Radiology Degrees Online

Radiation sciences professionals work with physicians to gather accurate patient information for diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury. They must possess knowledge, skill, and mature judgment in order to: operate complex equipment safely and efficiently, produce quality images using multiple sources of radiation energy, and deliver quality patient care during diagnosis and treatment procedures.

The BS degree in radiation sciences provides the knowledge needed to adapt to the increasing sophistication of the profession and its demands.

In addition to the advantages gained by combining general education with specialized career preparation, the program offers students the advantages of full participation in the social, cultural, and recreational activities of a diverse campus community.

Why Study Radiation Sciences at Iowa?
This program, sponsored by University of Iowa Health Care in cooperation with the Department of Radiology and UI Carver College of Medicine, has an excellent reputation and pass rate for certification exams and boasts dual competency in radiologic technology, plus a specialty. The need for radiation science workers is expected to continue well into the future.

The program’s affiliation with University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), one of the nation’s largest, public university-owned teaching hospitals, provides a wealth of world-class resources and learning opportunities for students.

Course Work
The BS degree requires a minimum of 124 semester hours of course work. Students complete specific components of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ General Education Program in addition to radiologic technology program requirements, advanced course work, and electives.

Additionally, students must complete a specialty program in one of the following modalities:
Nuclear medicine technology
Radiation therapy
Diagnostic medical sonography
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Cardiovascular intervention (CVI)
Computed tomography (CT)
Quality management/picture archiving and communication system (QM/PACS)

The two-year radiologic technology curriculum provides education in pathology, radiation biology, radiation protection, patient care, and ethics. Students also learn about anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, radiographic positioning, imaging equipment, and quality assurance. UIHC serves as the primary site for didactic and supervised clinical education. Students must pass a national board examination at the program’s end in order to practice in the profession.

Professional Titles
Various professional titles are used to explain the type of examinations most commonly performed by radiation sciences personnel. A radiographer, RT(R), produces X-ray images of the body for interpretation by a radiologist. Specialist titles include:

Radiation Therapist, RT(T)—uses ionizing radiation for the treatment of cancer patients.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist, CNMT—performs diagnostic exams using small amounts of radioactive materials.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer or Ultrasonographer, RDMS—creates images using high-frequency sound waves.

Cardiovascular Interventional Technologist, RT (CVIT)—assists in diagnostic and therapeutic exams using x-radiation for exams of the heart, blood vessels (vascular), and nonvascular anatomy.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technologist, RT (MR)—images the body in cross sections using a strong magnetic field and radio waves.

Computed Tomography (CT) Technologist, RT (CT)—produces cross-sectional images of the body using X-rays.

Quality Management Technologist, RT (QM)—operates a comprehensive departmental management program; PACS manages the digital departmental aspects.

Admission
Admission to the modality programs is competitive. Each year, the programs admit ten students to nuclear medicine, seven to radiation therapy, ten to sonography, six to both the MRI and CT internships, four to CVI, and four to QM/PACS.

Students who intend to complete the entire bachelor’s degree program at Iowa should apply for admission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as pre-radiation sciences majors. Applicants to the UI Carver College of Medicine’s radiation sciences major must have completed a radiologic technology program and provide evidence of American Registry of Radiologic Technologists national certification.

A cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.50 in college course work is required.

Requirements, deadlines, and other information vary for the modality programs. Visit the Radiation Sciences web page or contact the various programs directly for more details.

Certification and Licensure
Students who complete the technology and modality programs are eligible to take national certification exams given by the appropriate national agency. At the state level, licensure laws for radiographers vary. Iowa is a licensing state, requiring radiographers to have a permit to practice. Passing the national exam is a criterion used to issue a permit to practice.

Careers
The career outlook for graduates is bright. The majority of students are employed shortly after graduation.

Graduates generally find jobs in hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices. With experience and possibly additional education, others find related jobs in management, sales, education, or as application specialists. Most full-time jobs are 40 hours a week and may involve holiday, weekend, evening, night, and on-call hours.

