Ethan Kosche works as a Radiology Technician at Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he has been employed for 3 years.
He completed his education/training at college. He started the Radiography program at Northwestern online due to COVID and got a degree in Radiography in the spring of 2022. He has been in the field of healthcare since 2022.
He takes radiographs to identify a disease or a fracture.
Q: Can you describe your job and what a typical day looks like for you?
A: My typical day is longer than most people’s. I wake up at 4:30 a.m., since I live in the south suburbs and have to get to downtown Chicago. I get on the train at 5:30 a.m., get downtown at about 6:30 a.m., and walk to work, clocking in at 7 a.m. Depending on where I am that day—whether it is in the OR, in fluoroscopy, in the main department, or on portables—will dictate that specific day. We usually all rotate between places, but since I am mostly on portables, I’ll quickly describe a typical day (portables are a mobile X-ray machine that allows us to travel to the patient in the room versus having them be transported to us). We usually wait until about 8 a.m. to reach out to the nurses to see if they are ready for the scheduled portables. I go to each room that requires a portable X-ray and usually take about 1–2 X-rays per kid. After I am done with that patient, I move on to the next patient that is ready. It is very quick and efficient for everyone involved. Since these types of X-rays are normally very fast, we can usually do about 20–30 of these a day. Then, when I am all done for the day, I clock out at 3:30 p.m., get to the train, and head home.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?
A: I’ll go with two answers here—one being the variety of work, and the other being working with kids. No X-ray is the same as the next; every patient is different, as well as the type of X-ray we are doing. Also, we can be in such a variety of positions that day—whether it’s the OR, main department, fluoroscopy, ER, portables—all are unique in their own way. On the other hand, working with kids is such a fun experience because they are full of energy and are almost oblivious to their condition, so they typically are almost untroubled and happy to see new faces.
Q: What kinds of hours or schedule do you usually keep?
A: My personal schedule is Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with working one weekend every fifth week. But from when I leave my house to when I get back, it’s about 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Q: How long have you been working in this field, and how did you get started?
A: I started in college working toward my degree in Radiography in 2018, but entered the Northwestern Radiography program in 2020, online, due to COVID. That program was 2 years, so I graduated with my bachelor’s in Radiography in the spring of 2022. I started working at Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in July 2022. I have always been interested in anatomy, but I knew I wanted to be in the medical field due to my interest in sport-type injuries and what precisely happened to the body. I am a big football fan, so, for example, I was always fascinated when I heard about a player tearing his ACL, etc.
Q: What kind of education or training did you need to get this job?
A: The education aspect depends on what type of degree you are looking to get. For example, my degree required a 4-year college plan—the first 2 years covering my prerequisites, and the last 2 being in the Radiography program. However, I know some other people take the associate degree route, which is a community college 2-year plan. As for training, that depends on the hospital you go to. Lurie’s has a 3-month training program which covers all aspects: OR, fluoroscopy, portables, ER, etc. They also offer an extra two weeks if you feel like you need extra training in a certain area.
Q: Are there any licenses, tests, or certifications required for your job?
A: There are quite a few. First, you need either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree in order to get the job. You will also need an ARRT license (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists). There is a board exam that you are studying and preparing for the entire program. It is the ARRT board exam, which, when passed, gives you the ARRT licensure. ARRT is our certificate of being an X-ray tech, certifying we meet the criteria of ethics, education, imaging, and competency in our field. As well as an ASRT license (American Society of Radiologic Technologists). ASRT is a membership organization that makes sure we are enhancing our profession through education, research, and advocacy. Last but not least, our IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency) license. IEMA ensures we are trained on properly and safely using radiation in the healthcare setting. However, before all of these get put into motion, you must pass your boards exam.
Q: What do you wish you knew before you started this job?
A: I wish I knew that communication, politeness, and efficiency would get you so much farther than skill. These are things that are learned through trial and error of being on the job. Once you start to master those, working with doctors, nurses, patients, and even the patient’s family becomes a lot easier and a lot less stressful.
Q: Are there any mistakes you made along the way that others could learn from?
A: A mistake early on in the Northwestern program was thinking I was good enough to cut corners studying. You learn very quickly that you have to know everything about what you are being taught—there are no shortcuts. This directly correlated with my job, meaning that you learn very quickly not to cut corners. Whether it be skipping over steps of an exam or rushing the exam just to get it done—do the whole job correctly, regardless of time or inconvenience, whether it’s studying or in the real-life scenarios of working with patients.
Q: If someone wanted to do what you do, what would be their first step after high school?
A: You could do a few things. If you are not totally sold on being an X-ray tech, you can shadow for a day at most hospitals to see what it is like. If you choose to pursue it, you can either go the 2-year route of an associate degree at a college that offers radiography, or the 4-year bachelor’s degree route at a university.
Q: How has your job changed since you first started?
A: The actual work has not changed much since I have started. The things that seem to change rather frequently are the coworkers you are with. Some move to a different modality in the hospital, whether it’s IR, CT, etc. Others move hospitals due to pay, convenience, or just better opportunities. One other thing that differs frequently is the technology—keeps improving year after year, so we are always learning some type of new machine, new room, or new interface on our computers. However, it is not a big change since most of the time it is just an upgrade of machinery.
