Top 12 Mammography Technologist Skills to Put on Your Resume

Mammography technologists are the steady hands and calm voices behind early breast cancer detection. The work demands sharp technical judgment, quick adaptation, and a steady focus on patient comfort. On a resume, these skills set you apart—proof that you can run complex systems, think on your feet, and care for people at a vulnerable moment.

Mammography Technologist Skills

1. Mammography
2. Radiography
3. PACS
4. Digital Imaging
5. Breast Anatomy
6. Radiation Safety
7. Quality Control
8. Patient Positioning
9. Tomosynthesis
10. Biopsy Techniques
11. Stereotactic Procedures
12. RIS (Radiology Information System)

1. Mammography

Mammography uses low-dose X-rays to image breast tissue for screening and diagnosis. Technologists operate the equipment, position patients, and produce images for radiologist interpretation.

Why It's Important

Mammography underpins early detection. Finding subtle changes before they’re palpable improves treatment options and survival, guiding timely follow-up and intervention.

How to Improve Mammography Skills

Better images, better care, fewer repeats. Focus on:

1. Continuing education: Keep current with evolving techniques, equipment updates, positioning refinements, and regulatory requirements.

2. Positioning mastery: Perfect CC and MLO fundamentals, manage challenging body habitus, include the posterior tissue and IMF, and ensure the nipple is in profile when possible.

3. Patient communication: Set expectations, coach breathing and stillness, and reduce anxiety to curb motion and improve cooperation.

4. Quality programs: Follow MQSA standards, perform routine QC tests, document corrective actions, and meet current breast density notification requirements.

5. Adopt advanced tech: Use digital breast tomosynthesis where appropriate, leverage synthesized 2D to manage dose, and apply vendor tools that enhance detection without bloating workflow.

Small gains in each step snowball into cleaner exams and fewer callbacks.

How to Display Mammography Skills on Your Resume

2. Radiography

Radiography applies X-rays to create images of internal anatomy. In mammography, it focuses on high-contrast visualization of breast structures at the lowest reasonable dose.

Why It's Important

Accurate technique drives image quality. Strong radiographic fundamentals shorten exam time, reduce repeats, and sharpen diagnostic confidence.

How to Improve Radiography Skills

Dial in the fundamentals and refine the edge cases:

1. Technique optimization: Use appropriate kVp/mAs, compression, and AEC selections based on breast thickness and composition.
2. Repeat reduction: Audit repeat/reject rates, spot patterns, and correct root causes.
3. Dose awareness: Track AGD, apply ALARA, and document dose metrics consistently.
4. Workflow flow: Prepare rooms, position efficiently, and verify laterality and markers before exposure.
5. Ongoing training: Refresh positioning, exposure control, and artifact recognition regularly.

How to Display Radiography Skills on Your Resume

3. PACS

PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) stores, retrieves, and shares imaging studies. For mammography, it must preserve detail, handle priors, and support smooth reading workflows.

Why It's Important

Fast access to prior exams and dependable image fidelity reduce reading time, improve comparisons, and support accurate diagnoses.

How to Improve PACS Skills

Make storage and viewing work for you, not against you:

1. High-fidelity display: Ensure calibrated, high-resolution monitors with consistent QC checks for mammography reading.

2. Standards and formats: Use DICOM consistently, including correct tags for views, laterality, and CAD/DBT objects.

3. Compression policies: Apply lossless or visually lossless compression appropriate for mammography to protect subtle findings.

4. Network readiness: Support fast retrieval of large tomosynthesis datasets and robust redundancy for uptime.

5. User training: Teach keyboard shortcuts, hanging protocols, and comparison tools to shrink reading time.

How to Display PACS Skills on Your Resume

4. Digital Imaging

Digital mammography captures and processes images electronically rather than on film, enabling rapid review, image enhancement, and streamlined archiving.

Why It's Important

Digital systems deliver crisp detail, consistent AEC performance, and quick access to images and priors. When optimized, they can maintain or reduce dose while improving throughput.

How to Improve Digital Imaging Skills

Blend technique, maintenance, and communication:

1. Acquisition excellence: Nail positioning, compression, and exposure. Minimize motion. Watch for artifacts and fix them at the source.

