Hello, if you're interested in learning the trade of radiation oncology technologist in Quebec, you've come to the right place. Let's take a look at the different aspects of the profession.In this article, you'll learn what they do on a daily basis, how much they earn, what the dangers are and many other interesting facts.
It's an incredible feeling because we get to save the life of a sick person, or prolong it. We're lucky to have a healthcare profession where we can be closes to our patients. We're also fortunate to be one of the few healthcares professions with a fixed schedule. In fact, radiation oncology technologists work Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This allows the X-ray machine to rest on weekends and evenings.
Radiation oncology technologists treat cancer patients. They determine the dose of X-rays to be sent to the tumor, while avoiding healthy tissue as much as possible. This is the ALARA principle. They accompany their patients from the start of treatment to the end, if they succeed, all the while encouraging them and making sure they don't have too many side effects.
First of all, being a radiation oncology technologist means doing many tasks. The appointment technologist plans patient treatment schedules. He or she must take into account whether the patient needs adapting transportation, has chemotherapy sessions, has surgery... Then there are the planning technologists. They will take images of your body to locate the tumor. They often use contrast media injected intravenously into the patient. This allows them to better visualize the body's internal structures, so they can determine the best course of treatment. They also prepare positioning accessories to ensure that the patient reproduces the same position every day, so that we can be as precise as possible. We absolutely must not send X-rays anywhere. Small mole-shaped tattoos also help to position the patient correctly. The planning technologists have the important task of welcoming new patients and explaining the course of treatment. Then there are the dosimetry technologists. They calculate the dose to be delivered to the tumor per day, while avoiding healthy tissue as much as possible. They refer to images taken by the planning technologists. They have no contact with patients, and sit in front of computers all day. Finally, there are the technologists in the treatment room. They administer the treatment to the patient, while taking images every day to see how the tumor is progressing. They must perform quality tests every morning to ensure that the machines are working properly. If there's a problem, they have to contact the physicist. They are very close to their patients, since a patient will have the same 2 technologists until the end of his treatment. We mustn't forget that this is always a team effort, and that we're always close to the doctor and nurses.
Radiation oncology technologists work in hospitals located in the radiation oncology department. The department is always located in the basement since we use high-intensity X-ray equipment extensively. In Montreal, there's the CHUM (University of Montreal health center) or the HMR (Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. You can easily take the metro to the CHUM. Just get off at Champ-de-Mars Station on the orange line
To become a radiation oncology technologist in Quebec, you need to have a high school diploma with the Natural Science courses in Secondary 4 and 5 and the physics course. Then you have to go to CEGEP to take the 3-year technical program. A number of CEGEPs offer this program, including Ahuntsic, Dawson, Édouard-Monpetit and the CEGEP de Québec... You'll need to pass the ORDRE exam to enter the profession.
A radio-technologist in Quebec earns a minimum of 24.78 an hour, and this can rise over the years to 35.67 an hour.
There will always be a need for new training courses. After all, this business is always trying to keep up with the latest technology. In other words, machines that enable us to do our work more efficiently. So, we need to learn how to use them properly. What's more, if you want to practice curitherapie (surgery), you have to take the training for that too. It's very interesting, since you'll be accompanying the doctor during the procedure.
The dangers are very minimal, as this aspect is really emphasized during the studies. We are always placed behind a concrete wall to prevent radiation from reaching us. Occasionally, incidents may occur, so we always wear a dosimeter to calculate the radiation dose we receive. This data is sent to ORDRE every year to make sure we're careful when we're working.
There's no chance of radiation oncology technologists being replaced by robots. Indeed, one of the most important values of this profession are patient contact. It's very important that a person suffering from cancer should feel at ease and comforted by his or her treatment. What's more, the robots may have flaws in their systems, which could put patients at risk.
On average, radiation oncology technologists retire around the age of 54. It's a job that requires a lot of travel and physical effort to move patients around. Even so, after all these years, you'll be proud to say that you've helped people fight cancer. Giving them more time in their lives to be close to their families. You can even say that you've performed surgery on some of them. I find that pretty incredible.
At the moment, I still have 2 years of theory to learn and 1 year of internship. I don't think I'll be doing this job all my life, because it's very repetitive and I don't want to get bored. Maybe in the future I'll go and work elsewhere in the world and do humanitarian aid in healthcare. Thank you for reading my article and I hope it helps you understand the business better.
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Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: government
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: government
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: cites sources