Welcome
Dealing with sick and sometimes very anxious people requires considerable care and understanding. The medical imaging scientist must balance a genuine interest in patients and their welfare with the necessary technical requirements of the imaging procedure to be undertaken.
Career Opportunities
Medical imaging scientists are usually employed in medical imaging/radiology departments of large teaching hospitals, private and country hospitals and private radiological clinics. They may be involved in a variety of areas in the medical imaging/radiology department including the operating theatre, emergency and casualty departments, intensive and coronary care units, obstetric, neonatal and paediatric departments, neuro and cardiovascular departments, computed tomography departments, ultrasonography departments, nuclear medicine departments, magnetic resonance imaging departments as well as the general radiographic area.
Medical imaging scientists may also find employment in medical physics/biophysics, sales, quality control, radiation health, education and research, though this would not be in the first postgraduate year.
Professional Recognition
The Australian Institute of Radiography is the professional body representing radiographers and medical imaging scientists in Australia. Student membership is available.
Graduates from all degree programs must undertake a professional development year. This is undertaken as part of the first year of employment. Satisfactory completion of this year entitles the graduate to the Statement of Accreditation for the profession. Graduates are eligible to perform medical imaging in all States of Australia.
The Australian and New Zealand Society in Nuclear Medicine, the Australasian Society in Ultrasound and the Australian Sonographers Association are professional organisations which also represent medical imaging scientists in the field of nuclear medicine and ultrasound.