The median Iowa salary for the profession was $50,073 in 2007. The national mean yearly salary for the radiology profession in 2007 was $58,673.

The Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences Department offers three distinct majors, two of which prepare students for careers in clinical, patient-exposed fields, and one which prepares students for a laboratory-based career track:
Medical laboratory science (laboratory-based, diagnostic field)
Nuclear medical technology (clinically-based, diagnostic field)
Radiation therapy (clinically-based, therapeutic field)

UVM’s medical school resources and its proximity to the largest medical center in the region offer a great amount of first-hand experience; the program produces students with high success rates in their professional examinations.

At McMaster University an undergraduate program in Honours Applied Physics (Medical and Health Physics Option) was introduced in the mid 1970s. This was revised and relaunched as Honours Medical and Health Physics in the early to mid 1990s. In parallel, a graduate program (M.Sc. only) in Health and Radiation Physics began in the late 1970s. This was followed in the early 1990s by a program offering M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Medical Physics.

Radiologic Sciences is the profession whose members have the responsibility to provide skilled technical expertise in Diagnostic X-Ray Departments (Radiologic and Special Imaging Technologist) and Nuclear Medicine Departments (Nuclear Medicine Technologist).

The Radiologic Technologist is the professional whose role is to produce radiographs (X-Ray studies) of various body parts and systems, submitting them to the radiologist for diagnostic interpretation. The curriculum includes radiation sciences, radiologic imaging, patient care, quality assurance, management and curriculum studies. Responsibilities include the manipulation of sophisticated equipment including computer reconstructed imaging. Graduates possess the skills to assume positions as radiographers and quality assurance co-ordinators and, with experience, positions as managers or instructors in radiology .

Nuclear Medicine Technology involves the use of radioactive materials for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The responsibilities of a Nuclear Medicine Technologist include the administration of radio-pharmaceuticals for organ imaging, the radioactive analysis of biological specimens, the administration of radioactive materials for various therapeutic purposes, and the manipulation of sophisticated equipment such as gamma cameras, computers, and various other radiation detectors.

The goal of the program is to produce competent, skilled practitioners who can assume positions in hospitals, clinics, research laboratories, industry and government agencies. To achieve this goal students are enrolled in a course of study that includes basic biological, physical, computer and radiation sciences in addition to clinical training in the teaching hospitals and clinics.

The Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences of Johns Hopkins University is part of the Maryland Regional Radiation Therapy Education Association. The department provides clinical experience for students pursuing a career in radiation therapy in conjunction with the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex.

Students enrolled at CCBC-Essex may apply to the Radiation Therapy Program and receive their Associates of Applied Science degree upon completion. Course work includes classes in radiation therapy physics, mathematics, anatomy and physiology, radiobiology, patient care management, and several semesters of clinical practice. The program is highly competitive and prepares students to eventually take their certification boards administered by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

The department hosts four to six students per semester and students rotate through all of our clinical treatment areas. During the course students work with state of the art radiation therapy systems and interact with patients. They learn how to prepare patients for radiation treatment, operate treatment computer systems and the applied concepts and principles of radiation oncology. This hands-on aspect of their course work provides professional, clinical experience which reinforces their class room education. Students are supervised by staff therapists who train them on the systems, answer questions and provide support.

The core program is a four-year residency following successful completion of a PGY-1 year. The program utilizes the facilities of the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Weinberg building in East Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins Radiation Oncology Center at Green Spring Station in Lutherville. Thirty-six to forty-two of the 48 months of residency will be spent in required core clinical rotations.The remaining six to twelve months will be used for elective time, rotations in related specialties (such as medical oncology, oncologic pathology, diagnostic imaging, etc.), and laboratory or clinical research.

Twelve months of research time will be approved for residents who wish to perform bench research and identify a research plan and a research mentor. An elective rotation in Dosimetry is highly encouraged for all residents in addition to time in dosimetry allotted during some clinical rotations.

