📖 Full Transcript – Episode 1: X-ray School Is Failing You

This is the complete word-for-word transcript of Episode 1 of the Excellence in Radiology podcast. Includes all commentary, commercial parodies, listener stories, and final wrap-up — with emoji cues to support pacing and performance.

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EIR Talk Show – Segment 1 Script

Episode Title: X-ray School Is Failing You
Segment: 1 of 4
Time: 12–15 minutes
Tone: Bold, satirical, radiologic truth-teller
Host: Dr. Ron Jones
Network: EIR – Excellence in Radiology

(Cue intro theme — heavy guitar riff or synth pad)

1. RON JONES (Confident, punchy):

“From deep inside the imaging vault of the EIR Institute — where truth is collimated, and policy is always under review — I’m Dr. Ron Jones, broadcasting coast to coast with half my brain tied behind my back… just to keep it diagnostic.”

“Now I need you to buckle up, because today… we’re going after something sacred. Something untouchable… not even by my formerly glutaraldehyde fingertips.”

“We’re going after… X-ray school itself.”

(Pause beat)

“That’s right. Radiologic technology programs across this country are failing the next generation of techs — and it’s not just me saying it. You’ve said it. The students are screaming it. The clinical instructors are mumbling it under their breath between contrast injections.”

“Let me give you a visual. Imagine this: you pay $35,000 to get into a program. You show up. You’re excited. You think you’re about to start this high-tech, patient-care-driven journey into the world of medical imaging. And what do you get?”

(Mocking voice)

“‘Open your Merrill’s textbook to page 232. Memorize the SID. Test on Friday. Don’t ask questions.’”

(Back to normal)

“This is what we’re calling education now? What century are we in? I’m sorry — when was the last time anyone in a real hospital used Merrill’s Volume 1 to figure out how to angle a tube?”

“They’re teaching positioning like it’s the end goal. Positioning isn’t the goal — it’s the bare minimum. The goal is clinical judgment. It’s dose optimization. It’s how to fix the CR reader when IT ghosts you and the ER doc is screaming for stat films on a combative trauma patient.”

“But instead of teaching that? They’re assigning crossword puzzles. On beam restriction terminology.”

“We’ve got programs out there more focused on their ARRT pass rate spreadsheet than the actual ability of their grads to survive their first 12-hour night shift. And trust me, that pass rate? It’s a lie. A distraction. They’re prepping you for a test, not for a career.”

(Pause beat)

“Now… I want to be clear — there are some amazing instructors out there. I know them. I’ve worked with them. Some of them are probably listening to this show right now, fists clenched, head nodding.”

“But they are the exception — not the rule.”

“The rule is this: throw the students in a classroom, hand them last year’s PowerPoints, tell them ‘that’s just how it is,’ and if they ask too many questions? Penalize them on their professionalism score. Oh yes. That’s a real thing.”

“One student messaged me last week:
‘Dr. Jones, I asked why we don’t use exposure indicators at our clinic and my instructor docked me for being argumentative.’”

(Beat)

“Argumentative? Inquisitive. Engaged. Awake.”

“See, they don’t want you thinking — they want you obeying. They want you docile. Memorize. Regurgitate. Obey.”

“But here’s the catch: the job doesn’t work that way. The real job? It’s improv. It’s triage. It’s judgment. It’s being the last person between a confused patient and a CT scan they probably shouldn’t get. And that job isn’t being taught anymore.”

“I had a former student reach out to me last month. They said:
‘I feel like I’m a fraud. I passed my registry, but I have no idea what I’m doing. Nobody taught us how to deal with real-world chaos. I just try not to get yelled at.’”

(Beat — lower tone)

“That breaks my heart. And it pisses me off.”

“We should not be minting licensed techs who feel powerless in their own department. We should not be graduating students who are afraid to say, ‘This isn’t safe for the patient.’ We should not be pumping money into programs that treat imaging as if it’s just pressing buttons and smiling nice.”

“X-ray is not a trade. It’s not a side hustle. It’s not a six-month shortcut to a paycheck. It is a clinical science. And when we treat it like a joke, we get joke outcomes.”

“If you’re a student listening right now — I see you. You’re not crazy. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re in a broken system.”

“And that system? We’re going to fix it. Not with bureaucratic nonsense. Not with 40-question CE quizzes. Not with ivory tower lectures about collimation theory. We fix it with truth. With community. With shared outrage and shared resources.”

“Coming up next: what happens when those broken students become instructors… and keep passing down the same garbage they were taught?”

(Insert: BUMPER SOUND FX — ZAP!)
→ Cut to Commercial Break 1

 

 

SEGMENT 2 SCRIPT – “When Broken Students Become Instructors”

Time: 10–12 minutes
Tone: Satirical, sharp, bold
Segment Theme: How outdated instruction becomes institutionalized

(Return from Commercial — theme music fades back in)

1. RON JONES:

“Welcome back to the EIR Network — where we radiate truth and filter nonsense, one technologist at a time. I’m Dr. Ron Jones, and if you’re just tuning in… yes, we are talking about the sacred cow today: X-ray school — and the sad truth that it’s failing students left and right.”

