Document #1: Interview Schedule

Background Information
My Interviewee
Im planning to interview Jake Smith. He works at Intermountain Healthcare as an
radiology technician.
I will interview Jake at the lobby of the facility, he will show me where he works
and introduce me to his workplace environment. I chose to interview Jake because
he seems passionate about what is he doing, I saw him while visiting my aunt at
the hospital the way he was treating the patients was amazing it sounded like hes
not into the job for the money, it sounded like he was happy and he was giving his
time for his job because he loved what he was doing. Couple of patients said that
he treats them every day the best.
Please Note: I will be asking Jake questions to get to know him better and why is
he passionate about this job, Jake seems to be open to talk about anything and he
has great communication skills so it will be easier for the interview to flow easily.

Career Research
After moving to United States I made a lot of researches about careers and
education, I am really interested in psychology, However after analyzing the pros
and cos of psychology degree I wanted to go with something more reliable career
path that promises you security at you job. I started by nursing degree but I found
out that isnt for me too much stress in the job and seeing the blood it makes me
lose my consciousness, so I didnt give up I looked up other opportunities in health
care since you cant really go wrog with it even if the economy is not good because
health is the primary worries of human being and they always need to follow up
with it.
I learned from the Occupational Outlook Handbook that many Radiology
technicians start out with an Associates' degree median pay is 26.88 $ per hour
which is $ 55910 per year. The greatest thing is that the job outlook is 21% faster

than average. However my ultimate goal of education is being an ultrasound

technician and associate degree of this is not available at SLCC or anywhere else
its hard to find but the best way to get there is through getting my associate degree
for radiology technician and then continue with ultrasound technian . I am hoping
that some of the answers of Jake will be helpful to be to get to know the daily
activities of the radioloigy technician.

I began taking classes in biology, anatomy, and physiology so I could learn more
about how my own body works in order to take good of my own health. I found
out that I love taking these classes. I have also reasoned that health care is often a
good field to be in during economic downturns, because unfortunately, people will
still get sick and will still need care.
Nursing seems like a good fit for my interests. I know that one duty of nurses is to
teach patients and their families how to manage their illnesses and injuries. I like
this aspect of nursing. In this interview, I want to learn more about the day to day
activities of a registered nurse. I realize that many nurses must accept night shifts. I
wonder how this might fit in with my life if I end up with a family of my own.
Interview Schedule
Opening

Hi Jake, I appreciate a lot that you are willing to give some time of your busy
schedule to this interview.
As I explained to you the purpose of our meeting the first time we scheduled this
interview, I have an assignment for my communication class to interview someone
who is already experiencing the career environment of radiology technician. I will
be honored if you explain to me about what made you chose this career for your
life, you obviously seem passionate in what you are doing but as we know every
career has its disadvantages and advantages it will be great if you talk also the
impact of your choice on your personal life your family or daily life, do you regret
what youre doing now or if you go back to school would you still graduate with
the same degree? I will be taking notes I prefer if you go into details during this
interview. This shouldnt take longer than a half hour. Are you ready to start?

Body

A Typical Day
1. Can you tell me about how a typical day plays out in your workplace?
As everyone know that healthcare jobs are stressful which some people have
hard time being under a lot of stress and one of them is honestly me. Being a
radiology technician may be count as a routine job, the trainings are usually
done at school but when you start working you will not feel confused you
will be already ready after school to get in the job you will know how to
greet the patient and give them the appropriate care and then position them
for the right image. However they arent allowed to analyze the xrays they
need to wait for the radiologist but the good thing is that you can analyz it
with the radiologist but you are not allowed to give any information to the
patient. After the whole procedure is done the radiologist technician should
end the session by helping the patient to be prepared to go and then report
everything that was said about the patient by the radiologist. The atmosphere
is not that stressful you will only do your routine job but if your not
interested in it you will hate it, however it is important to know how to deal
with your co workers since they will try to teach you things that they think
they know better because you are still new you need to be patient with them
so that it will not have any effect on your career.
___-What tasks are the most difficult?
The most important tesks are giving the best and the most appropriate care
to the patient since not all patients act the way you think they should be
acting, some of them are stressed of their health situation they can treat you
in a rude way however having patience is the most important and difficult(to
some people) part of this job.
___-Which are the most simple?
Reporting the results are the easiest part , however it is the most important
part to because you dont want to write things that are wrong because it can
lead into severe consequences.
2. What do you like most about your job?

