Road to Radiography

When I took this photo on November 4, 2004, I thought the gas prices were pretty high. When I fill up tomorrow, I’ll be paying $3.19 per gallon…

My clinical site wasn’t particularly busy today, but I did manage to pick up another comp on the stretcher chest. I had my pre-comps for this exam completed so I got an opportunity for the master comp today. A majority of what I see in the hospital environment is still chest x-rays, but there are still some other opportunities available. I spoke to a couple of techs today about keeping me in mind when spine orders come around. I do want to make sure I get my cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine routines comped before the end of the semester.

I got to watch some gastric endoscopy when I returned from my lunch break this afternoon. I had never seen this before and it was quite amazing to watch. The patient had a gall bladder removed about a year ago, but a stone had formed somewhere. During this exam, the gastroenterologist (I hope that is spelt rite) fed a tube into the patients bile duct and injected contrast. This exam also used fluoro to look at the liver during this process. It was intriguing to watch on the TV monitor…

Tags: 2nd Semester, Clinical by John Setzler
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I enjoyed a great three days off last week. We didn’t have clinical and I was able to just kick back and relax for several days without worrying about much of anything. It was definitely a refreshing break. Now that break is over, I’m faced with three tests next week, so the remainder of my free time between tonight and next Monday morning will be spent studying for several tests. In our positioning class, we are having our written test on the upper and lower GI anatomy and positioning. It’s going to be a rather long test that covers a lot of material, so it’s going to take a lot of time in preparation for sure. In my imaging class, we’re having a test on radiographic contrast, but it’s a cumulative test that covers density as well. Following that test, we’ll be having a lab test on radiographic contrast involving the films we have made in lab during the course of this unit and other related materials.

I go back to clinical tomorrow after having last week off, so I need to review a few things there and hopefully I’ll pick up a couple comps this week…

Tags: 2nd Semester, Clinical, RAD-112, RAD-121 by John Setzler
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After my second week in the new clinical environment, my confidence level is coming back nicely. I have managed to get a grip on operating the site’s equipment fairly quickly. I must say that the DR systems are very nice. I picked up a couple more comps this week, so I’m now digging into the requirements for my next semester (summer term) already. My personal goal for next Thursday and Friday will be to comp the lumbar and cervical spine exams, and possibly the thoracic as well if I see any. The t-spine doesn’t seem to come up as often, but there have been a few lately. I’m also finding it a little difficult to stay on top of what’s going on around me. One of the techs asked me to bring in a list of comps that I want to get and pin them on the bulletin board in radiography, so I did that on Friday. Hopefully a couple of the techs will try to keep in tune with what I need and help me get them. Some techs are more likely than others to go a little out of their way to help me. One of the techs at this site is a 2005 graduate of my program, and he has been quite helpful.

When I graduate and find a job in radiography, I really hope that I can work in some environment where students are doing clinical work. I want to be one of the techs that students like to work with. I want to be the tech that I wish I had been able to work with as a student. If you are a student, you know what I mean :)

Yesterday’s blog post garnered a comment from a tech who has written a book… Check this out if you get a chance…

This might be an interesting read! Click on the book image to find out more about it… Mr. Kerr also has a blog that you can read HERE. I have also added that blog link to the blogroll here…

Tags: 2nd Semester, Clinical by John Setzler
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I arrived for my 9am lecture this morning to find out that my instructor would be out sick for the day.  On Tuesday, I have him for a 2-hour lecture from 9-11 and for a 3-hour lab from 1-4.  When we found out he wasn’t coming in, we called our positioning instructor and talked her into coming in early so we could get our 11-12 class knocked out ahead of schedule.  She came in a 930 and we got out at 1030 for an unusually short day…

The problem is…

Last time our other instructor missed a day due to illness, we had to make the time up.  I’m afraid that he’s going to ask us to make up the 3-hour lab tomorrow afternoon and I’m scheduled to work.  I’m not sure how that’s going to pan out yet, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow…

Tags: 2nd Semester, RAD-121 by John Setzler
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Today’s clinical experience was a little busier than yesterday.  I logged 20 procedures today, which is more than I expected to see in a day at this site.  I have learned my way around the facility and figured out that when I’m idle, I can go to another area and find some procedures to get involved with.  There is a separate x-ray system just outside of the emergency room area of this hospital.  When there is nothing going on in radiology, I can go to the ER or vice versa.  Between the two areas, I can generally find something to do.  I still want to get involved in the portable exams.  I haven’t been asked to go participate on any of those yet, but it’s definitely something I want to do, so I need to bring that up next week.  Hopefully I can get a couple of the techs to find me and take me with them when they go do these exams.

Two of the x-ray rooms I’m using at this hospital are equipped with DR C-arm systems that I’m really starting to enjoy.   I’m starting to get comfortable with positioning these systems as well.  I think I’ll probably start looking for some additional master comps next week.  I haven’t pursued any of those this week as I’m familiarizing myself with the equipment at this site.  The DR system has a few significant advantages.  The primary advantage is that I have an image within just a few seconds after I fire the tube.  The second advantage is that I do not have to load and unload image receptors, which further streamlines the process.  The only thing I have to remember is to remove the grid from the receptor when doing extremities.

Another thing I am enjoying about this clinical rotation is that I’m with another student from my class.  For some reason, that offers some amount of reassurance…  I’m not sure why, but it just does.  We cross paths and work together occasionally, and it gives us a chance to compare notes and bounce ideas around.

Don’t forget to set your clocks forward by one hour tomorrow night…

Tags: 2nd Semester, Clinical by John Setzler
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I’m not sure why, but rotating to a new clinical site always feels like starting over for some reason.  New people, different equipment, and a new environment knock the confidence level down just a little probably.

I’m back in a hospital environment after spending the last 8 weeks in the ortho office.   The techs that I met today all seem to be top-notch and easy to work with.  I think I’ll probably learn a lot here, which is also good.

I got to see a myelogram today for the first time.  Interestingly enough, it was a cervical myelogram rather than a lumbar.  All I can say for the patient having this procedure done is “thank God for Lidocaine.”  The radiologist had to make a second attempt on the injection.  I couldn’t tell what was going wrong, but he couldn’t hit his spot on the first try, so he backed out and went in a second time and hit the mark.

I had an Upper GI prior to the myelogram and nothing but chest exams for the rest of the day.  At least I know my chest technique is still solid.  My technique on the lateral still works to keep rotation to the absolute minimum.  I’m going to talk to one of the techs tomorrow about helping me focus on some specific goals I have for the rest of the semester.  I have a short list of comps that I want to complete during the next 8 weeks as well…

Tags: 2nd Semester, Clinical by John Setzler
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I finally got my PC fixed, so hopefully I can get back to regular posting here.  HERE is the brief version of what happened to my computer last week. 

Not much has really happened since my last post.  I finished my first 8-week clinical rotation at the orthopedic office on Friday.  I’ll be moving into a hospital environment for the remainder of the semester.  I have completed my comp and procedure log requirements for the entire semester already, so any additional comps I get in the next 8 weeks will apply toward my summer semester grade, which is nice.  A cushion of some sort is always good.

We had our written test on the skull anatomy and positioning in Monday.  I made a 91 on that test, which I’m happy with.  That was a LOT of material on one test.  We started into the topics surrounding fluoroscopy in class today…

Tags: 2nd Semester, Clinical, RAD-112 by John Setzler
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