Radiologists and Medical Radiation Technologists; what's the difference?

Radiologists are physicians who specialize in radiology, meaning all that extra schooling for being a physician. The techs are the ones who perform the actual x-ray, and don’t require nearly as much schooling.

It’s a bit like the difference between the guy who designs the cars at Ford or wherever, and the dude on the assembly line that puts them together.

Radiologists are doctors that have specialized in Radiology medicine. They are the people who supervise procedures, IV contrast injections, and perform certain procedures that techs are not qualified to do.

Rad Techs are people who are qualified to perform studies using radiology equipment under one or more modalities: CT, XR, US, NM, MR, MA. While they may be trained to recognize certain things that are of critical nature, they do not have more education or abilities beyond doing their jobs scanning patients. Degree is not required, they’re mostly certifications you can get at a trade school.

When I have a mammogram, the technician takes the films, and the Radiologist reads them.

(Delighted that you have cut your fluther sabbatical short.)

@gailcalled I am not going to let stuff here get to me. That’s just silly.

One other thing that medical radiation technologists (radiographers) do that hasn’t been mentioned here is deliver radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer.

In the UK to be able to call oneself a radiographer you need a degree. This is a common trend and a lot of countries are now going towards a bachelor’s degree. There is also a lot of scope for radiographers to develop their practice and many universities offer masters and it is not uncommon for radiogrphers to take on roles that was previously the domain of the radiologist such as reporting on films and performing interventions.