A radiographer (or medical imaging technologist) is a trained health professional who works with cutting edge technology to produce X-rays, CT (computed tomography) scans, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans and other medical images to assist clinical radiologists and other doctors diagnose, monitor or treat a patient’s injury or illness.
From humble beginnings at Murehwa High School, Mutize says she never knew about radiography until she chose Physics, Biology and Chemistry as her combination at ‘A’ Level.
“If you don’t have women in the specialty, then you don’t have role models for medical students to look to and that creates a limitation,” says Mutize who is currently the only female radiographer in Masvingo province.
Radiographers have a very thorough understanding of the body’s structure, how it is affected by injury, and the causes and effects of disease.
The radiographer performs the medical imaging on the instructions of the radiologist. The radiologist then interprets the images the radiographer has taken and communicates the results to the referring doctor.
“If you don’t have women in radiology, then you’re losing the perspective of women in terms of both research and teaching, as well as the perspective of the patient as a woman,” Mutize says.local
