As a rad tech turned pharmacist, I figure it's my turn to chime in. In my opinion, you will never be happy if you take that career path. Number one, there is zero autonomy. I graduated from X-ray school in 1994, worked my way up over the years and was cross trained in CT and MRI. When I left, I was working at a major university trauma center. I could do the job with my eyes closed, we all could. After seeing literally thousands of scans, your eye jumps to the slightest anomaly and though untrained to diagnose, you know exactly what you are seeing. You spend your life being "just the technologist" as you dial the phone for the attending or resident to speak with the radiologist, who is often someone fresh into their residency doing the preliminary read. The trauma surgeons gather around while you do your magic, then discuss with the radiologist just what you should do next, and you wait for their instruction. You follow strict protocols and ask permission to deviate. In smaller hospitals its common to go get your own patients and transfer the beds/stretchers/wheelchairs down to the rad department yourself, and you'll have little help because most of your coworkers are on "light duty" because they hurt their back on the job 10 years ago.
NMT is another route, and yes the best way is to become a rad tech first so when you hate your job as most people do, you can at least transition into another modality. If you go straight for NMT your are stuck with no alternatives. Radiation therapy and dosimetry are completely different paths, and though related to NMT, that would not be the proper pathway. Rad tech or NMT are specific degrees and do not transfer into a radiation therapy or dosimetry program. Also note that each health system has a limited number of dosimetrists - not a lot of job prospects.
NMT you will hauling around the pharmaceuticals prepared by the radiopharmacist, doing the grunt work and getting the exposure in the room with the patient while the pharmacist is heading home at 2pm. Trust me, I don't know you but from your posts I think you will hate it.
Number two, you will not make the 90k you are talking about. I left radiology when I graduated from pharmacy school in 2016 and it was only my final year that I topped 90k, and this was working permanent weekend nights with a $10/hr shift differential. I graduated from X-ray school in 1994. It took me 22 years of hard work and jumping on every opportunity and undesirable shift to make that money.
I worked full time in CT or MRI for all those years and I loved it because I eventually worked at a great place with coworkers that were like family and a boss that cared. Even then, we all (I mean all of us) hated the job, we just loved hanging out together and got through it. You will be puked on, crapped on, spit at... your regular patients will die before their next appointment.
As a 2016 pharmacy graduate I worked my first paid shift as a pharmacist on the same day my license was granted by the state and I've worked 40+ hours since. I was hired at 40 hours as staff and promoted to RXM 6 months later at $5500 base salary per 2 week pay period. This is 143,000 base with chance for overtime if I choose to work extra shifts, as well as a yearly bonus. The difference between 90k and 143k is living by a strict budget vs doing whatever the heck I want to with minimal worry. Right now I'm waiting for my husband to finish up some work so we can take a last minute 3 day trip to the mountains, just because we feel like it. The difference between 90k and 143k is the same as the difference between 90k and 37k - it's huge.
Beside the money, I'll touch one last time on autonomy and respect. Yes we have to work for places like wags and cvs. I've had my share of the huge teaching hospital scene and want no parts of it as a pharmacist. I like the fast pace of the community pharmacy and the time I have with my techs and patients. Yes, many of the patients are royal pains in the a** and I walk away wishing I could tell them what's truly on my mind (once in awhile I do it in weakness, and it turns out it's not all that satisfying) but this no different from the belligerent drunk blowing chunks into the cracks of my scanner while the person he plowed into with his truck is in critical condition on the adjacent scanner. People suck, and we all need to deal with that. I personally like the balance I have as people ask for my advice and actually take it to heart... In radiology the question is usually followed by "oh never mind, your just the tech." Please take my advice and don't do it, not even as a back up.
:shudder:
