All About Radiology Certification

A radiologist is someone who uses imaging techniques such as ultrasound, x-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, or nuclear medicine to diagnose or treat ailments of the human body. Becoming a licensed physician with a radiology certification involves intense medical study and training. However, most radiographic exams are actually performed by certified Radiologic Technologists who have an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree along with a radiology certification and license from the state.

In order to obtain a radiology certification, one must be certified and registered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. If one wishes to also be certified in Nuclear Medicine or Ultrasound Technology, there are separate requirements for certification that must be satisfied.

Becoming a certified radiology technician, one must begin by completing a training program from a radiology school with accreditation. Then, one must pass the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists exam and be in compliance with ethics standards. After all of these requirements have been met, the radiologist must apply for registration with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Registration needs to be renewed every year. A radiologist must be both certified and registered in order to work, and there are requirements that must be met each year when registration is renewed.

In order to practice, a radiology technician must also obtain licensing from the state. This is a process completely separate from radiology certification and registration and will have its own application and renewal process.

Radiology certification for licensed physicians is a different process. First, the individual in question must complete medical school and obtain a license to practice medicine. Once this is complete, the applicant must choose an area of specialty from the following list of eight possibilities: Diagnostic radiology, radiologic physics, hospice and pallative medicine radiology, pediatric radiology, interventional radiology, nuclear radiology, neuroradiology, and radiation oncology. Next, the applicant must pass both a written and an oral exam in his or her area of specialty. The certification must be renewed once every ten years.

Radiology certification means different things depending on the type of job to which one is referring. A licensed physician that specializes in radiology obtains a certification in an area of specialty. In this case, the radiologist may diagnose illnesses based on radiology results, or he or she may even perform medical procedures using radiology techniques as a guide. This type of radiology certification requires that an exam be passed and must be renewed once every ten years.

A radiology technician is someone who has only been to school for two to four years and obtains a radiology certification that allows him or her to perform different radiographic tests. In this case, the technician must be registered and certified through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, as well as licensed by the state in which he or she wishes to practice. This type of radiology certification must be renewed annually. In addition, the requirements set forth by the state must also be satisfied in order to keep a current license.