By Rhiannon Thurmond
I recently attended Phase 1 training by Dave Domanski at Radiological Service Training Institute (RSTI). I am here to share a bit about my experience and some of the reasons behind attending this two-week, Phase 1: Principals of Servicing Diagnostic X-ray Systems class.
A few years ago, I decided to branch away from biomed/anesthesia specialty to step into diagnostic ultrasound servicing. This ultimately led to me finding employment at Samsung where I was asked to join the ranks and train in digital radiography. Since April, I have flown to our HQ in Danvers for three separate weeks of training on a variety of our system-specific courses and, at the recommendation of our highly educated TSEs, got approval to attend RSTI for Phase 1. One thing my mentors have taught me in my career is to never pass up a learning opportunity; when asked of course I said, “YES!” Leaving my comfort zone for new challenges is admittedly humbling, however, it is essential to growth.
It is my opinion that when you are learning a new modality it is important to know the “why” behind what we are servicing. The older generation of engineers is retiring and leaving less time for mentorship. This is resulting in many new techs coming into the essential roles servicing lifesaving equipment with a mere 3- to 5-day (system-specific) training class with very high expectations in the field to service the system they were trained as well as similar systems. If we are not fully grasping the “why” behind the tests we are performing, this leaves a critical issue. Knowing “why” aids in being able to ask the right questions to perform a good analysis of issues. For me personally, I genuinely want to work with certainty that any adjustments I make to a system that I am servicing will have a positive impact on the people using them and being treated by them.
At RSTI, I was able to learn more in-depth about the history of radiography and to see the transition from film to CR to DR. Knowing this gives me have a greater appreciation for digital radiography (DR) and how much safer the technology has become over the years. We had the opportunity to work in lab groups and use many systems. We could walk the museum floor and physically see, touch and learn about various X-ray systems and their components. We also used different imaging analyzers that we may encounter in the field and methods for testing beam quality/quantity. It is funny because I had no idea how much I would be looking at the periodic table of elements, learning about Z numbers, and the reason we use certain elements over others. However, as the class progressed, I realized why it was so crucial. It sure took me back to physics and chemistry classes. I chuckled because when I was younger, I asked myself, “When will I ever use this in real life…” now here we are. We learned how X-rays are made within the tube and the different types of radiation as a result. I gained a better understanding of the effects of KV, mA, and time on the quality and quantity of X-rays. We learned about high-frequency generators and their positive impact on radiology. We explored the X-ray tube, and its materials and then we got to see the filaments light up and the anode spin in real time.
Dave taught us how about different stator types and how to ID what type is on your tube. We even learned how to check filaments using an old HV cable. We did several hands-on labs as a group using CR, DR, grids, and phantoms while making calculated adjustments of KV, MA, and time to see the effects of X-ray on image quality. We learned about how Increasing the SID (Source to Image Distance) affects the intensity of X-rays based on the Inverse Square Law (2XDistance = 25%Intensity). This class was crammed with information!
There was a level of engagement in our class that I had not seen in other classes I have attended. I believe this to be on behalf of Anne Morrison. She aided in getting our registration done with ease, coordinating such a welcoming stay at a nearby hotel that shuttled us to and from class daily. She coordinated a team night out and created a simplified lodging/meal package that allowed us to all have lunch together at the training site. Our class boasted 25 students, we trained hard for two weeks and built relationships that will last a lifetime. I loved that our group got a chat going the Friday of the first week of class. We decided to open communication with one another for dinners, seeing the sights and study groups. I think by then we had got to know one another through class, labs, and our super fun student night out.
On the final night of class, some of us got together and ordered pizza at the hotel cafeteria and held a study group. We all gathered our leftover drinks and snacks from the hotel, we ate, and we quizzed each other – preparing to try and win a chicken. If you have ever been to an RSTI Training, you know how many bragging rights you get if you walk away with one of those little cluckers. I was very grateful for all the camaraderie that we had that night as our brains were already mush from the past two weeks. Ultimately our class of 25 had four chicken winners! I was not one of them, but I am still proud!
I find it important to understand radiology is a modality that if not serviced correctly can harm not only the user but the patient on the table. That is why attending classes like the one I attended, are so valuable. Each Instructor was extremely knowledgeable and ready to dive right into not only explaining but to show how it works in an easy way to interpret and recall. RSTI is quite an experience! If you attend this two-week training course expect to be warmly welcomed, be well fed and to leave with so much more that you came with. RSTI offers a wide variety of classes throughout the year. While there, I walked the halls and enjoyed spotting so many that I have come to be friends with over the years lining the wall of graduates. It is quite inspiring. Do not sleep on building relationships with your classmates or squeezing in study sessions while there. The state of Ohio is beautiful, bring some good hiking boots and go explore!
