Written by Siobhan Foster
On the November 8 each year, World Radiography Day (WRD) celebrates the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895 and the promotion of having a career in healthcare.
From radiographers to mammographers, the X-ray technology plays an important part of their career. The X-ray technology assists in patient care, allowing them to treat and detect injuries or diseases.
On this day, Siobhan writes about her experience studying radiography and why you should too.
As a very enthusiastic graduating radiography student, I feel very honoured to be participating in writing this piece for the World Radiography Day.
I started my journey for my love of radiography before I began studying diagnostic radiography whilst I was working for South Coast Radiology on the Gold Coast as a receptionist and patient liaison officer in 2014.
I was always fascinated with the physics behind each modality and grew a perspective for how important radiography is in the detection, diagnosis and the treatment of disease.
I have enjoyed every moment of my studies at Charles Sturt University that begin in 2019 and have gained so much knowledge from highly intellectual individuals during my degree and out on clinical placement.
I am incredibly grateful to be within an industry that is forever evolving as I thoroughly enjoy developing my skills and integrating those skills into my clinical practice.
My journey has not always been easy as a student, challenges can always put things on pause when trying to achieve our goals at times.
My priority became my daughter’s health in 2022 when she became critically ill during my third year which resulted in us relocating for her to undergo intensive treatment for a year.
Her health was my priority, but my studies were also incredibly important to me. I kept up my theoretical studies during that time but had to put my fourth-year placement on hold.
Once she was well and we returned home, I was ready to get straight back into completing my 36 weeks of placement.
My career means a lot to me and even through that journey and being a single mum, studying Radiography was such a huge goal of mine.
The experience of my daughter being unwell and spending countless times within the hospital provided me with insight into understanding the patients needs on a deeper level especially in how they are feeling and what they need during their time in the imaging department.
I have such a love for developing a relationship with my patients from children through to the elderly since radiography is such an important part in a patient’s treatment pathway and educating them on having a healthy and positive association to diagnostic radiography, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy.
I have been lucky enough to gain employment with i-Med within a public hospital where it challenges my abilities everyday with the complexities of the cases we are faced with.
I am very eager to get started on gaining more confidence over time and working within the different settings and with the different modalities that we as radiographers are so lucky to have such a variety of.
Undertaking my degree has allowed me to grow in all areas of my life and I found such a love for knowledge, and I cannot think of a better industry to be in that requires us to constantly be developing our capabilities and evolving as better practitioners.
I am proud to be a radiographer and look forward to gaining more of a deeper understanding of our role as I begin in my first graduate role.
Happy World Radiography Day and I would like all medical radiation science practitioners to know you are such a vital contribution to patients treatment pathways and overall care and you are all valued.
