Radiology Practical Technician
Radiology Practical Technician (RPT)
Limited radiology is permission granted to a health care worker, other than a radiologic technologist to practice radiologic technology under limited circumstances. Many out-patient clinics will utilize medical assistants in this capacity. Limited permits are restrictive and generally allow the health care worker to take images of extremities and other non-complicated radiologic examinations.
These standards do not require the same high standards necessary for ARRT certification or state licensure in radiology. Limited permits may allow an MA to take chest radiographs in an out-patient facility or an orthopedic assistant to take extremity radiographs. It is NOT intended to be a radiology career path. RPT licensure is NOT recognized by the ARRT and will not qualify as acceptable education to enter into any of the advanced areas.
Limited state license is only good in the state it is issued. In Utah, limited licenses originally assisted the rural areas where it was difficult to recruit certified RT’s. Now there is a radiology program in St. George and an outreach program through Weber that assists the rural areas. It is also used widely in out-patient clinics where a medical assistant will take a chest x-ray or an extremity radiograph.
What are the Responsibilities of a Radiology Practical TechnicianA radiology practical technician will have other primary responsibilities and perform radiological exams as needed. In Utah, medical assistants often become RPT’s therefore, a description of the medial assistant field has been provided. The types of exams they perform are limited to the chest, extremities, spines and some skull work.
Medical assisting is a multi-skilled allied health profession; practitioners work primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices and clinics. Medical assistants function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures.
Medical assistants work under the supervision of physicians in their offices or other medical settings. In accordance with respective state laws, they perform a broad range of administrative and clinical duties:
Administrative and clinical duties
- Scheduling and receiving patients
- Preparing and maintaining medical records
- Performing basic secretarial skills and medical transcription
- Handling telephone calls and writing correspondence
- Serving as a liaison between the physician and other individuals
- Managing practice finances
- Asepsis and infection control
- Taking patient histories and vital signs
- Performing first aid and CPR
- Preparing patients for procedures
- Assisting the physician with examinations and treatments
- Collecting and processing specimens
- Performing selected diagnostic tests to include radiological exams if licensed.
- Preparing and administering medications as directed by the physician
More medical assistants are employed by practicing physicians than any other type of allied health personnel. Medical assistants are usually employed in physicians’ offices and other ambulatory healthcare settings, where they perform a variety of administrative and clinical tasks to facilitate the work of the physician. The responsibilities of medical assistants vary, depending on whether they work in a clinic, hospital, large group practice, or small private office. With demand from more than 200,000 physicians, there are, and will probably continue to be, almost unlimited opportunities for formally educated medical assistants.
Even though the demand for medical assistants is very high, the demand for the Radiology Practical Technician is limited. As stated earlier, it is not a career path. It is meant to be an added skill to a clinical setting. Hospitals will not hire RPT’s unless they are enrolled in a full- 2 year radiology program. They will hire Medical Assistants to perfomr skills other than radiology.
According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), the average entry-level salary for Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs) in 2004 was $22,650. The average annual salary for full-time practitioners with a CMA was $27,951.
How do I become a Radiology Practical Technician?Educational programs for medical assistants are an associates degree certificate or diploma. RPT is often an option in the MA curriculum. Examination by the state is required but not recognized as certification. Salt Lake Community College offers RPT as part of the MA curriculum.
Education Director's CommentsIf you want to go into the radiology field, do NOT try to approach it through the Radiology Practical Technician route. For radiology, it is a dead-end street. You will be required to back up and complete all pre-requisite classes and qualifications for the radiology program and you will not be given credit for past radiology practice and/or course work. I am not saying that this is right, but it is the way that the two fields have emerged.
As an extra skill for a MA, it is a good skill to have but make sure you learn how to do it well as you are working with radiation that is dangerous.
CareersAmerican Association of Medical Assistants
20 N Wacker Dr., Ste 1575 Chicago, IL 60606-2903
(800) 228-2262 (312) 899-1500
Certification/registrationDirector of Certification
American Association of Medical Assistants
20 N Wacker Dr., Ste 1575 Chicago, IL 60606-2903
(312) 424-3100
Program accreditation
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in collaboration with:
American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment
20 N Wacker Dr., Ste 1575 Chicago, IL 60606-2963
(312) 899-1500 (312) 899-1259 Fax
E-mail: accreditation@aama-ntl.org