2. Use advanced tools: Employ tomosynthesis and synthesized 2D when appropriate to reduce recalls without unnecessary dose creep.

3. Equipment care: Perform routine calibration, detector checks, and monitor QC. Report deviations promptly.

4. Workflow speed: Pre-stage priors, confirm demographics, and standardize labeling to keep studies clean and comparable.

5. Patient coaching: Clear, calm instructions improve stillness and comfort, which improves images.

6. Peer feedback: Review challenging cases with colleagues and iterate.

How to Display Digital Imaging Skills on Your Resume

5. Breast Anatomy

Breast anatomy includes lobules, ducts, fibroglandular tissue, fat, Cooper’s ligaments, lymphatics, vessels, skin, and nipple-areolar complex. Mammography evaluates these structures for calcifications, masses, architectural distortion, and asymmetries.

Why It's Important

Knowing normal variants and how tissue patterns change with age, hormones, density, and surgery helps you position well and recognize when something looks off.

How to Improve Breast Anatomy Skills

Build a mental map and apply it at the console:

1. Study in multiple planes: Correlate CC and MLO appearances with 3D anatomy and common pitfalls.
2. Density awareness: Recognize how dense tissue alters conspicuity and positioning needs.
3. Pathology patterns: Learn typical looks of calcifications, masses, and distortions across modalities.
4. Case review: Compare current exams to priors with attention to subtle interval change.
5. Hands-on practice: Rehearse targeted positioning to include posterior and superior tissue in dense breasts.

How to Display Breast Anatomy Skills on Your Resume

6. Radiation Safety

Radiation safety means achieving diagnostic image quality with the lowest reasonable dose and protecting staff through time, distance, and shielding principles.

Why It's Important

Dose discipline preserves patient safety and upholds regulatory standards while avoiding repeats and unnecessary exposure.

How to Improve Radiation Safety Skills

Modern, practical, evidence-based:

1. ALARA in practice: Tailor exposure to breast thickness and composition, use AEC correctly, and avoid excessive manual overrides.

2. Smart compression: Adequate, well-explained compression lowers dose and motion, improving image quality.

3. Quality assurance: Perform routine physics and technologist QC, track AGD, and investigate outliers.

4. Shielding guidance: Follow current recommendations—routine patient gonadal/thyroid shielding in mammography is generally not indicated; use protective barriers and maintain distance. Staff PPE is used only when remaining in the room during exposure.

5. Education and communication: Explain risks and benefits simply. Reassurance curbs motion and repeat imaging.

How to Display Radiation Safety Skills on Your Resume

7. Quality Control

Quality control ensures equipment performance, image consistency, and compliance with mammography standards, from phantom testing to documentation.

Why It's Important

QC catches problems before patients feel the effects—fewer repeats, reliable images, and clear audit trails.

How to Improve Quality Control Skills

Make QC a habit, not a hurdle:

1. Follow standards: Adhere to MQSA and professional guidelines for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tests.
2. Maintain equipment: Log deviations, escalate promptly, and verify fixes with post-maintenance checks.
3. Track metrics: Monitor repeat/reject rates, AGD, artifact trends, and callback patterns.
4. Structured reviews: Conduct regular peer case reviews and technologist image quality rounds.
5. Documentation: Keep clear, complete records to support inspections and continuous improvement.

How to Display Quality Control Skills on Your Resume

8. Patient Positioning

Positioning is the precise placement and alignment of the breast to capture maximum tissue with minimal motion and discomfort.

Why It's Important

Great positioning is half the diagnosis. It reduces repeats, reveals hard-to-see areas, and builds patient trust.

How to Improve Patient Positioning Skills

Technique, empathy, and repetition:

1. Explain and coach: Short, clear instructions and gentle guidance reduce tension and motion.

2. Include all tissue: Ensure pectoral muscle visualization on MLO, open the IMF, roll and lift as needed to separate overlapping tissue.

