I've been having a hard time deciding and the decision has over all has revolved around the additional $20,000 bonus with less MOS's to chose from with the Active First program or no additional bonus but more MOS's to chose from with the Army. I wanted to do 68p but it's not on the Active First list and from what I understand may take some time to get in to class and promotion is slow. Needless to say sence my mother is lifetime healthcare and says Radiology is lateral movement in the healthcare field as with all technician and technologist fields. 68W is on the active first list and it was on my list but not as high as the 68P but was higher in personal satifaction in directly helping troops, civilians and not being stuck soley in a hospitial. Plus I get a 20,000 to boot.
P.S. I want to go Go germany and some linguist stuff

Speaking as a 68W... you really just have to look at how it is going to benefit you in the long run. Being a medic can be a sort of dead-end in the civilian world making 12 dollars an hour. X-ray techs make a lot more, and have more depth in what they learn. 20,000 sounds like an amazing amount, but you will make 4 times that amount in the long run being a tech. So do you want the money now or later?

I don't look at any of the military MOS jobs as being a lucrative career move soley by themselves. I think 68W will be much broader career field if I just apply myself and I can go in many directions.68p Im sure is still great, but no matter if you get into Nuclear medicine your still just taking images for the doctor to look at trapped in the same wing of the hospital rubbing jelly on some womans belly or saying hold your breath and don't move. Plus I don't feel like waiting for a MOS that takes forever to get in to. If I'm wrong some one correct me and tell me the many different areas radiology can take me, because I need some insight!

18060691:

68Ps aren't assigned solely to hospitals/medical clinics. We are also assigned to combat support hospitals/field units. Even if you are assigned to a hospital/clinic, there are opportunities to volunteer for deployments.

Let me preface the rest of my post with this: if you're looking for an MOS to make an Army career out of, 68P is not it. Promotion rates are often stagnant. It frequently takes 750+ out of a possible 800 promotion points to get promoted to E5. If the career Army thing is what you are looking for, 68W is a much safer bet.

If you're looking for a military MOS that will translate well to a civilian occupation, 68P is high on the list. Depending on where you are assigned, you will have opportunities to learn additional modalities like CT, MRI, and special procedures/angio. If you decide you like the Army and wouldn't mind staying in longer, you can apply to nuke med school. While being a diagnostic x-ray tech pays well ($20-30/hr depending on where you live), modality techs make even more ($30-50/hr). There are even more areas to radiology, ie ultrasound, radiation therapy, PACS admin, medical dosimetry, etc. Even if you don't want to be an x-ray tech all your life, it is a great springboard to other medical careers like RN, physician assistant, radiology assistant, physical therapist, pharmicist, and even doctor.

When I went through AIT, there were a number of former 68Ws going through the course. Most were doing it because of what they perceived as better civilian job opportunities. Even at my current duty station, every now and again, I hear a comment or two from various 68Ws about how they would like to pursue the rad tech career field when they get out.

Do your research and do what makes you happy.

Good luck.