Radiography Vs Pharmacy in Nigeria, which is better and more lucrative?
Pharmacy, a popular profession in Nigeria today. Apart from the prestige, lucrative salary and flexibility it provides, it pharmacy also has the adavantage of giving you a degree equivalent to an MD ( which is a degree in awarded to physicians) through its pharm D program. We have all come in contact with a pharmacist in our lives whether was a private practice pharmacy, the community pharmacy or at the hospital in a drug dispensary/pharmacy.
Radiography is also a good profession and has been described by many as an untapped gold mine due to the course’s unpopularity while also being relevant in the healthcare providing world. You might also have gotten in contact with a radiographer if you have visited a scan laboratory for either a x-ray or some other procedure.
Radiography is the art and science of using radiation to produce images of the tissues, organs, bones and vessels that the human body is comprised of.
It is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing and non ionizing radiation to view the internal form of the body. Radiographers are specialists who are trained to take different clear images of parts of the body using radiation (due to difference is densities of different parts of the body) and special equipments and techniques, while Pharmacy is the clinical health science that links medicine with chemistry and it is charged with the discovery, production, disposal, safe and effective use and control of medications and drugs.
A Pharmacist is a well trained health professional who is responsible for the management and distribution of medicines and ha the scientific knowledge to counsel patients on how to correctly use medicines and the potential side effects.
Radiography takes about four years to study in the university with an optional one year for internship while Pharmacy takes about six years in total which comprise of five years in the university and one year of compulsory practical hands-on learning at a Pharmacy to gain experience. As a Radiographer, your work would be substantially physical but not too physically demanding. You would go home feeling that you have worked at most.
Radiographers deal with substantially less body fluids than Pharmacists (especially those in private practices or community Pharmacies who have to administer injections most times) they have relatively brief encounters with patients which is okay if you are not really a social person. Radiographers also might have different training programs from time to time on safety and the use of new and more sophisticated imaging equipment. While Pharmacists in community Pharmacies and those in Hospitals have slightly different job descriptions, the main core of the job remains the same; Dispensing drugs prescribed by doctors to the patients and advising them on proper usage of these drugs.
On average, a Radiographer earns about 100,000 naira to 150,000 naira per month for a start in a federal setting and about 75,000 naira to 110,000 per month in state hospitals and private laboratories while on average a Pharmacists earns about 100,000 naira to 170,000. However the starting salary for government staff is between 165,000 to 300,000 per month which is reviewed after three to four years. There are also other basic bonuses and allowances which is peculiar to both professions. Radiography has basically the same job security as Pharmacy but a slightly higher job availability due to its unpopularity and importance.
At the end of the day, no one person can do it all. Health care is a team effort. From Radiographers who aid in medical imaging and diagnosis to Pharmacists who dispense the drugs prescribed to patients it takes a team approach. It comes down to what works for you and choosing the finest option(s) for yourself based on your abilities, work prospects, personality, income and most importantly, your interests.
Olayinka Shyllon
This article is the intellectual property of www.nimedhealth.com.ng