3. Nipple in profile: Aim for profile on standard views when achievable; document when not possible.

4. Tailor compression: Enough to immobilize and spread tissue without undue pain; pause and readjust if needed.

5. Iterate quickly: Check the first image; make micro-adjustments before continuing the series.

6. Practice edge cases: Implants, limited mobility, post-surgical changes—develop modified approaches for each.

How to Display Patient Positioning Skills on Your Resume

9. Tomosynthesis

Tomosynthesis (3D mammography) acquires multiple low-dose projections and reconstructs thin slices, reducing tissue overlap and revealing hidden lesions.

Why It's Important

It improves cancer detection and often cuts recall rates, especially in dense breasts, without bogging down workflow when implemented well.

How to Improve Tomosynthesis Skills

Make the most of 3D data:

1. Positioning precision: Small errors get magnified in DBT. Keep the breast flat, centered, and stable.

2. Minimize motion: Coach breath holds and use confident, swift compression to reduce blur.

3. Dose management: Use synthesized 2D when suitable to avoid double exposures.

4. Reading efficiency: Learn slice navigation strategies, lesion localization across slices, and effective hanging protocols.

5. Software savvy: Understand vendor reconstruction settings, artifact controls, and QA tests specific to DBT.

How to Display Tomosynthesis Skills on Your Resume

10. Biopsy Techniques

Biopsy techniques obtain tissue from suspicious findings using imaging guidance. Methods include core needle biopsy and vacuum-assisted biopsy, guided by stereotactic mammography, ultrasound, or MRI.

Why It's Important

Accurate targeting and smooth coordination yield diagnostic samples with minimal patient stress and fewer repeat procedures.

How to Improve Biopsy Techniques Skills

Precision, preparation, and patient care:

1. Pre-procedure planning: Review imaging, choose the best access route, and verify lesion visibility with the chosen modality.

2. Equipment familiarity: Know the guidance system, console workflow, needle options, and troubleshooting steps.

3. Localization accuracy: Confirm coordinates, verify targeting images, and reassess after sampling for clip placement and hemostasis.

4. Aseptic technique: Maintain clean field setup and clear role assignments to reduce delays.

5. Patient support: Explain steps, monitor comfort, and provide concise post-care instructions.

How to Display Biopsy Techniques Skills on Your Resume

11. Stereotactic Procedures

Stereotactic breast procedures use angled images to triangulate lesion depth for needle biopsy, especially helpful for calcifications or subtle distortions seen only on mammography.

Why It's Important

It delivers pinpoint accuracy with small incisions and short procedure times—diagnostic clarity without the operating room.

How to Improve Stereotactic Procedures Skills

Targeting and team rhythm matter:

1. Practice targeting: Rehearse phantom work and simulation to refine hand–eye coordination.

2. Reduce motion: Optimize patient positioning, pad pressure points, and stabilize the breast to prevent drift.

3. Workflow discipline: Standardize checklists for laterality, coordinates, device setup, and post-biopsy imaging.

4. Artifact control: Recognize and mitigate clip, motion, and grid artifacts quickly.

5. Feedback loop: Review pathology correlation and image quality to improve targeting over time.

How to Display Stereotactic Procedures Skills on Your Resume

12. RIS (Radiology Information System)

A Radiology Information System manages scheduling, tracking, reporting, and communication for imaging exams. In mammography, it connects patients, images, reports, and follow-ups.

Why It's Important

Clean data and smooth workflows reduce errors, speed reporting, and ensure patients don’t slip through the cracks on recalls and follow-up imaging.

How to Improve RIS (Radiology Information System) Skills

Make data flow without friction:

1. Integrate systems: Ensure reliable connectivity with PACS, EHR, and billing. Use standardized messaging and modality worklists to avoid manual entry errors.

2. Optimize workflows: Configure mammography-specific order sets, priors fetching, and structured BI-RADS reporting.

3. Follow-up tracking: Automate reminders for additional imaging, biopsies, and annual recalls with audit trails.

4. Security and compliance: Enforce role-based access, encryption, and audit logging to meet privacy rules.

5. User training: Teach schedulers and techs the same playbook—consistent data in, clean reports out.

How to Display RIS (Radiology Information System) Skills on Your Resume