November 8 to 14, 2026, is Medical Radiation Technology Week in Canada, an annual celebration sponsored by the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT). MAHCP is proud to represent more than 700 members working in a variety of MRT roles throughout the healthcare system, and they serve as an essential link between technology and patients.
Danielle* woke up one morning with what she assumed was a sinus infection, with pressure around her eyes and cheeks.
“Later on that week, I called my optometrist because I was figured there must be something wrong with my eyes. I couldn’t see myself in the mirror at the gym. Within just six days, I was almost completely blind, with nothing but a few tiny pinpoints of light puncturing the cloudy darkness,” said Danielle.
In the weeks (and months) that followed, Danielle had chest X-rays and CT scans to rule out a possible pulmonary infection or lung disease. She had CTs and MRIs of the head, eye orbits, and spine; lumbar punctures, two of the three procedures leveraging the interventional radiology suite for accuracy; a pulmonary function test, countless blood draws, and a series of ophthalmic tests to assess field of vision, colour recognition, and visual acuity. The blindness turned out to be a result of inflamed and damaged optic nerves and brain lesions, rather than an eye disease or injury.
Danielle’s team of physicians, which included a neurologist, ophthalmologist, and internist, received a battery of test results that provided essential information about what was happening inside Danielle’s body. Many of those valuable diagnostic results were provided by healthcare professionals working in the field of Medical Radiation Technology (MRT).
Physicians rely on the skills and experience of MRTs to acquire images that tell a story, but that’s only part of the story.
“Medical radiation technologists (MRTs) are highly educated and caring frontline professionals, high-tech specialists, and essential members of any healthcare team,” says Dayna McTaggart, Provincial Manager, CAMRT-MB. “MRTs have extensive training in and knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and the structures and systems of the body, but they also deliver instructions, answer questions, and try to keep patients who may be nervous and anxious, calm and relaxed. It’s a science-based profession that also requires empathy, patience, and diligence.”
Multiple professions, one purpose: Diagnostics
Diagnostic imaging — high quality, timely, and accessible — is integral to many diagnoses and to overall healthcare delivery. The vital tests MRTs perform can help uncover the root cause of health issues, symptoms, and pain, which, in turn, may contribute to a patient’s possible disease diagnosis and treatment plan. Diagnostic imaging helps patients move through the system appropriately to access the care they need.
The Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technology (CAMRT) is the national body that works to advance the MRT profession through advocacy, education, and research. CAMRT groups MRTs into four specialized disciplines:
- Medical Radiologic Technology, which uses X-rays of all types to produce digital images of the lungs, bones, joints, abdomen, and spine to detect fractures or disease. An X-ray image is produced when a small amount of radiation passes through a body part and is captured to produce a black-and-white image. MRTs working in Radiologic Technology may perform:
- Mammograms: Digital images of breast tissue to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages);
- CT (Computed Tomography): Scans that generate cross-sectional X-ray images of the organs, bones, and tissues of the body;
- Fluoroscopy: Real-time X-ray video showing how the systems function in the body;
- Interventional Radiology: Fluoroscopy for procedures like biopsies, or for treating blood vessel conditions throughout the heart, brain, and body.
- Radiation Therapy, which delivers highly effective radiation treatment for cancers. These MRTs work closely with radiation oncologists and other healthcare professionals to plan and carefully deliver courses of radiation treatment. They calculate the precise dose and target of radiation to maximize the impact on cancer cells while minimizing the harm to surrounding healthy tissue.
- MRI Technology, or magnetic resonance imaging, which employs a very strong magnetic field and radio waves to examine the soft tissues of the body — the brain, joints, muscles, tendons, and vessels of the heart.
- Nuclear Medicine, which helps pinpoint the nature of a disease, and how it is affecting a patient’s body. A MRT practicing nuclear medicine may perform a PET scan, bone scan, or SPECT scan, and often, patients will receive radiopharmaceuticals by intravenous (IV) injection prior to imaging to help illuminate problem areas
CAMRT membership survey uncovers increasing demands and role overload
Through surveys of their membership, CAMRT uncovered that three-quarters of MRTs say there isn’t enough people or staff to get the work done. Two-thirds of respondents indicate they have too much work to do everything well. Demands for medical imaging, specifically MRI and CT scans, have been increasing year after year, while the number of MRTs in the province hasn’t changed.
When a gravely ill patient enters the hospital requiring urgent or emergent care, physicians requisition diagnostic imaging to see into the body and detect underlying concerns. Without diagnostic imaging, doctors are almost flying blind.
“When patients have to wait for diagnostics, they can get stuck in the emergency department until MRTs can perform necessary tests, and an ER doc can review the results. That means they’re not moving out of the ER, which puts pressure on the system, and wait times increase. It’s a domino effect.”
Meanwhile, patients who aren’t in life-threatening situations may also require an imaging test, wait weeks and weeks for it, and find themselves bumped down the line to accommodate new urgent cases. That can be nerve-wracking, and sometimes a patient’s condition deteriorates as time marches on. That’s not good for health outcomes, and it has a negative impact on the system when people need greater levels of care.
MRTs learn to balance getting the best possible images with patient education, comfort, and safety. The MRI, a loud and clunky machine that spins around the patient, can generate feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia. Some tests require patients to hold their breath or remain still for considerable lengths of time. Some patients are leery about the effects of radiation. Some patients feel awful or may be in tremendous pain, yet the MRT has to find a way to position them for maximum effectiveness.
“Physicians rely on the skills and experience of MRTs to acquire images that tell a story, but that’s only part of the story. MRTs deliver instructions, answer questions, and try to keep patients who may be nervous and anxious, calm and relaxed. It’s a science-based profession that also requires empathy, patience, and diligence.”
dayna mctaggart, provincial manager, camrt-mb
Danielle says that although accessing care can feel overwhelming to those dealing with a health challenge or crisis, she always received exceptional care. She’s grateful to all the physicians and allied health professionals who performed tests, assessments, and treatments.
“Without diagnostics, my vision may not have been restored,” said Danielle. “This data helped inform a tentative diagnosis and determine a treatment plan for me. I am so fortunate to have recovered my sight and to have received such great care — even when staff seemed incredibly busy. I cannot say enough about the healthcare professionals who supported me along the way.”
*Danielle is a resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba, age 52.
Her name has been changed to protect her privacy.