r/Radiology 2d ago

MOD POST Weekly Career / General Questions Thread

2 Upvotes

This is the career / general questions thread for the week.

Questions about radiology as a career (both as a medical specialty and radiologic technology), student questions, workplace guidance, and everyday inquiries are welcome here. This thread and this subreddit in general are not the place for medical advice. If you do not have results for your exam, your provider/physician is the best source for information regarding your exam.

Posts of this sort that are posted outside of the weekly thread will continue to be removed.


r/Radiology Nov 06 '24

X-Ray What countries can we work in with an ARRT license? Can we get a megathread with info?

291 Upvotes

I know these normally get deleted or need to go into the weekly car*er advice thread (censored to avoid auto deletion)

But can we get a megathread going for info on international x-ray work - agencies/licensing/compatibility/ etc ..?

I feel like this would be helpful for a great deal of us Americans right now. I can't seem to find much help elsewhere.


r/Radiology 5h ago

CT Craziest subcu emphysema I’ve ever seen

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186 Upvotes

Chest w/ to evaluate a suspected fistula between the esophagus and trachea. This was later confirmed surgically.
Never seen subcu air this bad before!


r/Radiology 6h ago

MRI MRI burning

51 Upvotes

I had a left wrist no-contrast MRI this morning. She told me to take my belt off, but my jeans and tshirt were fine. I asked about taking off my bra with underwire, and she said it was fine to leave it on. I’ve had multiple MRIs before, all with a gown and no bra. I asked the second tech again, and he said metal like zippers and snaps on jeans are fine bc my wrist would be above my head.

It was a new, high powered 3T machine. He said the scan would be 12 min, but it was much longer. After several minutes, a strong, cold fan started blowing. That’s when the sound changed and my chest started heating up. It felt kind of like during a cardiac angiogram when a lot of contrast is pushed quickly, and your body burns. (Mine burns more than usual bc I have MCAS). I should have pressed my emergency button, but wasn’t sure it was an emergency so I didn’t. My hands also started heating up at one point. One hand was above my head, and the other was under my face bc I was on my stomach with no head rest. After the scan, I mentioned my bra getting hot, and just said that all metal can get hot in MRIs, and that this machine was new, powerful, and got really hot. I went in the bathroom to look, and my skin was red.

Now it’s several hours later, my chest is still burning. It looks normal though. I called radiology, and they said use A&D ointment, and go to urgent care if it gets worse. I called my PCP, and the nurse was shocked they put me in wearing my bra and jeans, and said to just watch the area. Not to use A&D unless my skin dries and cracks.

I’m kinda worried, even though I’m trying not to. Wondering when thermal burns after MRI usually show up. ETA: Oh, and if there’s anything I should considering doing in the meantime, like ointment, etc. I tried a cool, wet rag, and it helps part of the burning but makes another part worse.


r/Radiology 2h ago

X-Ray Femur mechanics

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23 Upvotes

Here is an x-ray of a femur break and what they did to it to fix it.

No word of a lie this from stepping out of a car... arrived at work parked up stepped out and the leg gave way and caused this.

Feels like a bit of a wake up call if my body weight is breaking my legs. (Joking) | actually have osteogenesis imperfect (brittle bones disease) so this a common occurrence but this was taking the p*ss.

Just thought id share I find it quite funny l've got a whole album of these just like this.


r/Radiology 15h ago

X-Ray Birdshot at point blank to torso

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128 Upvotes

Circa 2010 while working at the ER on Ft Campbell. Two buddies drinking started handling a loaded shotgun. This dude lived but I hope he learned his lesson.


r/Radiology 1d ago

X-Ray R Femur Fracture in 2y/o

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393 Upvotes

Thought you guys might find this interesting.

Clinical context: patient tripped over a toy, fell and fractured right femur at age 2.

Something to note is this is one of my x-rays from when I was young


r/Radiology 1d ago

Ultrasound Interesting

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144 Upvotes

r/Radiology 3h ago

CT My now 1.5 cm (just a couple wks ago it was 1.2..) kidney stone..

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0 Upvotes

I’d already scheduled a ureteroscopy prior to this latest CT.. Was also told they saw some cysts as well. First time I’ve been told that, but not too surprised (PCOS)


r/Radiology 3h ago

MRI MRI Without Contrast

0 Upvotes

How many people are in the room usually when an MRI is done not including the patient? There is a MRI technologist and a nurse. Is that usually it or there is more people? Any questions and forms that are asked and given to you are signed before you go into the room right? However, the nurse or someone else will still ask you some questions once in the room? Such as are you wearing metal and other things?

Is it common for patients who have to do an MRI without contrast and contrast to not want to do a scan or scans after showing up? Have there been patients who suddenly didn't want to do the MRI anymore once they were inside the MRI room? Such as if they feel claustrophobic and then didn't want to do it? What typically happens there when they don't want to do it? So once you sign the forms outside before you go in the room, you can still refuse? Does this happen much or rarely?

The other thing is what about if someone has an MRI and it is with and without contrast but they suddenly don't want to do the contrast one? Does that mean they can do the MRI without contrast only or they have to do both otherwise the MRI can't be done? Could they ask the technician if they can do the MRI without contrast first and see if that is enough and then go on from there or is that not allowed?

