What is the demand for Rad Tech's in the Seattle area? Anyone have a review of the Pima Medical Institute?

I have been looking into becoming a RT and attending the PIMA Medical Institute for their 2yr program. All research I've found shows it to be a growing field, in demand...so was unpleasantly surprised to read the various forums on what a terrible career choice it would be, no jobs, flood of graduates. I also noticed there weren't post from this area so wondering if anyone in that field is experiencing the same here. Also, not an idiot but math not my best subject. Do you need to know a lot of it?

Demand is horrible especially for new grads and Pima is very, very expensive compared to other schools. None of the students I am training right now are looking forward to graduating as there is no work.

RadTech in Beaverton, Oregon said: Demand is horrible especially for new grads and Pima is very, very expensive compared to other schools. None of the students I am training right now are looking forward to graduating as there is no work.

Thank you for responding to my question. I really do appreciate it. And timely because I plan on attending the Pima seminar next week and gives me time to think about things. I do realize PIMA is a lot more expensive than the couple of community colleges that offer the program but they didn't have a waiting list or prerequisites and is on the commission approved training list for retraining. I notice you are located in Oregon, so you feel there isn't a demand in the Greater Seattle/Eastside area as well?

Researching hospitals around Seattle, there seems to be many openings. However, most if not all of these openings require 1-2 years experience. PIMA is an accredited rad tech program.

Joanne in Issaquah, Washington said: I have been looking into becoming a RT and attending the PIMA Medical Institute for their 2yr program. All research I've found shows it to be a growing field, in demand...so was unpleasantly surprised to read the various forums on what a terrible career choice it would be, no jobs, flood of graduates. I also noticed there weren't post from this area so wondering if anyone in that field is experiencing the same here. Also, not an idiot but math not my best subject. Do you need to know a lot of it?

Yes right now becoming a x-ray tech would be a horrible career choice due to the fact that the new grad market has become flooded. Pretty much no matter where you go schools have been pumping out new techs left and right.

The problem is, People like yourself are reading the propaganda that says the field is wide open. Even on this site you can click on the "salaries" button and those numbers are complete BS. Government websites say the field will grow by leaps and bounds. It did grow by leaps and bounds,,, 5 to 10 YEARS AGO..

I saw a statistic from 2008, the Nation's Rad Tech Schools were pumping out 16,500 rad techs a year. It's got to be more by now.

The accrediting bodies like AART & ASRT has absolutely NO incentive to tell the truth about the Nationwide flooded job market, since this is how they make their money off of idiots like Me who fell for it.

Be careful with PIMA - they are accredited by JRCERT but they are not a regionally accredited college so your credits will not transfer anywhere with you. I found this out the hard way when I was going for my Bachelors in Radiology - no school will accept their credits because they are nationally accredited not regionally accredited.

I agree the field is completely flooded. Also with health care reform of any type generating more and more denials by insurances it will not get any better. Granted, baby boomers will increase the over demand on healthcare but as the recession has proven, patients will choose direct pcp interations and prescriptions and avoid costly imaging procedure when able. . .

How is the job market in Florida for new graduates of the RT program? particularly northern Florida, Jacksonville, St Augustine area? Do I need a college that is nationally and regionally accredited?

TERRIBLE! Florida is very saturated with Rad Techs because theres an x-ray school in almost every Florida city. This includes northern Florida. Just take a look at some of the comments from people in Florida on this website that are looking for jobs. I know firsthand cause I used to work in Florida too. Its not just Florida ,the job market for rad techs nationwide is bad right now. I would look into another career if I were you. You dont want to waste your money on an education you may never even use.

Joanne in Issaquah, Washington said: I have been looking into becoming a RT and attending the PIMA Medical Institute for their 2yr program. All research I've found shows it to be a growing field, in demand...so was unpleasantly surprised to read the various forums on what a terrible career choice it would be, no jobs, flood of graduates. I also noticed there weren't post from this area so wondering if anyone in that field is experiencing the same here. Also, not an idiot but math not my best subject. Do you need to know a lot of it?

