MRI Technician Schools in Arizona

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners have become invaluable in the diagnosis and treatment of many medical conditions, enabling visualization of bodily structures for diagnosing illness and injury. With the aging of the American population, the need for MRI technicians is expected to grow considerably over the next decade and beyond.

Take a look at the MRI tech programs at the tech schools in AZ listed below to start. You will want to request information from each of the MRI schools to compare program details like costs, admission requirements and graduation rates.

Arizona, with its warm climate and agreeable lifestyle, may be an ideal place to earn a degree as a MRI technician and to practice this profession. Most MRI technologists in Arizona join the Arizona State Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASSRT), a society designed to advance the profession and set standards for education and training, as well as promote the well-being of the professionals who practice it. The society also provides opportunities for individuals who want to take leadership roles and be a voice for the technologists of AZ in issues of national credentialing and state licensing.

The society reports results of the largest study of its kind showing that three-dimensional imaging, known as 3D mammography or tomosynthesis, finds more of the invasive, harmful cancers, and saves women the anxiety and cost of needing additional exams for what turn out to be false alarms.

MRI Tech Education in Arizona

Starting on January 1, 2015, the eligibility requirements for certification in MRI by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), the major certifying body in the United States, will increase. Candidates for certification will have to have earned an associate’s or more advanced degree from an accrediting agency recognized by ARRT.

AART believes that the general education courses taken as part of obtaining an academic degree will provide a good foundation that supports the evolving role of the technologist and the lifelong learning required by rapidly changing technology in the field. Quantitative and communication skills and understanding of human behavior acquired through the process of general education will serve as a solid basis for shaping professionalism and advancement of a Registered Technologist’s role in health care.

MRI technologist programs are available in Arizona at the associate’s degree level. These programs combine academic coursework with laboratory requirements. Before taking MRI-specific courses, you will take basic science courses in biology, physics, and anatomy. MRI courses include MRI physics, MRI procedures, and MRI imaging analysis along with pathophysiology.

Once you enroll in an MRI program at the associate’s degree level, you will also be required to participate in a clinical experience at a hospital or medical clinic. This will provide you with an opportunity to work and learn under the tutelage of an experienced MRI tech. It will also enable you to start applying what you have learned in your coursework in a real-world setting. The clinical experience also provides invaluable connections with potential future employers.

MRI Careers in Arizona

Once you have received your degree in MRI technology from an accredited institution, you will need to study for and pass a national licensing exam given by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. This license is necessary to practice as an MRI technologist in the state of Arizona.

The most typical settings in which MRI schools prepare technologists to work are the imaging departments of hospitals and diagnostic centers. An increasing number of physicians’ offices also employ these professionals. Most MRI techs work full time, and their schedules may include overnight, weekend, and holiday shifts. The median wage for an MRI technologist in Arizona is $77,960 per year, which is higher than the national median salary of $69,930 (O*Net, 2018).

MRI technology jobs require a high degree of physical activity, so you must be in good health with a lot of stamina. Lifting or assisting patients in moving from hospital beds and wheelchairs onto the scanner table is necessary at times, as is positioning body parts or pieces of equipment. The result is that you may spend many hours per shift on your feet. It is also critical that MRI technologists pay close attention to detail. Physicians’ instructions must be followed carefully in order to obtain clear, useful data. The ability to empathize and communicate with patients is needed to gain patient cooperation, especially when they are in pain or anxious about the machine or the procedure.

Skilled MRI technologists may have opportunities to specialize in a particular area, such as pediatrics, cardiac, neurological, or intraoperative imaging. Some continue their education and train as nurses or nuclear medicine technologists. Upward mobility into supervisory or managerial roles are other options with MRI. Schools can be found on this page, and you can request information directly from our site.