Allied Health Career Information

Allied Health is a broad term used to describe the wide range of specialised healthcare provided by health practitioners who are not part of the medical, dental and nursing professions. The Allied Health workforce includes health practitioners who work autonomously and in multidisciplinary teams, in a variety of acute, outpatient, and community healthcare settings in both the public, not-for-profit and private sector.

A-Z of Allied Health Services

Sonography/Radiography is the applied science of medical imaging technologies. Traditionally this field has focused on the technical operation of specialised scanning machines, such as those that use radiation (X-ray, CT scans) or MRI, to produce images of the inside of the body which are then clinically analysed by radiologists and other Specialist doctors. Medical Imaging is used to diagnose medical conditions and injuries, to guide treatment and to assess a patient’s response to treatment. More recently, this field has been expanded as, Medical Radiation Science, and incorporates Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy streams. Sonography is an extended specialisation which uses Ultrasound technology to generate medical imaging.

Sonography/Radiography Jobs

Radiographers are health practitioners who provide crucial medical imaging services that help doctors identify conditions and inform treatment. They perform scans on people of all ages and may work in hospital radiology departments, medical laboratories, or private clinics, and are sometimes referred to as Medical Imaging Technologists. Radiologists can specialise as Nuclear Medicine Technologists or Radiation Therapists. They have completed a Bachelor of Medical Imaging/Radiation Science or postgraduate studies after an Applied or Health Science degree. Practitioners are also registered with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia, as well as meeting state licensing requirements.

Sonographers provide medical imaging services using Ultrasound technology. They often work autonomously with patients performing scans and producing quality images for radiologists and other Medical Specialists to interpret for further care. Pathways to becoming a Sonographer vary – qualified medical professionals or radiographers, or other Health Science graduates, can undertake a Graduate Diploma or Master of Medical Sonography/Medical Ultrasound, with optional specialties in Cardiac or Vascular Ultrasound. More recently the Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography offers a direct pathway into the profession. Current registration with the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry (ASAR) is often a requirement of employment.