What Are the Math Requirements for Radiology?

If you're considering a healthcare career on a radiology team, you may have never considered what courses you would need to study to satisfy the radiology math requirements. In fact, you may never have thought of radiology careers as being math-oriented fields.

However, radiology specialists and radiographers apply mathematics in their jobs every day as they use radiation to diagnose or treat patients.

They rely on their knowledge of geometry and spatial relations, trigonometric functions, direct and inverse variation, and exponential decay models to perform such functions as:

• understanding the basic properties of radiation
• properly orienting patients for their X-rays and 3-D CT images
• selecting the appropriate dosage
• performing image magnification and bringing the image into proper focus
• managing contrast, brightness, level, and length of exposure
• ensuring minimal distortion and correct spatial resolution
• calculating the correct exposure time
• analyzing the consequences of radiation

Keep reading to learn more about the math requirements for radiology that are especially important for a career as a radiologic technologist or technician, radiographer, sonographer, radiology therapist, manager, or specialist.

Why Are Math Requirements Important in Radiology?

When you're working in the field of radiology, what you are actually doing is using powerful radiation and other imaging technology to either diagnose or treat illnesses in the human body.

A subfield is interventional radiology, which uses imaging (such as CT, ultrasound, MRI, and fluoroscopy) to guide treatment procedures or uses radiation itself to shrink tumors, treat cancers or fibroids, or remove blockages in the arteries and veins.

Since you are handling potentially dangerous ionized particles and ultrasonic waves such as in nuclear medicine, careers in radiology require a high degree of knowledge and precision. That is where math requirements for radiology enter the picture.

Radiologic technologists must have adequate mathematical skills so they can graduate from an accredited radiology technology program and pass the national American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) registry certification examination. Other related career positions have similar requirements.

What Education Do You Need for a Radiology Career?

Whether you're planning a career as a doctor or a technician in diagnostic radiology or interventional radiology, understanding mathematical principles will be an important aspect of your job.

Degree Requirements for Radiology Careers

Becoming a radiologist as a physician requires, at minimum, an undergraduate degree plus a medical school degree (MD), internship, and residency.

However, many other people train for and work in radiology-related careers to assist and support the work of these specialized doctors.

These treatment team members may be radiology nurses, radiologic technologists (aka radiographers), and those holding other specialized technical career niches in radiology such as cardiovascular, ultrasound, or MRI technicians, nuclear medicine technologists, and many other roles.

The educational requirements for these roles may include an associate degree, bachelor's degree, post-graduate certificate, or master's degree. All require a strong foundation in math in high school and/or college general education as prerequisites to specialized medical science courses.

Studying in a Program Accredited by JRCERT

Prospective members of radiology treatment teams usually start by earning a degree at the undergraduate level (associate or bachelor's). These will require, at minimum, courses in college-level algebra, calculus, or

Most employers prefer hiring graduates of a program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), which monitors educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance (MRI), and medical dosimetry.

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has tasked JRCERT as the sole agency in the US to evaluate and accredit education programs in radiography and radiation therapy.

Graduates of a JRCERT-accredited program will be able to practice in all 50 states.

Math Requirements for Radiology Technicians, Therapists, and Radiographers

Radiology team members need skills in mathematical and logical reasoning as well as problem-solving strategies and skills in analysis, synthesis, and quantification.

In either high school or college (or both), you can gain this firm foundation in mathematical reasoning through coursework in areas such as algebra (two levels), geometry, statistics, and calculus. Most degree programs expect you to bring in this expertise through your general education prerequisites.

All degree programs will require math courses, although the number and type of math requirements will vary between degree programs based on the specific career as well as the particular school.

A bipartisan, non-profit organization called Achieve, Inc., created by a team of American governors, educators, and business leaders, launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) in 2001 to identify a common core of academic benchmarks for health science diagnostic careers.

Based on labor market projections, industry surveys, and interviews with college educators, the ADP recommends a set of rigorous mathematics courses for students in training for such roles as radiologic technicians/technologists, diagnostic medical sonographers, and many others.

Pointing to the increasingly complex math skills necessary to operate the most cutting-edge equipment, American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Director of Education, Kevin Powers, said:

'The vocabulary of today's medical imaging and radiation therapy technologists includes terms such as algorithms, lookup tables, data compression, multiplanar reconstruction, bit depth, window, and leveling. Students who seek careers in the radiologic sciences will be best prepared if they have a strong academic preparation in math and science.'

Pursue a Technical Education and Career in Radiology With Confidence

While you will need to cover a small number of math courses to qualify for your degree, you'll find that mastery of a handful of key principles will provide what you need for your day-to-day work in the field.

Consult with Learn.org to find the best degree programs to meet your math requirements in radiology to fit your career goals.