Radiography Programs in New Mexico

How to Become a Radiography in New Mexico - Radiography Programs in New Mexico

The person responsible for taking your x-rays is called a radiographer. They are also known as x-ray techs in some places. The radiographer is responsible not only for taking your x-rays, but also for making sure the x-ray equipment is functioning the way it is supposed to, that the patient is properly covered in all areas not to get the x-ray, and to consult with the doctor over the results of your x-ray images. It is the radiographer who sometimes catches things that a blood test does not catch, so they are extremely important to a patient's overall healthcare plan.

If you want to become a radiographer in New Mexico, you need to go to a community college and earn an associate's degree. Be forewarned though that these programs are very competitive to get into and you usually have to have good grades and complete an interview with the admissions staff before you are considered for admission to the program. There are also some colleges in New Mexico who offer a bachelor's degree in radiography. This program is also competitive to get into, but there are usually more spaces open for incoming students each year than there are for the associate's degree programs.

The reason that the radiography programs can be so difficult to get into, at all levels, is because it is a popular career field. Another thing is that, especially with community colleges, there are only a certain amount of new students they can accept into the program each year, so they want to vet the candidates to make sure that everyone they admit has the academic potential to succeed in the program. There will be some classroom work, but most of your time will be spent doing clinicals where you will actually work with a radiographer and get first-hand experience on the job. This is a vital part of the learning experience because you can't learn everything that you need to know about the job from a book.

Pay is something that most prospective radiography students want to know about. The pay is actually very good for this career. The average radiography salary is around $55,000. How much you make as a radiographer in the state of New Mexico will be relative to your level of experience, the area where you work, and the employer who hires you. Some places pay better than others, so keep that in mind while you are looking for jobs upon graduation.