Radiology is a very exciting career with some bright prospects for the immediate future. With a current shortage in radiological staff across the USA and Europe, you are almost guaranteed a job. With starting salaries as high as $50 K, it really is well worth looking into. Radiology is not for everyone though as it requires a very specific skill set and a very specific person to flourish in this career.

If you are considering a career as a radiological assistant or even as a Radiologist, then here are some guidelines on what type of person you need to be.

The first and most important requirement is that you love working with people. Even if you are not a doctor, you will be working closely with patients and often with patients in distress. The ability to deal with these situations and a genuine desire to help is vital if you are to be successful in this career. You will also be working closely with doctors and the accuracy of your work is really important. You need to be someone who is meticulous with an eye for detail. You need to be someone who is thorough and who knows how to take initiative in difficult situations.

A large part of the job revolves around operating expensive and complicated machines. X-ray machines, MRI machines or even sonar equipment are highly sophisticated pieces of equipment and if you aren't naturally adapt to work with computers and electronic equipment then you might struggle with this.

All careers in Radiology requires a degree or recognized diploma and most medical schools around the world have special courses for Radiological technicians. Many online universities also offer radiology degrees now and depending on the qualification you get it can be anything between 1 and 3 years of full time study. Its a tough course that covers anatomy, physiology and a lot of technical training.

It a challenging career but its very rewarding - both financially and emotionally. The majority of jobs is with hospitals although you can go into private practice or even join veterinary clinics or research laboratories.