Did You Know?
From the mid-1920s to the 1950s, many shoe stores had X-ray machines that let customers see their feet' bones inside new shoes. In 1957, Pennsylvania became the first state to ban them.
How to Get Started
Getting started as a radiologic technologist begins with curiosity about the human body and the people who care for it. You can build the habits technologists rely on, like clear explanations, patience, and careful attention to detail, long before you walk into an imaging room. You can start by practicing how to help someone feel calm and hold still.
Explore the Basics
Trace your hand on a sheet of paper. Then ask a grown-up to help you find a picture of the bones in a hand and wrist in a library book or on a kids’ health website, and draw them inside your tracing. Count the bones you drew and check your count against the book, since your hand and wrist together have 27 bones.
Try It Out
With a grown-up, take pictures of a toy from the front, the side, and above. Look at the three pictures and decide which one shows the toy best, and which one hides something. Talk about why a helper might need to take a picture from more than one angle.
Join the Community
Ask a grown-up to help you find a community helpers day, health fair, or hospital open house near you, and go together. Ask one health care helper to show you a tool and tell you how they help people feel calm. Draw a picture of the helper and the tool to remember what you learned.