The RA or radiologist assistant is similar to a radiography technician, though they have completed additional certifications and requirements. They can do some of the more advanced imaging jobs, and they do not require supervision. In many cases, the radiologist assistant will operate in quite an autonomous way, not being under the view of a radiologist, but merely operating under the auspices of a licensed physician who is a radiologist.

Today, the field of radiologist assistant is a relatively new one, with fewer than fifty courses available to take around the United States at last count. More and more universities are expected to follow suit as radiology assisting becomes more accepted. RA courses are being offered by more colleges and universities today than ever before. The radiologist assistant courses are in some cases, still in development, as this is a reasonably new addition to the allied medical professions.

It is important that you seek out a course recognized by the ARRT, or American Registry of Radiologic Technologist.

In 2010, 11 programs are being offered for the radiologist assistant program. These confer degrees at either the Bachelor's degree or the Master's degree level. In the radiology field, it is impossible to obtain a degree lower than a Bachelor's.

If you truly wish to become a radiology assistant, you will need to finish the course, and graduate in good standing. Something to note is that RA programs are only available to those who have already spent a considerable amount of time as a technician.

If you choose to embark on this course you will find that it requires about two years of your time, and a study of ethics, pharmacology, testing, diagnosis, radio-biology, and clinical radiology.

If you elect to take a Master's Degree level radiologist assistant course you will also be required to produce a master's thesis in order to complete your course. Even when you have been certified, you might find that you need to carry our some continuing education.

Once you have actually graduated, you will need to take and pass an exam in order to practice. Though not every state requires any state licensing, some accrediting institutions will require it. That being said, there are some states that require a state license, which currently takes place in11 different states.

One of the final steps in obtaining your Registered Radiology Assistant certification is taking the exam offered by the AART.

The ARRT also requires that, like nurses, physicians, physician assistants and paramedics, you be certified in Advance Cardiac Life Support, or ACLS, which is offered by the American Heart Association.

You will need to renew your radiologist assistant license each year, and you will need to ensure that you renew your radiology technician certification every two years.

The renewal is a condition of your job retention. They are also required to keep their technician certifications current by paying the renewal fees and filing application every two years. Note that if you wish to be a radiologist assistant, you need to be a radiologist technologist. 

You will find that many of the procedures you perform as a radiologist assistant will be the same as that which is done by a full fledged radiologist. As a radiologist assistant you will be assisting or performing various invasive techniques like fluoroscopy, x-rays, and even MRI's. The radiologist assistant will typically conduct these tests and then report the results to a licensed radiologist, who will make all final decisions as to the testing outcome.

The ASRT reports that the need for new graduate radiology assistants will continue to grow exponentially as the work continues to grow for the radiologists. There is a great calling for both radiologists and radiologist assistants, and that need is not being fulfilled. There are a number of people out there who need diagnostic testing, and as a result, the field will grow considerably over the next few years.

In 2009 and 2010, the American Medical Association stated that the need for radiologists is growing along with their popularity in the medical community. Depending on the area in which the RA is practicing, they may expect a salary of around $100,000 USD per year.