I completed the PIMA RT programme and am really struggling getting a job. All managers I have spoken to say things are really tight. One manager told me that its not so much that numbers of patients dipped during the recession (many of them had cobra, so still had health care cover for 6 months) but that they have not increased again since (possibly due to cobra ending and now many still don't have health care cover?). I would not recommend training for this job to anybody for the forseeable future. Washington has too many schools (5 or 6) turning out new grads up to every 8 months. By the way, the math is not that hard though!

Joanne in Issaquah, Washington said: I have been looking into becoming a RT and attending the PIMA Medical Institute for their 2yr program. All research I've found shows it to be a growing field, in demand...so was unpleasantly surprised to read the various forums on what a terrible career choice it would be, no jobs, flood of graduates. I also noticed there weren't post from this area so wondering if anyone in that field is experiencing the same here. Also, not an idiot but math not my best subject. Do you need to know a lot of it?

HI there - I am now in your same boat and was wondering if you ended up going through with Pima and the RT program or you may have learned any new tips you could share?
I was originally researching PIMA for reviews but now after readin peoples thoughts on the outlook of Rt's, I am wondering if I am even looking into the right field =(

Hi, I am currently a senior in high school and I've been delving into research of various medical fields. I read some of these comments and I am truly second guessing going to Pima by all the responses. Is the RT job market really cutthroat? I was all up for doing this program but now I'm afraid because the overflow of graduates will limit job opportunities in my area. Should I even bother with this program or look into another field?

I'm not sure how good the job market is in Las Vegas, NV. My suggestion would be to go to local hospitals and ask them how the job market is. Look for job openings on the internet. Go ask the local educational program how many students are finding full time employment. Don't rely on any one source. An educational program may not be 100% truthful about job outlook because they want your money (for example).

Can anybody throw some light on job prospects for rad techs in Los Angeles area.

I am also considering Pima for their August 2011 Rad Tech program. I have done my research, and their seems to be more openings for rad techs in Seattle than what most people on here are saying about their own geographical locations. That being said, I know that many people are still looking for jobs, which means it can get competitive and those with experience are more likely to get the jobs that are open. I am working in corporate america and hate it... I am contemplating a career change and have always loved medical. I don't think nursing is for me, but thinking that xray is. Considering that I've been looking for a marketing job for over a year and am competing with people with their MAs (I don't even have my BA), I would much rather finish school doing something I am interested in that I might possibly have a chance finding a career in (rad tech) than continue fighting it out with the overqualified corporate folks in downtown. At least when/if I do find a job (even if its part-time) than I'll enjoy what I do rather than hating my full-time job like I do now... It's the trade-off I guess. Good luck!

Wow! THis is kind of frightening. I am looking at the rad tech program at Concorde Career College in Aurora Co. Does any one know about that shcool or job prospects in Colorado? Thanks to every one for the post so far. Very informative.

Don't let people scare you about the job market. If it is something you want to do then go for it. You will just need to work hard and be the best in your class.

The job market is competitive and probably is a little saturated right now. But how does that differ from any field right now? I know several people with advanced degrees (Engineering, etc...) that can't find work. We are in the process of recovering from the biggest slump in the economy since the great depression. So I am not really sure why people think the slow job market is exclusive to rad techs.

radtechintraining you are extremely naive. The problems with radiology have very little to do with the economy. There are almost 50% more schools and rad tech students in training now than there were 5yrs ago. That has nothing to do with the economy.

Hmmmm....Before I made the decision to switch careers I applied for several positions that over a 100 resumes were submitted for. That is different how?

Here are the main problems as I see them.

1. There are many older techs that haven't retired because the economy has forced them to keep working.
2. Competition creates a better product. So for all of you techs out there looking for work you might want to go ahead and get your Bachelors.
3. A lot of techs want a job in their back yard and refuse to look abroad.

The days of you being guaranteed a job after finishing school are over. That gravy train has past.

