The joy of being a RadTech professional: a take from Dan Acero

By becoming a radiologic technologist, you are joining a highly satisfying healthcare profession. Radiologic technologists (also known as radiographers or rad techs) love their wide variety of duties at work. Let us have an up-close and personal take from Dan Guiller Galorio Acero II, one of the RadTech instructors of Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. RadTech Program about the joy of being a professional in the RadTech world.

I asked sir Dan a series of questions and here are his answers:

When did you know that you have a calling in the RadTech world?

To be honest, when I graduated from high school, I did not know which course to take. So naturally, I went college hopping to find a suitable course for me. When I reached my alma mater, I decided to take up Nursing since majority of my relatives are nurses. But something felt a bit off with my decision. So I made a blunder and chose a course that’s never been touched by family, that’s how I ended up in Radiologic Technology. At first, it took me quite a while to adjust to the course, especially with all the physics and anatomy subjects. But in the end, I learned to love the course. However, I knew that my calling was different. I was dead-on in accomplishing my degree in Radiologic Technology but I knew that my calling was molding the next generation of Radiologic Technologists instead of being just one. So here I am now, a RadTech instructor.

Can you talk about what a typical day at your current job is like?

Back when I worked as clinic technologist, my work felt like a machine with automation. It was call, shoot, develop, repeat from 7AM-5PM, 6 days a week. I was basically a robot at that point. However, when I got into acaademe, I feel a maestro in an orchestra, guiding musicians to produce beautiful music. A day in my job now is as colorful as the interesting topics that I discuss. Now, my daily routine starts with a cup of coffee and a big smile on my face to greet my students with. As the day progesses, I try to best of my power to keep my voice as enthusiastic and my lessons as interesting as they could get. At the end of the day, I spend a few extra hours of my time to prepare for the next day. Sure, the workload now is far greater than the work I had when I worked clinic hours, but that’s part of the beauty of the job.

Why do you think becoming a Radiologic Technologist is vital to Healthcare?

As they say, Radiologic Technology is the Eye of Medicine. Meaning, medicine would be blind without us, Radiologic Technologists. Imagine all the unnecessary surgeries that would take place just for something as minor as a swallowed one Peso coin. Our profession makes sure that diagnosis of diseases and injuries will remain affordable and easy to access.

What does it take to be a RadTech professional?

Just one word. Imagination. When you are a Radiologic Technologist, you need to imagine first the final image that you need to take. This would include: the positions, the angles, the factors, and equipment needed. All of these combined, with a bit of imagination, that is what a competent RadTech is.

Describe someone in your field whom you find influential. What is so admiring about him/her in your career?

That would be Dr. Theresa Eguia, RRT, MAED, PhD. Other than the years of experience as a Radiologic Technologist under her belt, the way she teaches brings wonder to her students. I could only hope to be a fraction of what she is as a professor and as a RadTech.

I also asked sir Dan if he were to describe X-ray through the lyrics of any song, he jokingly used Jessi’s Zoom and it goes, “I see you looking at my P I C“. When asked to either say YES or NO, sir Dan got these answers for the following:

Is RadTech profession:

(1) physically demanding? – YES

(2) stressful? – YES

(3) rewarding? – Definitely, YES.

Finally, I asked sir Dan, “Do you find your profession meaningful?” He responded by saying, “Overall yes, I have had a very interesting life ever since I started as a RadTech.”


Have you ever thought of getting a career in Radiologic Technology? Enroll now at JMCFI College of Allied Health Sciences and fuel up your Radiologic Technology dreams!

BESTOWING OUR STUDENTS WITH THE ESSENTIALS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The year 2020 arrived, bringing an enormous challenge to the world, which is the global pandemic.

As a result, many industries have struggled to stay afloat, and many failed and decided to close down, including educational institutions.

This global scenario has  changed our lives in ways we have never imagined, but through it all, we managed to adapt and cope and kept pace despite the unknown terrain,  which led to the newly coined word “New Normal.”

Looking back, during the first quarter of  2020, educational institutions are still in a quandary on what directions to take, considering the risks brought about by the pandemic.