“Now let me ask you something — and I want you to be honest with yourself: How many of your instructors were actually up-to-date on clinical practice? Not old-school theory — I mean real-world, in-the-hospital, this-century protocols?”

(beat)

“Because here’s the dirty secret nobody wants to say out loud: Some of these instructors were terrible students themselves. They barely scraped through the registry, didn’t survive long in the field, and found refuge in the classroom where nobody challenges them.”

“You ever wonder why your curriculum looks like it was printed in 2006 and laminated at Kinko’s? It’s because they’re recycling their trauma — and dressing it up as pedagogy.”

(Pause beat)

“I had a student email me last month — no joke — she said:
‘Dr. Jones, my instructor told me “It doesn’t matter if the image is diagnostic — what matters is if it looks like the book.”’”

(beat — sarcastic)

“Oh, fantastic! Let’s base patient care on textbook illustrations from 1994. You know, the ones where the patient is always a smiling, cooperative, 6’1” male with perfect anatomy. Never mind the 400-lb stroke victim in Room 3 who’s stuck to the sheets and can’t breathe when supine.”

“This is what happens when broken students become instructors. They don’t teach you how to solve problems — they teach you how to passively comply. And then we wonder why new grads freeze in trauma or get steamrolled in OR by a surgeon who thinks the image plate is a serving tray.”

STORY EXAMPLE: “The CPR Instructor Who Panicked”

“True story: I once worked with an instructor — I won’t name names — who taught CPR to students. And guess what happened when an actual code blue happened in the hallway? He ran. Ran out of the building.”

(beat)

“Because book knowledge isn’t leadership. PowerPoint slides aren’t courage. Certification isn’t competence.”

Pivot: Why Accreditation Lets This Happen

“And here’s where it gets even more insane — the accreditation bodies? They know. But they play dumb. Why? Because it’s easier to measure pass rates and syllabi than to audit critical thinking and clinical confidence.”

“The entire system is optimized for appearances. Accreditation isn’t about creating strong technologists — it’s about protecting the institution’s funding.”

(pause beat)

“You can have a program where students graduate terrified of trauma, unsure how to inject contrast, and incapable of explaining dose reduction — but if 85% of them pass the registry on the second try? Gold star. Full reaccreditation. See you in five years.”

“Meanwhile, students are out here learning how to shoot swimmers and shoulder Y-views on TikTok because their instructors don’t allow real case studies in class.”

Closing the Segment: The Ripple Effect

“Here’s the ripple effect nobody’s talking about: When students aren’t challenged — they don’t grow. When they don’t grow — they play it safe. And when they play it safe? They don’t lead. They don’t innovate. They don’t challenge bad policy. They become the next wave of rigid, timid, protocol-obsessed instructors.”

“The cycle continues — and radiology as a profession suffers.”

“But not on my watch. Not on this network. Not while you’re still listening.”

“After the break — we’re diving into student mail. Some of your stories are unreal — and they prove exactly why this conversation isn’t just valid… it’s overdue.”

(Insert: BUMPER SOUND FX — ZAP!)
→ Cut to Commercial Break 2

 

 

SEGMENT 3 SCRIPT – “Student Stories: You Can’t Make This Up”

Time: 8–10 minutes
Tone: Candid, emotional, fiery
Segment Theme: Real student experiences that reveal the cracks in RT education

(Return from Commercial – theme music fades under)

1. RON JONES:

“Welcome back to EIR — where we scan the system with no shielding and no sugarcoating. I’m Dr. Ron Jones, and we’re in the thick of it today — exposing the ways X-ray school is letting down the very people it claims to empower.”

(beat)

“Now, I get emails. I get DMs. I get student stories that would make you want to flip a C-arm right out the OR.”

“And tonight — we’re reading a few of them. These are real, unedited, and sadly, all too common.”

STORY #1: “The One With the Grudge-Holding Instructor”

“Let’s start with this one. Subject line: ‘Am I crazy or is my program toxic?’

‘Dr. Jones, I asked a question in class about why our technique chart hasn’t been updated since 2015. My instructor snapped at me and said I was being insubordinate. The next week, I got written up for “attitude,” and now I’m scared to say anything. My classmates warned me: once you’re on her bad side, you’re done.’”

(beat — lower tone)

“Now, let me tell you something… when a school punishes curiosity, that’s not education — that’s indoctrination. And the cost isn’t just emotional — it’s clinical. Because that student? She’ll hesitate to speak up later. Even when it matters. Even when a patient’s safety is at risk.”

STORY #2: “Registry Review or Mental Torture?”

