Medical and paramedical careers exercise a strong fascination on the minds of Irish school leavers. The number of places on these courses is tailored to the jobs market so the large numbers of applicants mean the points tend to soar to virtually impossible levels.
This year was no exception. Students interested in a career as a radiographer needed 535 points to get on UCD's diagnostic imaging course and 515 for TCD's therapeutic radiography course. Ulster University also offers a course in radiography, taking in more students than the Republic's two courses combined.
Students hoping to study at UU need a minimum of two As and four Bs in the Leaving Cert to be in the running. The UU course allows students to opt for either specialisation - therapeutic or diagnostic. Both options require a total of 54 weeks' clinical placement throughout the four-year course. Each year, a number of students travel to British colleges to study radiography.
TCD, in association with St Luke's Hospital, Rathgar, Dublin, offers a four-year B Sc in therapeutic radiography. There are between 12 and 15 first-year places. Therapeutic radiography is one of the main methods used in treating patients with cancer. Both UCD and TCD's course include periods of clinical experience in hospital departments.
Mary Coffey, head of the TCD's school of radiography, says that the radiographer is the main contact with the patient during the course of treatment. He or she could be involved in various aspects of patient management. School-leavers interested in therapeutic radiography can contact the school and leave their name. Once a sufficient number of enquiries is received the school will organise a Saturday visit.
UCD has produced a useful careers leaflet on its diagnostic radiography course. It explains that Xrays are currently used in all body systems to assist diagnosis of patient illness. Most of the work is in the imaging department but the radiographer may also use mobile xray equipment in wards, intensive care units and operating theatres. The range of imaging goes from simple skeletal examinations of bony trauma to more complex investigations of organs and blood.
Computers, according to Kate Matthews, head of the UCD's school of radiography, have had more impact, perhaps, on radiography than on any other aspect of medicine. Computed tomography combines computers with x-ray imaging to produce crosssectional and 3D imaging. Other new technologies include magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and radionuclide imaging.
The careers leaflet shows three pie charts which detail where the graduates of UCD's course are this year. Two years post-graduation, more than 50 per cent of students are in permanent employment with the bulk of the remainder in temporary employment. Six years post graduation, about 50 per cent are employed at radiographer grade with more than one quarter at a senior grade. Almost half have gained a postgraduate qualification and about one quarter are currently pursuing postgraduate studies.
There is a worldwide shortage of therapeutic radiographers at the moment and TCD graduates in recent years have not had any difficulty in getting employment.
