Radiation therapist to diagnostic radiographer
A radiation therapist already meets 51% of what the diagnostic radiographer role asks for. The move turns on 26 required skills not yet in the profile.
66/ 100
1 How much of what a diagnostic radiographer is expected to do is already part of a radiation therapist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the diagnostic radiographer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A diagnostic radiographer role treats 29 of its required skills as things a radiation therapist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adhere to organisational code of ethics
- apply radiation protection procedures
- communicate in healthcare
- comply with legislation related to health care
- comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice
- conduct cancer screening tests
What stands in the way is 26 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 35 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A diagnostic radiographer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a radiation therapist background worth leading with.
- already held determine medical images' diagnostic suitability working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held administer contrast media working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held medical contrast agents health and welfare
- already held medical oncology health and welfare
- already held prepare patients for imaging procedures assisting and caring
- already held provide psychological support to patients assisting and caring
All 35 carried skills, including the 29 the diagnostic radiographer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 36 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn assess radiation response required
- still to learn evaluate delivery of radiation treatment required
- still to learn perform diagnostic imaging procedures required
- still to learn use treatment verification systems required
- still to learn analyse X-ray imagery required
- still to learn apply radiological health sciences required
- still to learn conduct preoperative investigations required
- still to learn determine patient's exposure factors required
- still to learn manage radiology information system required
- still to learn perform bronchoscopy required
- still to learn calculate exposure to radiation required
- optional, not held Interpret diagnostic procedures for vascular surgery optional
- optional, not held report on radiological examinations optional
- optional, not held determine eye disease progression optional
- optional, not held perform clinical research in radiography optional
- still to learn determine imaging techniques to be performed required
- still to learn ensure safety of healthcare users required
- still to learn undertake post-examination activities required
- still to learn empathise with the healthcare user required
- still to learn follow clinical guidelines required
- still to learn apply medical imaging techniques required
- still to learn prepare for diagnostic imaging procedures required
- still to learn maintain imaging equipment required
- still to learn operate medical imaging equipment required
- optional, not held perform ultrasound optional
- optional, not held use obstetric sonography optional
- still to learn apply context specific clinical competences required
- still to learn work in multidisciplinary health teams required
- still to learn listen actively required
- optional, not held use foreign languages for health-related research optional
- optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional
- still to learn evidence-based radiography practice required
- still to learn paediatrics required
- optional, not held development trends in radiography optional
- still to learn apply organisational techniques required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a diagnostic radiographer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 apply medical imaging techniques practise this
- 02 assess radiation response practise this
- 03 evaluate delivery of radiation treatment practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 35 skills that carry over
- already held adhere to organisational code of ethics skill
- already held apply radiation protection procedures skill
- already held communicate in healthcare skill
- already held comply with legislation related to health care skill
- already held comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice skill
- already held conduct cancer screening tests skill
- already held contribute to continuity of health care skill
- already held deal with emergency care situations skill
- already held determine medical images' diagnostic suitability skill
- already held ensure compliance with radiation protection regulations skill
- already held first aid knowledge
- already held health care legislation knowledge
- already held health care occupation-specific ethics knowledge
- already held human anatomy knowledge
- already held human physiology knowledge
- already held hygiene in a health care setting knowledge
- already held interact with healthcare users skill
- already held manage healthcare users' data skill
- already held medical contrast agents knowledge
- already held medical oncology knowledge
- already held medical terminology knowledge
- already held pharmaceutical products knowledge
- already held post-process medical images skill
- already held prepare patients for imaging procedures skill
- already held provide psychological support to patients skill
- already held radiation physics in healthcare knowledge
- already held radiation protection knowledge
- already held radiobiology knowledge
- already held respond to changing situations in health care skill
- already held administer contrast media skill
- already held conduct health related research skill
- already held conduct radiotherapy computer planning skill
- already held conduct video telemetry skill
- already held identify progression of disease skill
- already held interpret medical images skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held psychology optional
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held Interpret diagnostic procedures for vascular surgery optional
- optional, not held perform ultrasound optional
- optional, not held report on radiological examinations optional
- optional, not held determine eye disease progression optional
- optional, not held development trends in radiography optional
- optional, not held perform clinical research in radiography optional
- optional, not held use obstetric sonography optional
- optional, not held psychology optional
- optional, not held use foreign languages for health-related research optional
- optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional
28 held skills the diagnostic radiographer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adhere to the ALARA principle skill
- not needed by the target role administer radiation treatment skill
- not needed by the target role advocate for healthcare users' needs skill
- not needed by the target role biomarkers knowledge
- not needed by the target role delineate organs at risk skill
- not needed by the target role dosimetric planning knowledge
- not needed by the target role electroencephalography knowledge
- not needed by the target role formulate a treatment plan skill
- not needed by the target role immunotherapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role influence of adjuvant treatment on radiotherapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role oncologic hormone therapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform image guidance in radiation therapy skill
- not needed by the target role perform on-treatment review skill
- not needed by the target role perform pre-treatment imaging skill
- not needed by the target role perform radiation treatments skill
- not needed by the target role perform transcranial magnetic stimulation skill
- not needed by the target role perform venous cannulation skill
- not needed by the target role perform virtual simulation skill
- not needed by the target role prepare examination room for radiation treatment skill
- not needed by the target role promote cancer preventive information skill
- not needed by the target role provide anti-cancer medical treatment skill
- not needed by the target role provide pre-treatment information skill
- not needed by the target role psychological treatment measures knowledge
- not needed by the target role radiotherapy knowledge
- not needed by the target role select immobilisation device for radiation therapy skill
- not needed by the target role side effects of radiotherapy treatment knowledge
- not needed by the target role teach medical science skill
- not needed by the target role use photodynamic therapy for cancer skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn evidence-based radiography practice required
- still to learn paediatrics required
- optional, not held development trends in radiography optional
- optional, not held psychology optional
Common questions about this move
Can a radiation therapist become a diagnostic radiographer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A radiation therapist already covers 51% of what a diagnostic radiographer is expected to do: 35 skills carry over, 29 of which the diagnostic radiographer role treats as required.
What skills does a radiation therapist need to become a diagnostic radiographer?
26 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is apply medical imaging techniques.
How hard is the move from radiation therapist to diagnostic radiographer?
Its learning distance is 66 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.