Radiographer to diagnostic radiographer
A radiographer already meets 80% of what the diagnostic radiographer role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
40.9/ 100
1 How much of what a diagnostic radiographer is expected to do is already part of a radiographer’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 44 of its required skills as things a radiographer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adhere to organisational code of ethics
- analyse X-ray imagery
- apply context specific clinical competences
- apply organisational techniques
- apply radiation protection procedures
- apply radiological health sciences
What stands in the way is 11 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 56 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 radiographer background worth leading with.
- already held apply radiological health sciences information skills
- already held determine imaging techniques to be performed assisting and caring
- already held evidence-based radiography practice health and welfare
- already held maintain imaging equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held Interpret diagnostic procedures for vascular surgery information skills
- already held development trends in radiography health and welfare
All 56 carried skills, including the 44 the diagnostic radiographer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 3 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 conduct preoperative investigations required
- still to learn determine patient's exposure factors required
- still to learn perform bronchoscopy required
- optional, not held report on radiological examinations optional
- optional, not held determine eye disease progression optional
- still to learn apply medical imaging techniques required
- still to learn prepare for diagnostic imaging procedures required
- still to learn determine medical images' diagnostic suitability required
- optional, not held perform ultrasound optional
- optional, not held administer contrast media optional
- still to learn undertake post-examination activities required
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 56 skills that carry over
- already held adhere to organisational code of ethics skill
- already held analyse X-ray imagery skill
- already held apply context specific clinical competences skill
- already held apply organisational techniques skill
- already held apply radiation protection procedures skill
- already held apply radiological health sciences skill
- already held calculate exposure to radiation 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 imaging techniques to be performed skill
- already held empathise with the healthcare user skill
- already held ensure compliance with radiation protection regulations skill
- already held ensure safety of healthcare users skill
- already held evidence-based radiography practice knowledge
- already held first aid knowledge
- already held follow clinical guidelines skill
- 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 listen actively skill
- already held maintain imaging equipment skill
- already held manage healthcare users' data skill
- already held manage radiology information system skill
- already held medical contrast agents knowledge
- already held medical oncology knowledge
- already held medical terminology knowledge
- already held operate medical imaging equipment skill
- already held paediatrics 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 work in multidisciplinary health teams skill
- already held Interpret diagnostic procedures for vascular surgery skill
- already held conduct health related research skill
- already held conduct radiotherapy computer planning skill
- already held conduct video telemetry skill
- already held development trends in radiography knowledge
- already held identify progression of disease skill
- already held interpret medical images skill
- already held perform clinical research in radiography skill
- already held psychology knowledge
- already held use foreign languages for health-related research skill
- already held use foreign languages in patient care skill
- already held use obstetric sonography skill
4 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held perform ultrasound optional
- optional, not held report on radiological examinations optional
- optional, not held administer contrast media optional
- optional, not held determine eye disease progression optional
21 held skills the diagnostic radiographer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role administer radiotherapy skill
- not needed by the target role advise on healthcare users' informed consent skill
- not needed by the target role develop new imaging techniques skill
- not needed by the target role educate on the prevention of illness skill
- not needed by the target role epidemiology knowledge
- not needed by the target role healthcare data systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role implant brachytherapy treatments skill
- not needed by the target role inform policy makers on health-related challenges skill
- not needed by the target role interact with healthcare suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role interpret requests for imaging examinations skill
- not needed by the target role orthopaedics knowledge
- not needed by the target role pathology knowledge
- not needed by the target role pedagogy knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform lectures skill
- not needed by the target role pharmacology knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare lesson content skill
- not needed by the target role promote inclusion skill
- not needed by the target role provide health education skill
- not needed by the target role provide information skill
- not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role use e-health and mobile health technologies skill
Common questions about this move
Can a radiographer become a diagnostic radiographer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A radiographer already covers 80% of what a diagnostic radiographer is expected to do: 56 skills carry over, 44 of which the diagnostic radiographer role treats as required.
What skills does a radiographer need to become a diagnostic radiographer?
11 required skills are missing, plus 4 optional ones. They fall into 3 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 radiographer to diagnostic radiographer?
Its learning distance is 40.9 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.