I love helping people and showing them that I care about how they are doing, I
try to build formal bond with my patients by keeping the respect between us but
still ask if they are feeling comfortable or they need me to adjust anything.
Sometimes kids come to the clinic not everyone has patience for the kids that are
constantly crying and moving however I enjoy more taking care of them since they
are innocent soles and they are in pain I want to help them to find the best solution
for their case. I love my job because its what I always dreamed about I am making
a change in other peoples life which makes me feel happy.

-- What would you say you like least about your job?
There are not a lot that I dont like about my job but maybe some patients that treat
me like I am nothing and they have all the power on me that bothers me a lot
however I understand their emotional state and that they are sick and they need
someone to give them care and I am ready to do that.
3. Can you tell me about your schedule?
If you are starting new it may be difficult because you may get to work at
midnights be called for emergency late night situations, however after a
while it gets more fixed it will 8 hours a day however the weekends are long
you dont really work weekends.
-How accommodating is your schedule to your personal life?
Its great since its not like nurses that have to be there all the
midnight, No you have fixed schedule that I feel like its really good
for parents who have kids. However I am not married I dont have a
lot of responsibilities in life so my work schedule is working perfectly
with my personal life.
-Are you allowed to take vacation time or days off when you choose?
At first you cant since you are new, however after years it all depends
if you ask and you have a good reason then yes you can but they dont
really give you vacations whenever you want.

4. I'm interested in how this career might interact with my family life. Do you
mind if I ask whether you have any children?
As I mentioned above I dont have any kids or family I live by myself and
take care of myself and my dog ( he may be count as my kid!)
-If one of your co-workers had a child that got really sick one morning when they
were scheduled to be at work, what could they do?
They cant do a lot about it they need to look if there is someone else that can
cover their shift if no then he/she will not really be able to leave unless the
situation is severe then they try to find a solution.
-Have your co-workers ever talked about how their work life affects their children?
Could you share some of that with me?
The fresh starters say its effecting a lot since their schedule is not fixed yet,
however the others say its better than most the other jobs in healthcare at least
they have the weekends to enjoy it with their family.

5. All things considered, would you recommend your career to a single mom?
A single mom whatever she worked it will effect on their personal life since
she needs to be there for her kids most of the time, however if she is
working any other job it will be almost the same. At least she will be there
for them at nights weekends which is perfect for me but as I am not a mom I
cant say for sure how it will effect on their job.
Getting Started in the Medical Field
Now that I know more about what you do, let me backtrack a little and ask about
how you got started in this field.
1. Why did you choose a career in the medical field?
As I said I love helping people however a psychology or a social work jobs I dont
think they give financial security in life. However medical field you can never go
wrong with it even if the economy is catastrophic you still have a job, for me more
than the money security in life is my priority I dont want to be worried every day

that I cant really find a job and keep waiting . By being in medical field I think
most of my worries are gone about the future.
-Why would you say that you made a good choice?
I made a really good choice and I am trying to be a radiologist and a gynecologist
thats my ultimate goal I am happy with my choice right now by being a radiology
technician however I dont want to stay in the same place for the rest of my life I
need to further my education and thats how I will be the most satisfied with my
choice in life.
-What regrets do you have about working in the medical field?
The only regret that I may mention is that working with sick people makes you
depressed kind of but at the same time it makes you feel grateful that you are
having healthy lifestyle and helping others to get better.
3. How did you get started as a radiologist technician?
The first step is doing voluntary or paid jobs in the medical field you need to
have patient care experience, the next step is applying for an associate
degree and if you got excepted then you can do your 2 year degree, after that
you have to take State test or AART test to be certified which tests the
following skills: observation, communication, motor, intellectual skills. And
if you pass this test your ready to apply for different jobs and start wherever
you get hired and be patient because at first you may feel overwhelmed and
you may think you made a really bad choice however after a while you will
get used to it and start loving it however if you already dont have passion
for what youre doing you shouldnt start from the beginning.
-Would you start in this way if you could do it over again?
Yes!! I would totally start all again but I am happy that I am done with
all those steps and I am here doing what I like.
3. What educational path would you recommend if I want to enter the medical
field as soon as possible?
An associate degree is the best way to start a medical field as soon as
possible however always the higher the education the better is everything.

