Hurray!! It's finally Christmas break! There comes a time when a person's mind and body can do no more. This semester I have gone to classes on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday (in Pocatello which is about a 45 minute drive); to clinicals in the radiology department at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) on Tuesdays & Thursdays; to work at EIRMC's emergency department as a registrar 3 or 4 times a week; and I have 3 little girls who are very active in dance 3 days a week. Needless to say, my brain and my body need Christmas vacation!
Life may have been very busy this semester, but it has truly been worth it. I wish that I could share just a fraction of the amazing and wonderful things I have learned. The world of Radiology is a fascinating place to live. The advances in technology just in the past 5 years are crazy! Some facilities have what's called Direct Digital Radiography (DR) where you shoot an x-ray and the image appears i
nstantaneously on a screen. There's no film or film-type medium to develop. Voila--and the x-ray is ready to be read by a radiologist. I know...I know. I'm sounding a little nerdy now, but come on. I mean, I get to take pictures of the INSIDE of people--how cool is that?!
nstantaneously on a screen. There's no film or film-type medium to develop. Voila--and the x-ray is ready to be read by a radiologist. I know...I know. I'm sounding a little nerdy now, but come on. I mean, I get to take pictures of the INSIDE of people--how cool is that?!I may not even know a tenth of the things I will learn in my career, but I can take an x-ray of any one's chest, abdomen, fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, elbow, humerus (upper arm), shoulder, clavicle (collarbone), or scapula (shoulder blade). And I am learning to assist on various barium studies and other fluoroscopy procedures.
This is the very first x-ray I took. It wasn't a real person's hand, it was of a phantom hand, but it was a great experience. I've taken x-rays of quite a few real people now, so the phantom isn't quite as fun anymore. Next semester, I will get to do a rotation in surgery, so hopefully I'll have some very cool things to share.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and a wonderful New Year! And for all of you who get to have a true "Christmas Break,"--ENJOY!