Still, our institution remained bold in addressing the challenges, and true to our commitment to provide an Assured, Consistent, and Quality education, we decided that “Education goes on in Jose Maria College.”

Under the new normal conditions, we quickly devised the Flexible learning modality that caters to every student’s need without being affected by the digital divide issues.

Now we are on the second year in our traverse to this new normal educational landscape, and as we strategically pass through the challenging year 2020, we are more at grips with the situation now.

That is why we are moving on with the same zeal and vigor, resolute and innovative, bold to face up to the road ahead.

In this new school year, Jose Maria College is instituting the 5th-century industrial revolution; it is a technology at par with more developed countries with advanced technologies by partnering with one of the world’s technology giants, Huawei.

The partnership will allow students to utilize intelligent campuses and classrooms, virtual laboratories, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and many more.

We will provide our students with the best despite the still looming threats of the ongoing pandemic climate.

Our mission to our community and our country is to build, build, build a perfect future for all students and all parents who have chosen to entrust to us the building of their dreams and aspirations.

We will endeavor to deliver the ACQ brand of education, an Assured, Consistent, and Quality education you deserve.

Let me discuss in detail, for your better understanding of our banner head, ACQ brand of education.

Parents and students right now may have the same question in mind as they decide where to enroll in their pursuit of quality education.

That question could be –  what skills do I need to succeed?

Think about  your answer to this question but consider this,

Research has shown that two-thirds of the world’s population of children at this time will eventually do the work that doesn’t currently exist.

Now, think again,  what skills do you want your children to have?

The  World Economic Forum has recently prescribed a list of skills that every parent and anyone who cares about the future needs; it’s a list of the 21st-century skills highly valued in today’s multifarious, globalized, and swiftly moving society.  

One upon three of these skills is categorized as hard skills,  also called IQ skills which point to literacy skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

However, of equal importance are the social and creative skills like creativity, curiosity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking and, to add to these, determination, leadership, and adaptability. 

These soft skills are often classified as non-cognitive and other skills, but these are becoming more in demand in communities, leadership circles, and companies worldwide.

This fact shows that these skills are undoubtedly vital to future success because they complement IQ skills.

The study reveals that it has been used for centuries to represent a positive life that anyone deserves to be born with, or it can also be developed.

That brings us to an amazing realization based on the science of intellectual development.

Let me use the analogy of comparing the electrical wiring of the human to a house; you may believe it is challenging to rewire an old house; it may just take longer, but it is possible.

Taking this analogy to the social context, the social climate nowadays creates tangled wiring upon the human person of all ages, as represented by the high incidence of dysfunctional families or neglected children left to tend on their own, of youth stow-away because of unhappy homes.

Children entangled with this situation are caught in such a mess that hinders the reception of the necessary soft skills from complementing their complex skills to achieve success.

Here in JMC, we endeavor to build, build, build, in our mission for every human person; on every house brought to us for construction, we put primary consideration on knowing the place first.

What do they need, and how are they wired?

Then, proceeds to fill in the need and workings to make a better home out of them. A house designed adequately with a balance of hard and soft skills is highly in demand nowadays.

In the final analogy, JMC is an institution composed of caring, responsive, and loving teachers and instructors who are aware of the needs of every student and are ready to take on their role as architects and engineers creating a beautiful home out of every student.

JMC is a second home where our students are provided with the proper care, support, and love that they need to fully bloom into mature and well-trained human who is home to the highly demanded values in the world.

A beautiful future awaits them once they step out of our portals since they are already correctly wired with a balance of hard and soft skills as they assume various roles in society.

That is the ACQ brand of education. We Assure you of Consistency and Quality that will provide your future success.

To end, I now at this moment commission the new management committee of the Jose Maria College, its new President, Dr. Felix C. Chavez, Jr., a young and dynamic educational leader, do continue to steer the wheel of JMC  towards the direction I envision it to go, on our collective mission to provide a perfect future for our students.

Thank you, and may the blessings of the Almighty Father be upon you!