I Want To Be A Radiation Therapist Essay

I have always had a passion to work in the healthcare field, but I just didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do. I don’t want to stick people with needles and I don’t like really gory scenes so I knew becoming a surgeon or even a nurse was out of the question. When my aunt died from breast cancer, I told myself if I could find a job that dealt with cancer I would pursue it because I want to help people overcome this obstacle so they can continue to be with their families. At first I wanted to become a physical therapist. But like most college students, my freshmen year I realized that’s not what I wanted to do and I was lost. Fortunately, I remembered in high school we did a career assessment online to help us see what careers we might be interested in. Of course I have changed since high school so I
had to do it over.
Radiation therapist was one of the options listed. I read the description and I fell in love! I knew from that moment on that being a radiation therapist is why I was put on earth. I want to become a radiation therapist because I want to help people in their time of need. Being a radiation therapist would be more than just a job for me. It is a way of giving back and knowing that I am doing something positive with my life. Dealing with something so life-threatening can be sad and depressing. I want to try to bring joy and happiness back into a person’s life.
Radiation therapist use machines that deliver radiation as a treatment for cancer. A radiation therapist also keeps track of patient records and keeps up with concerns the patient might have. You have to be able to help the patient get into the right position to get the treatment properly. You also have to be able to operate machines used to turn and lift the table the patients are on. Everything has to be precise so being on your P’s and Q’s is a must. This is a profession that you have to be alert in because you have to know when something is wrong and if it is, how to fix it.
Looking at x-ray pictures carefully and comparing the previous picture to the new picture is also done and why being alert is important. Knowing how to use the equipment and knowing what equipment to use is a part of the job. Each person is unique so their treatment is different. The different props used for each person is also unique. I had the opportunity to job shadow Ms. Heidi Schweier at St. Josephs/Candler. As soon as I walked in, I got butterflies. I was so excited I could barely stop smiling. I was only able to shadow for two hours because Ms. Schweier had prior engagements at Armstrong but my experience was amazing. I was able to see how radiation therapist work and what, in a sense, a day would be like. Observing what they did and how they interacted with the patients was interesting. They made the job look easy but I know it’s because of experience and knowledge. I hope to be like that one day. I asked questions about the advantages and disadvantages of the job and they were all things I could agree with. My experience was very eye-opening. I had an idea of what the job was like but now I have more of an understanding of what I am going to be doing. Even though I was only able to shadow for 2 hours, I took in a lot of information and I learned a lot. I know I don’t know everything there is to know about being a radiation therapist, but I believe I have the gist of it.
A lot of people might think being a radiation therapist is a depressing job, but I do not. I do believe that it can be sad at times, but I don’t think it is depressing. Dealing with illnesses and death can take an emotional toll on a person, but death doesn’t always happen. People do not always die when they have cancer. Now with more technology, detecting cancer early can literally save someone’s life. There is a negative to every healthcare profession but it doesn’t make it depressing. I think helping people get better and bringing hope back to a person is more important. Not becoming attached and making a bond with patients is kind of impossible to do because you will see them for a period of time, depending on the number of treatments. Having a bond with a patient can be bittersweet. One moment they are here and the next they could be gone. One of the radiation therapist that I spoke with while job shadowing said that she cries sometimes after a patient dies. Crying is an outlet that I see absolutely nothing wrong with. I can see myself crying if a patient of mine that I had a very close bond with died and I don’t mind. The way I would look at a patient’s death is the patient is no longer in pain and is in a better place. I know my faith will play a huge part in how I maintain my sanity and keeping myself together in general. The good outweighs the bad to me which is why I don’t mind going into this profession knowing that death is a part of it.
I think I should be chosen to for the radiation therapy program because I am a hard worker and I put my best foot forward at all times. I do not take my academics lightly because I know that education is vital to be successful. My mom and dad did not attend college and are doing alright to just have high school diplomas. I want more out of life then to just be doing alright. I want to take care of my mom and dad just like they took care of me. My family and my morals will not let me fail. I try to excel in everything I do because I want my family to be proud of me and I know hard work pays off. I am a good candidate to study radiation therapy because I will bring respect and dignity to this program. I understand that being accepted into this program is a privilege and I will treat it as such. This opportunity is not offered to everyone so I will not take it lightly by striving for perfection and not taking it for granted. I know that this program is not easy and I do not plan on skating my way through. I will have to work hard to maintain my GPA and to graduate from this program. I am not opposed to this and I am actually looking forward to the challenge. I am confident in my ability to fulfill the requirements needed to obtain a degree in Radiologic Science with a track in radiation therapy. Thank you for reviewing and considering me for a candidate.