Imagine losing your balance and falling off of your bike which then results in breaking a bone. Imagine not only the immense pain, but also how the pain would be never ending if there was no way to see what happened to the bone when you fell. Well, due to the science in which X-rays and other forms of high radiation are used for the diagnosis of injury and disease, otherwise known as Radiology, we are able to find out exactly what has happened. Radiology is commonly called the “eye of medicine” along with the “flashlight to healthcare”. This is believed to be true because without Radiologists health care would be left in the dark and unaware of an injury or diseases exact location or the intensity that could easily been diagnosed with an X-ray. When I think of having a dream job I think of that job as being a Radiologist because they are able to take images in order to diagnose a patient illness, use radiation therapy to treat diseases, and provide help during minimally invasive procedures.

Radiologists provide the use of images of a patient in order to diagnose an illness or disease. Among receiving requests from doctors or physicians for a test to be done to treat a problem, Radiologists consider a number of different tests that can be done and are available to the specific patient along with the risks and benefits of each. Radiologists also take into consideration the side effects of each treatment and how it would specifically affect the patient. Once the Radiologists have decided and taken action on a treatment plan they are expected to communicate the results to the doctor or physician. In doing so, a report is written up which will include the treatment plan used and the results. Sometimes Radiologists will verbally discuss the treatment with the doctor instead of constructing a written report to be sent over. Radiologists not only take X-rays in order to diagnose them, but they also closely examine the way that the bone is positioned through an X-ray, along with conducting CT scans. Radiologists play a huge role in the healthcare profession which is why it interests me so much as a dream job. Diagnosing patients through the imagines that you yourself or a coworker have taken along with being able to come up with a treatment plan and researching the specific side effects to that particular person, does not seem like a boring day of work to me. Every work day comes with a new patient and a new experience which is why I would consider it to be such an accomplishing dream job.

Radiologists, also to be known as Radiation Oncologists provide the use of radiation therapy to treat many diseases. Radiation therapy is used often to treat many forms of cancer such as leukemia, brain tumors, bone cancer and many more. Radiation therapy uses special equipment to send high doses of radiation to cancer cells in the body or the designated area. Cancer cells are known to grow and divide faster than any other cell in the body which makes this radiation so important. The use of radiation therapy allows for small breaks in the DNA in cells in order to stop cancer cells from growing and being able to divide. Most of the time radiation is able to kill the cancerous cells, but during the process some nearby healthy cells are affected by the radiation but most recover and are able to function the way that they should. Radiology isn’t just X-rays but also being able to stop cancerous cells from dividing and taking over healthy cells in the body. There is nothing more rewarding than having the technology that radiologists do and in return, being able to kill off cancer cells and stop the spread of cancer all together. The satisfaction and appreciation of a positive outcome on a patient would be the most rewarding dream job anyone could ask for.

Radiologists have the opportunity to further their career in X-ray to become “Interventional Radiologists” which are radiologists that are allowed to perform minimally invasive procedures rather than having the patient undergo major surgeries. Minimally invasive procedures involve techniques using small catheters, tiny incisions, and needles all while treating the targeted problem area. The amazing thing about minimally invasive procedures is that they are less painful than other major surgeries and have a shorter recovery time. Interventional Radiologists are able to perform many types of minimally invasive procedures all depending on the patient. These minimally invasive procedures consist of biopsies, uterine fibroid embolization and breast biopsies. The procedures are all evaluated before surgery either through a CT scan, ultrasound or MRI whereas during a surgical biopsy, radiologists are present to use a guide wire in order to locate the mass in which the surgeon is looking to remove. Being able to be the “guide light” and the one to point out the problem during a minimally invasive procedure seems extremely exhilarating because it is something that most people are not able to experience ever in their life unless they are working within the radiology field, which is why it sparks so much interest to me.

Radiology provides lots of care and help in health care which is why it continually interests me and keeps pulling me in making it a greater dream to want to pursue such a job. Radiology scans including X-ray CT and MRI’s all guarantee proper imagining when it comes to diagnosing illnesses. Radiation therapy treats diseases by eliminating all and any cancerous cells in the body. Radiology also provides minimally invasive procedures for a number of patients that qualify for such a procedure. Radiologists may just be known for their X-rays but when you dig a little deeper into the career, you find that they provide so much more.