Alaska Radiologic Technology Schools
Alaska does not license radiology technologists, but a bill has been introduced (March 2012) that would create a licensing process. If you are considering becoming a radiology technologist in Alaska, you should be aware that employers currently generally look to national credentialing agencies to set the standards. UAF Community & Technical College reports that hospitals strongly prefer candidates who hold national certification.
Radiologic Technologist Resources – Alaska
You will have the most options if you enroll in a program that qualifies you to sit for radiography certification through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. The program must be properly accredited. (That means program level accreditation through JRCERT or institutional-level accreditation through a regional accrediting agency.)
You can begin by looking over school websites and deciding what you need to do to make yourself a competitive candidate. You’ll want to get your CPR certification early. You can expect to complete at least a few prerequisite classes beforehand. Taking co-requisite classes may put you at an advantage. Alaska schools look for strong communication skills; you may have the opportunity to display these at an interview.
Since Alaska’s geography is so spread out, several institutions have partnered together to offer a degree in radiologic imaging. Chances are your degree will be awarded by the University of Alaska. You may do quite a bit of coursework at the partner institution, however. You may also take some coursework via distance learning/ teleconferencing. Your school will have multiple clinical sites where you can do your field work. You can expect to put in more than 1,000 hours.
You can apply to the ARRT when you are in the last stages of the program. Your program director will sign some paperwork. You will take the certification exam within the window the ARRT assigns you; you’ll have about three months. You may retake the exam if necessary.
Employers will typically ask that you are registered with the ARRT or that you achieve certification within six months. Some will ask that you also achieve certification in a specialty area within a specified time frame, perhaps eighteen months. You will need to complete the required radiologic procedures for your specialty and document them on forms provided by the ARRT. Beginning in January of 2016, you will need at least 16 hours of structured education. If the licensing bill passes, passing scores on the certification exam will become a mandate.
Limited Radiography – Alaska
If you are already a health care worker, you may want to enroll in a short radiology technician program. It won’t qualify for all the same positions, but it will prepare you to add basic x-rays to your list of job duties. The University of Alaska-Anchorage recommends the Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Limited Radiography for nurses, nursing assistants, certified medical assistants, and community health workers. This training can be very important in frontier areas where there aren’t as many specialists available.
Career Outlook for Radiologic Technologists in Alaska
Health service delivery is tricky in a rural state like Alaska. Alaska is below the norm when it comes to employment of radiology technologists (per 1,000 workers). The number of positions is rising, though! 23% growth has been projected for the 2008 to 2018 decade. The greatest concentration of workers is in the Anchorage area. Alaska’s radiology technologists are well paid. The average salary for a radiology technologist in the state is $66,550. In the Anchorage area, it’s $68,080. In Fairbanks, it’s $62,540.
Radiology Technology Licensing and Professional Organizations in Alaska – Contact Information
- Credentialing Agency: American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
Click Here to visit their website.
- Professional Organization: Alaska Society of Radiologic Technologists
Click Here to visit the website
