As I hoped last week, I got As on both of my first tests!! I got a 97.7 on my positioning exam and a 100 on my 101 exam! Yippee! Off to a great start so far!
Today in positioning, we had an equipment manipulation lab to familiarize ourselves with the CR station, the x-ray tube, collimator and table. It was all very interesting and TOTALLY exciting because we're finally getting to put everything in motion. My school just got a whole new, fancy-schmancy lab complete with Fuji CR system and brand new phantoms so that students don't have to simulate images anymore - they can actually do them! My class is the first to use the new lab, and we were warned from day one that it would take awhile for our professors to stop telling us the price tags of each item. :) I don't mind knowing - it just makes me THAT much more careful around the equipment! We are having check offs on Wednesday and Monday by completing an AP axial on the phantom. I tested out the equipment today, and in just the VERY basic way I used it today, it seems pretty straightforward. There's something very powerful about manipulating the equipment and feeling it lock into place.
Even though we were only working on a phantom today, the feeling of fear was replaced by little tiny feelings of confidence and assurance. Because this is a complete career change for me, I think I'm a bit more gun shy than most students in my class. Afterall, when I finished ONE internship and my BS in communications, I thought I had found THE CAREER for me! And I was confident that I would do great in that field...until I reached my first job and realized that the work I did in school was no where close to the work I would be doing in the workplace. I made due for a few years but was not as happy with the situation as I knew I could be. If any of you have ever gone through a career change, maybe you can relate to the FEAR of not knowing what you want to do with your life. As children we are asked repeatedly "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This seems like a fairly safe question, but are we putting extra pressure on children to decide what they want to do at age 6? or 10? or even 18 when applying to college? In my opinon (and why wouldn't I share MY opinion? It's MY blog!), we change as individuals SO MUCH between the ages of 18-21 then again from 21-25...who can know for sure what they want to do at those ages if they aren't even sure who THEY are yet? (As a sidenote, each of you is getting a glimpse into the mind that belongs to the RT Wannabe. Enjoy!) And because this dialog runs around the inside of my head on a weekly basis, maybe now it's easier to understand why I was so excited to have the feelings of confidence and assurance today when working with that x-ray equipment. I can only hope that those feelings will grow as I continue my education and begin working in clinicals.
I want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of this blog! What a great little online community we have of students and techs!
Have a great week!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
And We're Off...
Today I had tests in both of my classes. I always tend to stress out a little more about the first test of a class only because it's the FIRST one, and it takes at least one test to figure out the professor's "testing philosophy." Today, both tests were a combination of multiple choice and short answer/fill in the blank. And, even though I also tend to stress out a little about short answer, I think I actually do better with those types of questions. Either I know the answer or I don't. Luckily, today I did. I think I did pretty well on both - maybe missed one or two questions on each, but I feel good that I got As.
After completing five quarters of pre-reqs at this school, I'm FINALLY getting used to the quarter system (rather than the semester system). At first I felt like my classes were moving at warp speed and I was stumbling to keep up. Now that I'm more used to quarters, I find that I actually like it better than semesters! With the semester system, it was almost TOO long. And it gave students a chance to get lazy with school work because typically the first week was devoted to going through the syllabus and explaining how things would work for the next 15-18 weeks. With the quarter system, the first 10 minutes of class are devoted to that, then it's off and running for 10 weeks. Of course, because class work on the quarter system moves so quickly, I often experience a little bit of burn out around week nine. :)
In 101 today, we started going through the mechanical side of radiology - how it all works. Granted that we're still in the VERY early stages of the process, I feel pretty good about what we learned today. I owe part of that to Prof. Y. He has such a great way of explaining things until they make sense. But, he keeps mentioning two upcoming classes (physics and bioradiology) that make my bum go numb every time I hear it. In high school and early college, I took the required science classes but I wouldn't say that I exactly excelled in those classes. Don't get me wrong. I did well enough to pass, and even well enough to maintain a respectable GPA; but I was never the student chosen as a tutor or had the highest grade on a quiz or test. So, because of that, I am nervous about physics and bioradiology. Any seasoned students or techs out there that can give me some advice?
We have our first lab on Monday - "equipment manipulation" - complete with check offs during the next two class periods. I'm looking forward to the hands-on portion of this new adventure and shaking out some of the nerves.
If you have a chance, take a look at two links I posted on my sidebar (Radiologic Confidential and Mountain Imaging). I have been following these two bloggers for quite awhile and greatly enjoy hearing about their experiences!
Have a great weekend!
After completing five quarters of pre-reqs at this school, I'm FINALLY getting used to the quarter system (rather than the semester system). At first I felt like my classes were moving at warp speed and I was stumbling to keep up. Now that I'm more used to quarters, I find that I actually like it better than semesters! With the semester system, it was almost TOO long. And it gave students a chance to get lazy with school work because typically the first week was devoted to going through the syllabus and explaining how things would work for the next 15-18 weeks. With the quarter system, the first 10 minutes of class are devoted to that, then it's off and running for 10 weeks. Of course, because class work on the quarter system moves so quickly, I often experience a little bit of burn out around week nine. :)
In 101 today, we started going through the mechanical side of radiology - how it all works. Granted that we're still in the VERY early stages of the process, I feel pretty good about what we learned today. I owe part of that to Prof. Y. He has such a great way of explaining things until they make sense. But, he keeps mentioning two upcoming classes (physics and bioradiology) that make my bum go numb every time I hear it. In high school and early college, I took the required science classes but I wouldn't say that I exactly excelled in those classes. Don't get me wrong. I did well enough to pass, and even well enough to maintain a respectable GPA; but I was never the student chosen as a tutor or had the highest grade on a quiz or test. So, because of that, I am nervous about physics and bioradiology. Any seasoned students or techs out there that can give me some advice?
