The Society of Radiographers

The Society of Radiographers was founded in 1920.

Stardate: 90983.56

Okay, so I decided that it was about time I wrote a properly Radiography-related topic. So, I decided to research the Society of Radiographers. 

The SoR represents 90% of all the diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers in the UK. Their objectives are:

• to promote and develop the science and practice of radiography and radiotherapeutic technology for the public benefit
• to promote, study and research work in radiography and radiotherapeutic technology
• to further public education
• to protect the honour and interests of those engaged in the practice of radiography and radiotherapeutic technology 

The College of Radiographers (CoR) is a subsidiary of the SoR, that are directed towards education, research and other activities in support of the science and practice of radiography. It assesses the programmes of both pre-registration courses, post-registration training and ongoing professional registration. 

The SoR issues different publications including:

• Imaging and Therapy Practice - provides coverage of the latest professional education issues that affect the day-to-day lives of therapeutic and diagnostic radiographers. 
• Synergy News - a news digest of what is currently happening in the world of radiography and wider healthcare area. It covers a wide-range of issues such as: career progression, role development, pay, research and equality issues.
• Radiography - an international peer-reviewed journal of diagnostic radiography and radiation therapy.
• Imaging & Oncology - an annual publication that will coincide with the United Kingdom Radiology Congress.

The SoR also maintains grants and awards, including:

• Overseas Placement Award - established in 1988. Supports a number of radiography placements in developing countries.
• Fellowship of the College of Radiographers Award -  an honorary title, bestowed upon individuals who have made significant contribution to the radiographic profession.
• and many others coinciding with outstanding contributions to the radiography field.

Looking into it, joining the SoR when you become a Radiography student is quite beneficial, as they offer access to magazines and journals, a downloadable document library, attendance to conferences and events, a benevolent fund and certain awards.

I'm sure when you start a university course, the SoR will be mentioned, but it's always good to look at what's out there, in terms of having a little preparation before everything begins!

Coping with Work-load!

So this film was just amazing. It was one of the things that convinced me to finish my assignments!

Stardate: 90983.56

Good evening readers!

I know you're all hoping that today's post will entail something radiography related, but once again, I apologise, but I'm limited in what I can post at the moment, due to my time being pretty much split up into college, part-time work, Taekwon-do classes, exercise sessions and then college work. So I'm a little thin-on-the-ground when it comes to radiography topics, but I promise when I start university, I will back on track. I know my main interest for this blog should be what I originally started it for, but it's also an outlet for myself, too.

Anyway, as the post image suggests, I have found my coping mechanism has come in handy greatly at the moment. College has chosen to culminate all of our final assignment deadlines on the same week, so in order to cope, I've turned to my favourite thing... Star Trek. Of course, as some of you may know, the new film came out in May. I urge you all, watch it!

But really, this post is literally about finding your way to cope with work-load. As I've been informed by many university radiography course leaders, finding a way to relax after a long day, (especially when on placement) is incredibly important for those working in health-care. It can range from anything: reading, watching TV, sports, or even rock-climbing (if that's your thing!) As long as you gain satisfaction and a "get-away" feeling from it, it's good for your mental-coping!

This doesn't just apply to those in health-care, it applies to everyone who has a sufficient amount of work and tasks they do through the week. Without relaxation, stress builds, and with stress, comes a less effective immune system. 

So in summary, don't feel guilty when you take time out for yourself! It's good for you! (It's also a brilliant excuse for a little procrastination from time to time!)

University Choices Confirmed

You can never plan too meticulously, as I've found out...

Stardate: 90944.89

Well, to begin with, today happens to be May 4th.... so May the Fourth be with you, guys! 

Anyway, I decided to not update anything until I'd finally made my final decision about universities. As some of you already know, my heart was always set on going to the University of Leeds, for varying reasons, but all the universities I applied to would have made me just as happy, as I would be studying a course I wanted to! 

It took me a good while to choose out of the other 3 offers I'd received as to which would be my insurance choice. I had a really good range of choice, but after hours/days of deliberating and really thinking hard, I chose to insurance the University of Salford.

So now all I have to do is pass the Access Course..... with 45 credits at Distinction... not setting myself any difficult targets or anything, right? But seriously, if I hadn't set myself such a high aim, I would never have ended up doing the Access course in the first place, and I'd still have been stuck in a rut studying Japanese and Health Studies. Don't get me wrong, the courses are fine... for those who want to continue a career with Japanese... Which wasn't me.

I like learning languages, it's a great hobby of mine, and I gain great pleasure from using them, but... my heart is most definitely focused on the sciences. 

But back on topic...

In about 4 months I'll be starting university. And I'll be a student radiographer. And I'll be able to write about student life properly. And how I cope with life as a student health professional! I'm still also planning to study abroad with these courses, so I'll be able to talk about what it's like to study radiography in other countries! I got that excited about everything recently I spent 2 hours researching PhD programmes... talk about getting carried away...

Interview Anxiety

"I'll just pretend I'm not here". This is how I'm currently feeling...