In the clinics, with the guidance of attending staff, new residents will learn to evaluate patients for radiotherapy. Emphasis will be placed on learning to gather the appropriate information, performance of a directed physical exam, review of diagnostic test results and presentation of the case to the faculty radiation oncologist. Residents will begin to learn the principles of treatment planning and the technical aspects of simulation. Weekly ‘on-treatment’ visits with patients will introduce the resident to the acute effects of treatment and their management. Participation in follow-up clinics will expose the resident to the late effects of treatment and management of complications and recurrences. The second year resident will be expected to be more independent in the simulator, with on-treatment patient management and increase their familiarity with the clinical aspects of brachytherapy. Participation in follow-up clinics will also provide additional experience in on-going patient management. Residents will rotate in all subspecialty areas of radiation oncology over the first three years. Beginning in the second year, residents will also rotate as the inpatient consult resident. The inpatient consult resident will be responsible for evaluating all inpatients consults called in during normal working hours. (The call resident will evaluate inpatient consults in the evenings and on weekends.) The In-Patient Consult resident will staff each case with the appropriate attending based on specialty for non-emergent consults and with the call attending for emergent consults. The In-Patient Consult resident will also attend the Weinberg Multidisciplinary Pain Team grand rounds.

The resources of the Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, combined with the talents of the faculty of the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, will provide you with a unique opportunity to prepare for a career in academic and/or clinical radiation oncology. The program’s overall goal is to train residents to become excellent radiation oncologists with superior skills in clinical patient management, research and patient/professional interactions. We are committed to producing residents who will become leaders in academic radiation oncology and oncologic research.

This three-year course combines equal elements of theory with clinical practice. The theory aspect of the course is designed to develop knowledge and understanding of biological and radiation sciences, technology and the psycho-social issues of healthcare.

How much is it?

Tuition fees for this course are covered by the NHS. You will also be eligible to apply for a reduced rate non-means tested bursary (from approximately £2,545) and you may also be eligible for a means tested bursary.

Entry Requirements

A typical offer is a minimum of 220 UCAS tariff points.

You should have passes in five GCSEs at grade C or above including English, Mathematics or Physics, plus one of the following:
Three A2 Level passes, grades CCD (Science subjects preferred), or two A2 Level passes grades CC with the remaining points from relevant AS Levels.
12 unit AVCE Health and Social Care with a Science subject at A2 Level.
12 unit AVCE Science.
Edexcel BTEC National Diploma with at least three merits.
QAA approved Access course in Radiography/Science. The number of credits required will be in excess of that needed to pass the Access course (66 Level 3 credits) and should include Level 3 credits in Science-based subjects, English and Study Skills.

What is Diagnostic Radiography?

Radiographers provide essential services to millions of people. They deal with patients of all types and ages, from the very young to the elderly, as well as patients with special needs, such as visual or hearing impairments.

Diagnostic radiographers produce high-quality images of organs, limbs and other body parts to allow a wide range of diseases to be diagnosed.

As a diagnostic radiographer you are not confined to working in the x-ray department. You will x-ray patients in the accident and emergency department, on the wards, in the intensive care unit and in the operating theatre when patients are too ill to visit the x-ray department.

Diagnostic radiographers work as part of a multidisciplinary team and may work alone, outside of normal working hours to provide x-ray services 24 hours a day.

A diverse range of imaging methods are used. These include ultrasound, MRI and CT scanning. A range of dyes or contrast agents are sometimes used to show soft tissue organs that would not appear on standard x-ray examination e.g. arteries, the bowel and kidneys.

Diagnostic radiographers also liaise closely with all members of the health care team as the images produced can affect and determine the treatment and care a patient receives.

The role of a radiographer is vitally important to other members of a healthcare team – the diagnosis from a radiographer’s images can affect and determine the treatment and care of a patient so it is essential that they liaise effectively with all members of a healthcare team.

