.

 

M.Sc. or PG Diploma programs can be pursued by graduates to specialize in areas within the field of radiography. Some such well known areas of specialization includes-

• CT Scan
• Fluoroscopy
• Angiography
• MRI
• Mammography
• Sonography
• Surgical Radiography

2 Diploma courses

Diploma courses are shorter in duration when compared to Degree courses that have been mentioned above. Diploma Radiography courses are offered by numerous private and Government institutes in India. Let us check out some of the popular courses-

• Diploma in Radio Imaging Technology
• Diploma in X-Ray Technology
• Diploma in CT Scan Technology
• Diploma in MRI Scan Technology
• Diploma in Medical Radiography
• Diploma in ECG Technology
• Diploma in Diagnostic Radiography

 

Duration: Depending upon the institute and the nature of the program, course duration could be anywhere between 1-2 years. A standard Diploma in Radiography course is 2 years long.

 

Eligibility criteria: “10+2 Science stream passed from a recognized board” is the minimum qualification set by majority of institutes offering this course. Note: In case of some institutes, just being 10+2 passed will also do the trick! Minimum aggregate mark criteria, if present, is generally around 50% aggregate marks in Science subjects.

 

Admission process: Depends on the institute. It could be merit based admission process or direct admission process. If merit based admission process is followed in an institute, marks scored by a candidate in board exam and/or relevant entrance test will be taken into consideration. Some reputed institutes are also known to conduct their own private screening/entrance test and interview.

 

PG courses and further studies: Valid Diploma qualification holders may secure admission in relevant B.Sc. courses discussed in the previous section. After completing Bachelor’s Degree course, one may then go for advanced courses like M.Sc./PG Diploma and PhD.

 

3 Certificate courses

Certificate radiography courses are not as valuable or detailed as their Degree and Diploma counterparts. But certificate courses are pretty short, when it comes to course duration. They also help acquire key radiography technician skills. Such a course can help one get entry level technician job at diagnostic labs. Certificate in X-Ray Technology, Certificate in Diagnostic Radiography and Certificate in Radiography Technician are some of the popular certificate courses related to the field of radiography, which are available in India.

 

Duration: Depending upon the institute, course duration could be anywhere between 3 months to 1 year.

 

Eligibility criteria: 10+2 or 10th passed (depending upon the norms set by the institute) from a recognized board.

 

Admission process: Depends on the institute. Could be merit based admission process or direct admission process.

 

Career prospects and job opportunities

Qualified radiographers are in huge demand in India as well as abroad. Healthcare sector is growing at a healthy rate, globally. This growth has increased the demand for allied healthcare professionals. Radiographers too are allied healthcare professionals. Naturally, they too are in high demand, thanks to this trend!

 

Government and private sector job opportunities are available in front of radiography professionals. Imaging department and diagnostic departments in hospitals and clinics are common places where radiographers can be seen in action. Commercial Diagnostic labs are also known to recruit radiography professionals.

 

Common places where radiographers may find work includes-

• Government Hospitals
• Private Hospitals
• Public Health Centres
• Diagnostic Labs
• Nursing Homes

 

After pursuing Master’s level course, one may take up the job of an instructor or teacher at medical or paramedical education institutes. With the help of PhD program, one may also build a career in the R&D sector associated with this field.

 

Salary

Starting salary could vary, depending upon one’s qualification. Professionals who have completed PG course tend to get paid higher. Degree holders are generally paid more than Diploma and certificate holders.

 

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Courses after 12th Science

Courses after 12th Science- Biology Group

MLT courses in India

Paramedical courses in India

OTT courses in India

Dialysis Technology courses in India

Optometry courses in India

Anaesthesia Technology courses in India

 

At start, a radiography Degree holder could earn anywhere between 8-15k Rupees per month. Starting salary depends on factors like profile of the employer, job location and skills of the employee. Abroad, the pay scale is much higher than what it is in India.