Finding work in radiography, sonography, etc.

Hello, anyone with experience trying to get an Allied Health job in Deutschland, such as in radiography, sonography, or PT with your degree and practicum experience, but without having had that all-important "first job" in the States? Once I have my degree, I might be interested in relocating to Germany at that time. I know it would be better to have work experience, but I might be champing at the bit to move at that time.

Thank you!

"Allied Health" means nothing to me, nor will it to anyone in Germany, so make sure you define more clearly what exactly it is you want to do. I would urgently advise you to get some advice on the equivalency of your qualifications. Radiographers in Germany are Doctors (I know a couple), AFAIK there is no such thing as a Degree in radiography (actually thats not quite true - You can theretically be an "Arzt" without being "Dr." but its relatively rare and you can forget getting any sort of public health job without a medical doctorate). If youre not a doctor, you would be looking at being a male nurse or an MTA (medizinisch-technische Assistent) with radiography specialisation, which Im sure exists, but Im not at all sure there is any demand for foreigners to do the job and its extremely badly paid.

Even if you are the equivalent of a doctor and can prove it, I would expect you to have problems finding a job. For many years Germany overproduced medical doctors and reduced dotors jobs so that even german-trained doctors are fighting to get anything worthwhile. Doctors in the public health system are routinely underpaid and overworked and you wont stand a chance of joining a practice without at least a "Facharzt" qualification and a wad of cash (0,5-2 Mio Euros or more to buy into anywhere making decent money, depending on location).

Actually, I would be very surprised if your qualification was recognised with no problems. Most countries are very sensitive about the training of medical staff and most have to do at least some re-training before they can work abroad so check that before you put any more thoughts into this.

andy M

You will have to be retrained. Radioskopie part 1 being the first.

I know alot of 'foreign trained' medical professionals! Germany lacks in most medical auxillaries, because heaven forbid a german do any real work! Most nurses that I know are from out of Germany (Ireland, Croatia and Finland).
Now PT- is something different, (again, I do know again alot of foreign trained Physios) your best bet would be to contact the German Physio Assoc to ask about working abroad, or maybe even the American Assoc has a link (I know the International DH Federation has all the necessary links for working abroad).
But PT is very different that Radiology Tech, so what is it that you are actually studying?

Hi, thanks all! Yes, I put PT up there because I wasn't sure I'd find someone who specifically know about Sonography or even Radiography. Yes, a Radiologist is a medical doctor. They are the ones who interpret the x-rays and CT scans and the like. However, the technologists are the ones who put the patients on the tables and make the scans. While not brilliantly paid, a sonographer can make around $60K without killing herself. Is the pay so much worse in Germany, comparatively speaking?

As one of you commented, nurses and allied health professions(medical auxillaries as Carm put it)--not the vets, the doctors, the dentists, the podiatrists, the optometrists and pharmacists--the ones who do the assist work, and who don't make the "calls," are often understaffed, and it is possible to find lots of employment opportunities. For that matter, even Radiologists are becoming rare, and they have Radiologic Assistant degrees to make up for the shortage in MDs here in the States.

You are probably right about having to take certification tests in Germany. Still, any information as to any auslanders getting employed would be appreciated!

I'm not training in radiology, or using x-rays, but sonography, using ultrasound. Do you have any idea what courses are required for Sonography? Does anybody know the name of the board in Germany that I can write to requesting such information? Danke!!

*bump

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