-How much time did it take to get the training you needed?
I did the training at school while earning my degree and after that I
already knew what I was doing however you need to get used to the
new technics and ways that your workplace deals with, however it
wont take you long since everything needs practice and after a month
you will be ready to go with almost everything.
4. What other elements are required beyond schooling to become a successful
radiologist technician?
Having patience and passion are the keys for this career field you should
love what youre doing.
-What other fields could you transition into without additional
schooling?
You can work at doctors office or hospitals but thats all that you can
do without additional schooling.
5. What types of knowledge or skills would I need to gain before I become a
radiologist technician?
Communication skills is the key you need to know how to talk to different
kind type of people, however I think conflict management is really important
skill to have since some patients may try to make a problem out of nowhere
and its important to know how to deal with them.
-- What resources have you used to develop these skills?
Internet reliable resources are a good way to go, or if you like reading
books there are tons of good books about conflict management,
however I think school is the best way to go and taking extra courses
about them is really good.

6. Since you only had a little educational experience, how prepared did you
feel, initially starting as a radiologist technician?

You will start from the bottom however furthering your education is your
key in life to get to the top or wherever you would like to get. However
watching your coworkers will give a great way to learn new skills.
-Have you progressively become a better radiologist technician?
Everything in life needs practice even the math teachers dont know
how to solve a problem if they have never seen it before, through
experience and practicing you can get progressively better in the field
you are working in. I personally have gone a long way since I started I
believe I know better than first when I got into this job.
- What elements have contributed most to your success?
The patience that I have and my dedication to my schooling .
Continuing Education
1. Is any continuing education that is required or recommended?
After youre done with your associate degree its always a good choice to go
with a bachelors degree.

--Tell me about the education are you currently involved in, if any?
I am almost done with my bachelors degree in x-ray technician which will lead me
into more opportunities in life.
--What education would you recommend beyond what's required?
I recommend if you go into your bachelors degree after you are done with
associate degree.
2. What continuing education do doctors promote and desire from their radiology
technicians?
An associate degree is great way to start with but of course they prefer furthering
their education.

--Which educational resource have you found most practical and

valuable?
An associate degree is the most practical and valuable recourse however its kind
of hard to get accepted in it.
3. What role do medical publications and associations play in keeping you
updated in this fast-paced emerging field of science?
I makes me realize that what I graduated in is not a wrong choice since the
field of science is fast paced and you will have more chances to get hired
because there are more jobs available.

Clearinghouse question: The interviewee's turn

1. Are there subjects we havent discussed that you think I need to be aware of?
We have discussed almost everything my personal advice is do whatever your
passionate about if youre not you should never get in it because you will hate
it.
2. Can you think of anyone else I could interview to get more information about
the field before I enter the radiologist technician program?
I dont think its necessary for you to do that but if you think you may find
different answers from different people you can interview my coworkers too.

Closing
Well, looks like that's all the questions I have. Thank you very much for taking
time to talk to me. I really learned a lot and you were really helpful. I am glad you
have made the right choice and you are trying to lead people into the right track.
Thank you for inspiring me that furthering education is the right thing to do and
that you can never go wrong with medical field and that it has job security which is
a priority for me too.

Finally, if you remember, on the phone I mentioned an evaluation form I needed

you to fill out in order for me to get credit. Please be completely honest because
your evaluation, whether good or bad, won't affect my grade. But I won't get a
grade until my professor receives it. So if you don't mind, could you please mail
this to my professor sometime in the next two days? Thank you so much! I've
learned a lot about this career. It was a pleasure to meet you. (Handshake) Good
bye.