TITLE:
MEDICAL RADIATION TECHNOLOGIST
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: I’m Corporal Michelle Ferderbar from Windsor, Ontario, a Medical Radiation Technologist posted to CFB Petawawa.
Being a Medical Radiation Technologist, or M Rad Tech, in the Canadian Armed Forces is an incredibly challenging combination of technology, travel, and deployment.
As part of the Canadian Armed Forces Health Services team, Medical Radiation Technologists work in modern diagnostic imaging facilities; in X-ray suites aboard Royal Canadian Navy ships; and in field hospitals on deployments and humanitarian missions around the world.
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: A Medical Radiation Technologist in the Canadian Armed Forces does a variety of things including X-rays, ultrasounds, and computed tomography, depending on where you’re posted to. So here I am typically in charge of entering an examination when a patient comes, explaining what’s going to be happening, and then performing the X-ray, as well as doing the paperwork afterwards.
Wherever they go, M Rad Techs serve Canada’s soldiers, sailors and Air Force personnel with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging equipment.
They must also participate in maintenance of clinical readiness skills programs.
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: A big piece that we don’t do here in the Canadian Armed Forces clinics is the operating room where you get to use fluoroscopy and since we don’t have that capability here, we go to civilian hospitals and get to practise that, and maintain our skill.
In the Forces – and especially in field trauma settings – M Rad Techs are interacting one-on-one with clinicians and specialists, and are a critical part of the Health Services team.
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: While we are working in the clinic, we work very regular hours, Monday to Friday. However, on deployment and on operations, that’s a very different story. You are on call and ready to assist whenever something might happen. So trauma happens – you’re it. And that is quite the adrenaline rush.
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: I wrote a paper on diagnostic reference levels in computed tomography and this paper was published in the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal. And a few months ago, I couldn’t believe it – I had my first citation, which means that my investigation was relevant enough that someone said “Wow! We’re going to use it as the basis of what we’re going to do here at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.”
Once they complete their military and occupational training, M Rad Techs get posted to a Canadian Armed Forces Health Services clinic.
During their military careers, M Rad Techs will have the opportunity to take courses in advanced specialties, including computerized tomography and, if selected, diagnostic medical ultrasound.
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: When you join the Canadian Armed Forces, there’s so much continuing education opportunities, especially within the medical radiation sciences. So if you have an interest in learning computed tomography theory and physics, there’s courses that we have approved funding for, and we can take those.
If a part-time job is all you’re looking for, there are also opportunities to serve as a Medical Radiation Technologist with the Health Services Reserves.
CORPORAL MICHELLE FERDERBAR: The technology that’s associated with X-rays, l love how X-rays work, the physics behind it is incredible. I love that there’s so much that we can still learn, and every day I take an X-ray, I mean, how many chest X-rays have I taken in my career, but there’s still so many things to learn about it. I’ve done so much more than what a typical M Rad Tech does in a civilian facility. I would recommend this job to anyone.
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