“Here’s another one.
‘Our school’s registry review class is just 200-question exams every Friday. No feedback. No lectures. No guidance. Just test after test after test. I asked if we could review why we got stuff wrong, and my instructor said, “No time for that — just keep testing.”’”

“Folks — this is the academic equivalent of throwing students into a lead-lined room and saying ‘Figure out fluoroscopy.’”

“You don’t build confident technologists by crushing their morale. You build them by coaching, guiding, correcting — not by treating their brains like broken scan buttons you keep jabbing until something lights up.”

STORY #3: “The Phantom Clinical”

“Final one for now — and this one, it made my blood boil.
‘Dr. Jones, our school keeps sending us to a clinic where the techs don’t want students. They tell us to sit in the breakroom. I’ve done zero exams in three weeks. When we complain, the school says “That’s just how it goes sometimes.”’”

(pause beat)

“That. Is. Theft. You are paying tuition for clinical training. If you’re being told to sit in the breakroom while your program cashes your financial aid check, that’s fraud by another name.”

“And don’t let them tell you it’s ‘part of the process.’ You’re not a background actor. You’re not there to observe a vending machine. You’re there to learn to save lives.”

Response and Empowerment

“To every student who sent something in: I see you. I believe you. You are not the problem.”

“The problem is a system that has grown complacent. That protects its process more than its people. That trains you to follow… instead of lead.”

“But I’m telling you right now — you’re not alone. There is an army of techs, educators, and advocates who want more. Who expect more. And the EIR Network? We’re the place they meet.”

“After the break — I’m wrapping it up with a challenge. A callout. And a new direction. Stick with me.”

(Insert: BUMPER SOUND FX — ZAP!)
→ Cut to Commercial Break 3

 

 

SEGMENT 4 SCRIPT – “Fixing the Future: Your Move, Rad Tech”

Time: 8–10 minutes
Tone: Inspirational, grounded, assertive
Segment Theme: Call to action and closing thoughts

(Return from Commercial – music fades in briefly, then out)

1. RON JONES:

“Welcome back to the final segment of today’s broadcast here on the EIR Network — where radiologic truth is scanned, contrasted, and reported without apology.”

“I’ve spent the past 30 minutes tearing into what’s broken in X-ray education. But if you’ve been listening to me for more than five minutes, you know this: I don’t rant just to vent. I rant to rebuild. To diagnose the system — and prescribe something better.”

(beat — sincere tone)

“So what now? What do we do with everything we’ve unpacked today?”

✅ For Students: Take Back the Learning

“If you’re a student — take the wheel. Stop waiting for the perfect instructor. Start building your own brain trust. Find mentors. Ask questions. Watch procedures online. Join forums. You do not need permission to outgrow the curriculum.”

“Your education doesn’t end at the edge of the syllabus — it begins when you start connecting the dots on your own. That’s what separates a certified tech from a competent one.”

✅ For Techs in the Field: Speak Up

“If you’re working in the field and you see students struggling — don’t stay silent. You were once them. You remember the fear, the doubt, the guessing.”

“Be the voice in their ear that says, ‘Hey — you’re doing fine. Let me show you something better.’ That one moment? It could reroute their entire career.”

✅ For Educators: Fix Your House

“If you’re an educator, and you’re hearing this — look, I get it. There’s burnout. There’s red tape. There’s administration breathing down your neck with performance metrics.”

“But you have one job: prepare these students for the real world. If your lesson plan hasn’t been updated in 3 years — fix it. If you’re defensive when a student asks a legit question — reflect on that. Because you’re not just teaching content. You’re modeling professionalism.”

“Be the kind of instructor you wish you had. Not the one you got stuck with.”

🛑 To Everyone: Stop Making Excuses

“The worst thing we can do as a profession is shrug and say, ‘That’s just how it is.’ That phrase? That phrase is a cancer in healthcare. It kills innovation. It protects incompetence. It delays progress.”

“If you see the dysfunction and say nothing — you become part of it. But if you speak up, even once? You become the cure.”

🔥 EIR’s Role Going Forward

“That’s why I started the EIR Network. Not because I needed another microphone — but because this profession needs a mirror. A place where we stop pretending everything’s fine just because the CE credits keep printing.”

“We are building a movement — not a platform. A voice for students, techs, educators, and even patients — because all of them are affected when we get this wrong.”

“And trust me… it’s not just education that’s broken. It’s compensation. It’s burnout. It’s how we’re represented. And guess what? We’re going after all of it.”

📢 Closing Words / Sign-off

“If this episode hit you — share it. Send it to your classmates. Email it to your program director. Post it in your tech group chat. I don’t care if it ruffles feathers — those feathers needed ruffling.”

“You want better radiology? Then be bold. Be loud. Be diagnostic.”

“This is Dr. Ron Jones, signing off from the EIR Network — where we don’t just expose the problems… we expose them in high resolution.”

“Half my brain tied behind my back — just to keep it radiographically fair.”

*See you next time.”

(Outro music fades in — optional bumper)