But by all means keep being negative because that does wonders for finding a jobs. Really, it cute!

radtechtraining, you are a student only right? you have a lot to learn.

radtechintraining, like I said you are very naive. I have left the field of radiology. I went back to school originally to get my BS in Radiology and then changed over to IT. It was the best move I ever made. I had a job before I even graduated. I'm not being negative at all, just realistic.

here's the deal. my wife was an x-ray tech in the 80's. at the time, things were good. my school (different field)was longer than hers; yet she made considerable more salarly. word of mouth increased volume of techs. in the early 90's, a lot of techs graduating could not find jobs--maybe per diem, and part-time. then it got better. when i decided i was going to enter radiology, the field was wide open, high-paying traveling gigs, and signing bonuses. i graduated 1n 20002-easy to find and get bonuses--and i did. then, long before the economy became sluggish (if not terrible for most industries), radiology was majorly glutted with techs. why? pima for one. there are no prereqs, except the students are paying very high tuition. but it's not just pima. ordinary 2 & 4 yr schools are pumping them out, regardless of the situation in the job market. their job is to do that. they make money that way. i know plenty of techs, nationwide, that have applied to 100's of jobs, never getting a response. the school ratio is much higher in the midwest and south--it is actually much tougher there. you can look up how many programs there are on the arrt website...i think ohio was close to twenty programs. it might be a larger state, but it can't support that many techs. then in 2007, the economy crashed, making it even harder, in every field, to find work. i know this is a long post, but if i was a student and was looking for knowledge about my future, at any age, i'd want to know the truth...so there it is, in an early-am nutshell. its hard to swallow but it is what it is. but don't let me or anyone else influence your major decision. check the facts out for yourselves, gather as much info as you can (from multiple sources), weigh your other options, if any, then make your decision. wish i could tell you something better, but i can't...

xraydude, what we are going through right now is unprecedented. In the early 90's I was getting calls from recruiters all the time. During the 90's I had a full time job plus a couple of side gigs in the surrounding small towns. I used to use my vacation time to travel to side gigs that would pay me the salary of a traveler.

I just finished the pre-reqs for the local Rad Tech program, and reading all this makes me consider taking an extra semester to take the required nursing pre-reqs as I am on the fence about which field to go into. I wanted to go into ultrasound or radiation therapy after becoming RT certified.

medmom in Saint Augustine, Florida said: I just finished the pre-reqs for the local Rad Tech program, and reading all this makes me consider taking an extra semester to take the required nursing pre-reqs as I am on the fence about which field to go into. I wanted to go into ultrasound or radiation therapy after becoming RT certified.

Hey medmom, I wouldn't recommend radiation therapy especially not now we are just as flooded as xray. I have been stuck in Clovis New Mexico for 5 years Can't find any other jobs. I would definitely go with nursing not radiation therapy. Just some friendly advice for someone in the field now. Good Luck.

medmom, I can't really speak for US with certainity, however because I did work at a facility that has a lot of US techs I can tell you from my observations that they aren't much better off than diagnostic techs. Rad Therapy is essentially in the tank, along with diagnostic. Diagnostic is the greaters feeder to these other modalities. Once diagnostic started to get flooded, techs started moving into these other modalities in greater numbers. Now the various modalities are flooded as well, so now not only are diagnostic techs not finding jobs, but neither are those who are registered or trained in other modalites. What you have now is a large number of multi-modality trained techs out of a job.

I graduated in 2009 and was unable to find work for 5 months. When I did it was for part time limited license/MA work (I am a full RT) and the pay was horrible...but at least I was working. For the next 18 months I worked part time and/or per diem at 3 different facilities. I FINALLY got a full time job 2 years from graduation this April. In 2010 our school graduated 40 students and only about 5 of them are working. The class of 2011 just graduated ANOTHER 40 last week and as far as I know, one of them has a part time job.
I would not recommend this field at this time.

I am planning to take the rad tech online course at pima. but hearing all this make me think twice, tho i have been a x-ray tech/ ma with over 3 years of experience do you think having this on my shoulders will help my chanced to get a job as a full tech?

You need to get your official registry and I'm not sure if that can be done with an online program. Remember you still need to get your clinical training.

I doubt your three years of experience as an MA is going to help you at all.

Norm in Upland, California said: I am planning to take the rad tech online course at pima. but hearing all this make me think twice, tho i have been a x-ray tech/ ma with over 3 years of experience do you think having this on my shoulders will help my chanced to get a job as a full tech?

I used to work at San Antonio hospital in Upland way back when jobs were a dime a dozen. The current situation is very different however. If I had it to do over, I would still go into the radiology sciences but as a radiology assistant, MRI or CT tech. Jobs in these areas are still available and hopefully will continue to be. Good Luck