We have our first lab on Monday - "equipment manipulation" - complete with check offs during the next two class periods. I'm looking forward to the hands-on portion of this new adventure and shaking out some of the nerves.
If you have a chance, take a look at two links I posted on my sidebar (Radiologic Confidential and Mountain Imaging). I have been following these two bloggers for quite awhile and greatly enjoy hearing about their experiences!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Another First
After months and months of anticipation, the first day of x-ray school FINALLY arrived yesterday. I spent the night before organizing and reorganizing my school supplies and small fortune of books required for the two courses I'm taking this quarter. I must have gone through four book bags before I finally decided on one very simple Samsonite backpack. I chose the backpack for two reasons - to keep my hands free to carry other necessities needed for a four-hour lecture period and to balance the weight of the small fortune of books.
I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the classroom to find the friendly faces of many students I already knew from previous pre-reqs. I was also relieved to see the same mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear in their eyes that resembled my own. There was a nervous energy that ran laps around the room until our two professors arrived to start our very first class.
My first class is a positioning class where we will be focusing on the body, trunk and upper extremities. My second course is RAD 101. I'm looking forward to soaking up as much information as humanly possible in both classes, but particularly 101 to get a really solid foundation. We have one quarter of only classwork, then will start rotating through clinical sites next quarter. Of course, everyone is anxious and eager to learn more about clinicals, and one entire class period near the end of this quarter will serve as "clinical orientation" where we'll get the FULL scoop on the hands-on portion of our new adventures.
For those who might be interested, my class consists of 18 people. There are four men and 14 women; ages range from 50s to early 20s. It's a pretty diverse group, and in doing introductions yesterday, I think we're going to have a lot of fun together. It's a "neat" feeling to look around at these other students and know that we'll all be going through this amazing opportunity together.
Looking back on it now, it kind of reminds me of the first episode of Grey's Anatomy when the interns are walking around the OR with wonderment in their eyes as the Chief says, "The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the worst and the best of your life." Now, granted, our professors weren't QUITE that dramatic, but they did mention that this would be a very busy and intense couple of years. And I don't doubt that one iota.
And yes, I am a HUGE Grey's Anatomy fan. I know several healthcare professionals who would rather push thumbtacks into their eyeballs than to watch a TV medical show, but I'm not one of those. I fully recognize that shows like Grey's, ER, House and Scrubs ARE TV shows - produced for entertainment and not sound medical advice. But I enjoy listening to medical jargon and scanning through the newly-formed medical terminology dictionary in my brain to analyze what they are actually talking about. I also must admit that I shamlessly enjoy seeing ridiculously gorgeous doctors caught up in relationship dramas all the while saving lives without one beautifully coifed hair out of place.
I was pleasantly surprised to walk into the classroom to find the friendly faces of many students I already knew from previous pre-reqs. I was also relieved to see the same mixture of excitement, anticipation and fear in their eyes that resembled my own. There was a nervous energy that ran laps around the room until our two professors arrived to start our very first class.
My first class is a positioning class where we will be focusing on the body, trunk and upper extremities. My second course is RAD 101. I'm looking forward to soaking up as much information as humanly possible in both classes, but particularly 101 to get a really solid foundation. We have one quarter of only classwork, then will start rotating through clinical sites next quarter. Of course, everyone is anxious and eager to learn more about clinicals, and one entire class period near the end of this quarter will serve as "clinical orientation" where we'll get the FULL scoop on the hands-on portion of our new adventures.
For those who might be interested, my class consists of 18 people. There are four men and 14 women; ages range from 50s to early 20s. It's a pretty diverse group, and in doing introductions yesterday, I think we're going to have a lot of fun together. It's a "neat" feeling to look around at these other students and know that we'll all be going through this amazing opportunity together.
Looking back on it now, it kind of reminds me of the first episode of Grey's Anatomy when the interns are walking around the OR with wonderment in their eyes as the Chief says, "The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the worst and the best of your life." Now, granted, our professors weren't QUITE that dramatic, but they did mention that this would be a very busy and intense couple of years. And I don't doubt that one iota.
And yes, I am a HUGE Grey's Anatomy fan. I know several healthcare professionals who would rather push thumbtacks into their eyeballs than to watch a TV medical show, but I'm not one of those. I fully recognize that shows like Grey's, ER, House and Scrubs ARE TV shows - produced for entertainment and not sound medical advice. But I enjoy listening to medical jargon and scanning through the newly-formed medical terminology dictionary in my brain to analyze what they are actually talking about. I also must admit that I shamlessly enjoy seeing ridiculously gorgeous doctors caught up in relationship dramas all the while saving lives without one beautifully coifed hair out of place.
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