Being a diagnostic radiographer takes a special kind of person – combining skilled use of highly technical equipment with excellent interpersonal skills. A good radiographer interacts with a patient and makes them relax and feel at ease whilst conducting technical procedures.

Overview

Upon qualification you will be able to use x-rays to help diagnose a range of injuries and diseases.

You will also develop knowledge and skills in other imaging methods such as computed tomography (CT) scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

If you are pregnant at the time of commencing the programme, or are considering starting a family whilst you are a student radiographer, you are advised to contact the programme director to discuss this.

Why should I study this course?
This course is taught at one of the regions first and foremost centres for radiography education with a long and well-established history of producing graduates that are fit for both purpose and practice.
We will enable you to develop the professional, personal and practical skills required to practise as a registered diagnostic radiographer.
We have strong and effective links with hospital departments in and beyond the West Midlands to enhance the practical aspects of the course.
We have a dedicated teaching team committed to providing teaching excellence, all with individual areas of specialism in the profession.
In 2006 t he Division was reviewed as commended by a QAA review
Throughout the 3 year course, you will gain clinical experience in an imaging department in the Midlands
You develop clinical skills based upon academic knowledge
You can study part-time. Part-time study is completed with full-time students and follows the same pattern of university and clinical placement attendance. It will take two years to complete one academic level – six years in total.

How will I be taught?

We use a wide range of teaching and learning strategies, reflecting the diverse subject nature of the course. Formal lectures are supplemented with tutorials and group work to help you share ideas and experiences with other students. E-learning and online support is also used in some modules.

Radiography viewing and evaluation skills are also developed as part of the academic and clinical aspects of the course.

How will I be assessed?

We will assess you in a variety of ways, including written assignments, written examinations, staged tests, workstation examinations and clinical assessments.

Placement

This course combines equal elements of theory with clinical practice, allowing you to develop an in-depth understanding of the profession. Short blocks of a few weeks duration are interspersed between attendances at university, allowing you to develop clinical skills based on the academic knowledge you have acquired.

Placements take place within an imaging department in one of the region’s teaching hospitals. There is the opportunity to spend time in other departments to broaden your experience and observe specialised techniques and procedures. There are approximately 30 hospitals spread across the West Midlands, and beyond, in which you may be placed.

What can I do afterwards?

This course provides you with the knowledge and experience to register as a radiographer with the HPC. This allows you to practise in the UK and in some overseas countries.

You will find that there is a whole range of career opportunities on offer. Once you’ve completed your degree, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a radiographer with the Health Professions Council, and for professional membership of the Society of Radiographers. Where you choose to practise is up to you – registration will qualify you to practise both in the NHS and private sectors, in the UK and in some overseas countries.

There are unlimited opportunities to specialise within the field of radiography, in various settings in the NHS or private sectors. You could choose to specialise in fields such as:
trauma/accident and emergency
ultrasound
CT scanning
MRI
nuclear medicine
breast screening.

Opportunities also exist for management, teaching, research and quality assurance.

In addition, you may choose to enter the teaching profession or work in the commercial sector. Many of our students opt to continue with their studies at postgraduate level as increasing emphasis is being placed on hospital-based research to support evidence-based practice.

Modules

Year 1 (Level 4)
Clinical Skills for Radiography and Radiotherapy
Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology
Foundations of Radiation Science and Imaging
Foundations of Radiographic Imaging
Personal and Professional Development
Social and Psychological Context of Health Care

Year 2 (Level 5)
Pathophysiological Analysis and Patient Management
Diagnostic Imaging of Trauma and Disease
Diagnostic Imaging Technology
Radiography, Health Care and Society Research and Statistics

Year 3 (Level 6)
Advances and Developments in Imaging Technology
Clinical Practice B
Ethical and Legal Issues in Radiography
Interprofessional Approach to Service User Care
Managing Professional Practice
Preparation for Professional Practice (Radiography)
Research Proposal
Option Module