Is there a difference between medical technician and a medical technologist?

What is the difference in a radiology technician and a radiology technologist?

• Answer:

  The most obvious way to look at this is to look at definitions of technician/technologist: Technologist: A scientist or engineer who specialises in a particular field. Technician: A person who studies, professes or practices technology. In my experience, a technician will usually be involved in more "mundane" work involving the maintenance and repair of systems. Technologist is not a word I would use often (it seems quite over the top) but seems to involve more engineering or design engineering as the role. I suspect therefore, that a radiology technician would be someone who works using existing equipment and technology to perform X-Rays, scans and so forth, or to maintain and repair that equipment. They would probably the person you speak to if you break a bone and arrange for your X-Rays to be taken. Likewise, if the X-Ray machine breaks for some reason, they will be the ones that can do repairs on that equipment. A radiology technologist would more likely be involved in designing, improving or modifying radiology equipment. This person might look at ways of improving the resolution of MRI scans using new electronic equipment, then develop that into a medical product, for example. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As a Radiological Technologist , which is the title given by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist who is the governing body, I can assure you that your answer is incorrect. We , who take the xray pictures when you break your arm ect are all referred to as "Technologist" and our job is far from 'mundane'. But "WE "are NOT the ones who fix the equipment when it breaks down. That title belongs to Biomedical equipment repair technician. So to answer the age old question , we are 'Technologist ' because we are knowledgeable of a certain skill and the engineering and technology that goes with it. The title is far from 'over the top' but definitely deserving. A 'Technician ' is someone who "fixes" things