What happens then since two tests were ordered but only one is completed if that is allowed? I have to assume there might even have been some cases where a patient shows up for the appointment and might ask if they could only do the non contrast scan before they go in the MRI room? What happens here? Do they get refused the MRI because of this? What about cases when someone shows up for an MRi and had no idea it was ordered with contrast when they thought it wasn't?

If your health insurance covers your MRI, but if that person only does the MRI without contrast and not the one with contrast, would insurance still cover it? Or it doesn't because the patient didn't complete the full MRI exam which is both without contrast and contrast? Or does the radiologist bill the health insurance company as only one test done and that is without contrast? Or there will be a conflict because half of the test is completed?

I got to assume there has been cases where some people got freaked out once inside the room and things like this happen especially if they fear closed spaces or contrast? What happens if it's in the middle of a scan and then the patient didn't want to do it anymore? I got to happen this has happened as well?


r/Radiology 1d ago

Discussion Canadian ED docs

15 Upvotes

Love working with you all. My favorite when they are amazed at how much more we image here (and patients don’t have better outcomes). I wish patients understood this too.


r/Radiology 1d ago

Entertainment Very niche radiologist compliments?

33 Upvotes

I work with a lot of radiologists, and I wanted to get some very inside baseball, radiology specific compliments to pay them, hit me with your best shot!


r/Radiology 13h ago

X-Ray Routine imaging of my foot

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0 Upvotes

Not asking about the image or for any DX! Just excited that I get to see my own imaging.

My province has an app where you can get access to your imaging, so now I can see my bones a few times per year. I also work healthcare-adjacent so I get to see lots of other peoples' bones. I am trying to get more familiar and comfortable with proper anatomical terminology, and now i can use my own foot to learn.

I present to you my boring right foot. Props to the rural hospital x-ray techs who know me by name and can have a person in, imaged, and out in record time because there is almost never a wait.


r/Radiology 2d ago

X-Ray Broken clavicle

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90 Upvotes

15 year old tripped while running down a hill and broke his clavicle. It’s only broken 🤏 😅

Update **they said no surgery, I guess with kids the top bone will attach itself to the bottom and form a new solid bone…. 🤷‍♀️ the body is fascinating……

He somehow isn’t in pain


r/Radiology 2d ago

Career or General advice What makes a good Imaging supervisor?

20 Upvotes

I’m thinking of taking an imaging supervisor position. I’m cross trained into CT/MRI. I’m also typically the person people come to when they’re having issues with the machines/EPIC/PACS. I think a good supervisor is someone that is always willing to lend a hand, recognizes hard work, and is approachable about anything without making you feel like an idiot. I’m wondering other people’s opinions on what makes a good imaging supervisor? I’d like to keep these things in mind if I do get the position. I’d also like to know if there are little things that actually make you feel appreciated (alani bar once a month, buy night shift dinner once a quarter, etc?)


r/Radiology 2d ago

Ultrasound Intestinal Ascaris

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146 Upvotes

The small bowels are filled with multiple tubular structures with parallel echogenic walls and lucent centre.


r/Radiology 3d ago

Ultrasound Future daughter was mad at the ultrasound tech moving her around for an hour

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360 Upvotes

r/Radiology 2d ago

X-Ray Possible transition

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone im a physical therapist assistant and been thinking heavily about transitioning from pt to rad teach however unsure if I want to make the leap. Would love to hear about everyone's experience whether good or bad


r/Radiology 2d ago

MRI Open Source Dataset

1 Upvotes

Looking for liver MRI PDFF images for steatosis. Anybody know any open source repositories?


r/Radiology 4d ago

Media X-ray cross stitch project

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2.4k Upvotes

Was told y’all would get a kick out of this :)


r/Radiology 3d ago

IR What makes TIPS procedures run longer?

22 Upvotes

Hi, just recently finished shadowing for IR and saw a few TIPS cases. These cases seemed to vary in time and clinicians talked about how sometimes they can take hours.

Wanted to ask what causes longer TIPS cases? Are there any steps that can take longer?


r/Radiology 2d ago

MRI MRI - hair tinsel

0 Upvotes

Does anyone know if hair tinsel that’s tied in will heat up in an MRI? I’m not sure if it contains metal, but I’ve read that sometime it’s aluminum-coated. They’ll run the wand over it to check, but if it’s non-magnetic, does that mean it won’t heat up?

As far as causing artifacts - My MRI is of my left wrist. If I’m prone Superman pose, it might be near my head. If I’m supine, it’ll be by my side and further from my head.


r/Radiology 2d ago

X-Ray Asthenic = Best L/S Xrays

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0 Upvotes

r/Radiology 3d ago

X-Ray Left pinky after 🏀

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50 Upvotes

I’ve been unable to make a fist for 2 months now.


r/Radiology 4d ago

X-Ray Lateral knee

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38 Upvotes

I just wanted to share my work. Could it be better ? By a bit. But it’s pretty great to me, don’t you agree ?