Stardate: 90756.77

So, the final realisation that I have my admissions interview at  the University of Derby tomorrow morning has arrived. And I'm incredibly nervous. But, I always do get nervous before interviews.

People have been giving my pointers all week, like:

• Keep calm
• Don't be overbearing (I couldn't even if I tried!)
• Try to ask questions
• Be confident

These are all well and good (I mean, I myself have been saying this advice on my blog and to others going for interviews), but now my interviews are coming closer, I've turned on my heel and hidden!

Well... hopefully my interview will go well. I even have a nice new suit... They always say dress to impress...

The First X-Ray

It's amazing to see how far imaging technology has come since 1895.

Stardate: 90710.75

Despite my best efforts of trawling the news and the SoR website, I couldn't find anything of radiographic importance that I wanted to share with my readers today.

So I thought I would present you with the first-ever produced X-Ray print. As you may know, the first x-ray performed was by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895, and was an image of his wife, Anna Bertha's hand. The image shows the finger bones and the ring she was wearing.

I find it fascinating to see how far x-rays have come, and their development over the years, to provide the best internal scans as possible.

I'm sorry today's post wasn't very interesting or inspiring, but tonight my brain is fried. Enjoy the image!

LLAP!

That Feeling...

Even Mr. Spock had his moments. I did exactly the same thing to my computer when I finished my assignment. Tears of joy and relief, of course.

Stardate: 90707.97

Captain's Log, Stardate 90707.97: the assignment from the Psychology department I received three weeks ago is almost complete. Progress with Biochemistry is going exceedingly well, with all-around enjoyment and mutual understanding. Reports have shown that my bridge officers are having difficulty in initiating an assignment from the Health Studies department, though Engineering have tried to enforce a reboot of the main power systems to get back on track. I hope our efforts do not become a waste of useful resources and time...

Yes, my assignments are being to pile up, but for once I'm grateful for the workload! You know your course is paying off when you begin to help someone else with an assignment you just handed in. Not only are my assignments piling up (and getting interesting), but my university interviews are looming closer, and some preparation is indeed in order. My "well-timed" excursion to Japan in March means I'll be taking a Biochemistry and a Psychology test earlier than the rest of my course, but thankfully, I feel completely prepared for both (Biochemistry is luckily one of my strengths).

In regards to Health News, as of late, (aside from the inquiry at Staffs Hospital), I was nosing about the usual websites and newspapers that I trawl, and I was reading a really interesting article about how the benefits of CT scans outweigh the cancer risk. Harvard Medical School carried out some research and analysed imaging records of 22,000 patients in the age group 18-35 who underwent CT scans in 2003-2007. They basically found that over an average follow-up of 5.5 years, 11% collectively had died, which is higher than the originally predicted 0.1%.

I won't spoil the whole article, but you can read it here:
http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/ct/content/article/113619/2126709

 This post is getting slightly long, and I've assignments and revision to be getting on with. Hope you enjoy the article (if you read it!), and I'll try to find something interesting to write about tomorrow (and in more detail).

LLAP!

Interview Preparation!

Due to being a Trekkie, I will express my relief using Captain Jean-Luc Picard!

Hello all! 

The Nerd has returned to her blogging status, the only thing I won't be blogging now, is informative posts or my WOTD (until my dictionary is back to its former glory). Only because, I've ran out of things to write about, and as I've systematically only cited photographs and images used, I'd rather not put my foot in it, especially not before even getting into a university.

My excitement is due to being offered interviews at 4 out of the 5 UCAS choices I made to study Diagnostic Radiography. Win! So, being the over-eager person I am, I ran straight to my college's Careers office, and booked an interview preparation session.

It was in fact actually very helpful, giving me hints on how to keep a cool head during one-on-one and group interviews. The main one of course, is trying to relax. Looking professional, of course, is a no-brainer. You wouldn't want to turn up looking no less than perfect, would you?

Anyway, the main things I took away from my advisory session were:

• appropriate eye contact - especially in the one-on-one interviews, as sometimes, there may be two interviewers. One will be asking questions, the other taking notes. Despite one being more vocal than the other, don't forget the note-taker! It shows that you are including them in the discussion. It also shows your communication skills.
• remember your personal statement - it's no use writing it, if you don't know what you've written; you never know what you'll be asked! Not only this, but research the course and subject, as it is highly likely you will be asked questions about what drew you to them etc.
• never use the words 'no', 'but' or 'wrong' - although it's difficult to not use these words, apparently these are a big no-no! Especially the word 'wrong', as it is quite direct. Re-word your phrase, to avoid these.
• NVC (non verbal communication) - body language speaks loudly. If you have your arms folded, you'll look very closed and defensive. But if you're too relaxed, it sets a wrong impression. Sit up straight, but not like you've been electrocuted. Don't fidget too much, nerves aren't always your friend!

I could go on, but generally, most interview advice is common sense and goes without saying. Just remember to smile and keep calm. And when it comes to group discussions, make sure you give others the chance to talk, but don't become too quiet or too overbearing. Both are quite undesirable, and shows poor communication and teamwork.

Good luck to those with interviews in the near future! Here's hoping my own advice stays in my head for my own interview dates!

LLAP.