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Radiographers are an important liaison between patients, radiologists and other members of the health care team. They must remain sensitive to the physical and emotional needs of the patient through clear communication, patient assessment, monitoring and patient care skills. Radiographers must demonstrate an understanding of human anatomy, physiology, pathology, medical terminology, exposure technique, radiation protection and safety while maintaining a high degree of accuracy in radiographic positioning. Radiographers use professional and ethical judgment and critical thinking when performing their duties. Radiographers also prepare for and assist the radiologist in the completion of the intricate radiographic examinations. They prepare and administer contrast media and medications within state and federal regulations.
After earning the primary certification in radiography students are eligible, through additional education and clinical experience, to earn post-primary certification in computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, mammography, quality management, bone densitometry, cardiac interventional, vascular interventional, and sonography.
Offered on the Toledo-area campus, the Radiography Technology program offers students a combination of didactic instruction with practical application in clinical education affiliates.
Graduates must take and pass a national certification examination administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Licensure is also required in most states.
Department of Radiologic Technology
Accreditation
The Radiography program is accredited through 2025. A projected date for submission of the interim report is the second quarter of 2021.
Accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). For more information concerning accreditation standards contact the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, Illinois, 60606-3182, phone number 312-704-5300, web address www.jrcert.org.
Health RequirementsDocumentation of the following must be in the medical imaging office by the deadline date provided. This deadline is strictly enforced. Getting the necessary testing completed is not enough, students must also submit the documentation to the office to be in compliance.
The following are clinical health requirements for students enrolled in any medical imaging program:
A physical examination yearly – $50
Proof of immunity or exposure to the following communicable diseases:
Rubella, Rubeola (not required if born prior to 1957), and Varicella – $25
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen or Antibody – $40 each
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, no more than three months prior to the beginning of the series, or during the series if the series has been started but not completed.
Hepatitis B Antibody if the series is complete upon entrance to the medical imaging department.
Immunizations:
Tetanus/Diphtheria with a booster required every ten years, date required. – $24
Measles, Mumps, Rubella titre (MMR) – $25 each
Dates of two immunizations after the age of 1 year. However, if rubella and rubeola titers are positive for immunity, 2 dates are not required.
Hepatitis B, series of 3 immunizations, dates required. –$150 total
Students are responsible to submit the date of each of the 3 immunizations as soon as each dose is administered and to ensure that the series is completed in the proper time frame. There should be no more or no less than 1 month between the first and second injection and no more or no less than 5 months between the second and third injection. Failure to adhere to the required time frame for each immunization may result in additional lab testing, and in some cases, restarting the entire immunization series.
Students who do not receive the series must sign a waiver form, have a Hepatitis Surface Antigen test yearly and submit the results to the medical imaging department.
Tuberculosis Skin Testing:
A Two-Step PPD (Mantoux Test) is required every three years. – $25
One-Step PPD is required each year, in the intervening years. – $15
Date test administered, date read, and result of each step must be submitted. Students are responsible for getting a One-Step PPD annually and submitting the results. A Chest X-Ray is required only if the Mantoux is positive. X-Rays must be done for three consecutive years after the positive test.
10-Panel Drug Screen yearly. – $40
CPR – $80
All students must be certified in CPR either through the American Heart Association (AHA) - Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers or the American Red Cross - certification for Health Science Professionals.
Health Insurance – per our clinical affiliations students are required to provide proof of health insurance to a clinical site.
All costs are the responsibility of the student. Failure to comply will result in denied access to the clinical area.
Licensure/Clinical Agency Requirements
All students entering any medical imaging program are required to have completed a background check through the Department of Public Safety at Owens Community College. Students may be required to have additional background checks. Students will be notified when to complete this requirement.
Students shall be aware that a criminal record may jeopardize licensure by the State certification body. Likewise, host clinical sites require a criminal background check and may require finger printing and/or drug screening. The clinical site reserves the right to accept or refuse the student depending on the results of such checks and screens. Depending on the infraction, clinical placement may not be possible, even if the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists or the American Registry of Technologists clears the student for credentialing purposes.
Background Check Requirements
All students entering the radiography program are required to have completed a background check through the Department of Public Safety at Owens Community College. Students will be required to have additional back ground checks throughout their enrollment in the program. Students will be notified when it is time to complete this requirement.
Anytime a background check is returned with a conviction of a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and / or felony, or plea of solo contendere, withheld or deferred adjudication, suspended or stay of sentence or military court-martial, students will be required to submit a pre-application review to the American Association of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) within two weeks. Those students affected will be required to submit documentation from the ARRT to the Medical Imaging Department indicating that they have been cleared to take the certification exam upon graduation.
The medical imaging department administrator at the clinical affiliates will be contacted regarding a conviction. The clinical affiliate reserves the right to accept or refuse the student. Depending on the results, clinical placement may not be possible, even if the ARRT clears the student for credentialing purposes.
Technical Standards
Medical imaging is a practice discipline with cognitive, sensory, affective, and psychomotor performance requirements. Based on those requirements, this list of technical standards has been developed. Each standard has examples of activities that students will be required to perform while enrolled in their medical imaging program. These standards are a part of a technologist’s professional role expectations. These technical standards should be used to assist students in determining whether accommodations or modifications are necessary. Students who identify potential difficulties with meeting the standards must communicate their concerns to the college counseling/advising staff and department chair. Students have the obligation to identify and document their disabling condition and ask for appropriate adjustments. Owens Community College makes no pre-admission inquiries concerning an applicant’s disabling condition. Information related to an applicant’s disabilities is not a part of the information reviewed by the admissions committee. For the purpose of the medical imaging programs, a qualified individual with a disability is one who, with or without reasonable accommodation or modification, meets the selective admissions requirements for their program of study. Determination is made on an individual basis as to whether or not any accommodations or modifications can be reasonably made. Please contact the department chair with any questions.
- view Technical Standards Chart
Clinical Affiliations
The use of multiple clinical sites provides equity in clinical education as students have the opportunity to utilize many types of Radiography equipment and to participate in a wide variety of Radiography procedures.
Students will be assigned to at least three clinical sites for diagnostic Radiography experiences and one clinical site for other modality experiences (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, radiation therapy, mammography, cardiac cath, etc). Students may request additional clinical assignments after completion of the mandatory clinical competencies.
Students will attend a week of orientation in their assigned clinical site the week prior to RAD 112 . For the remainder of the first year, students will participate in clinical education on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Second year students will participate in clinical education on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition, during the RAD 201 course, students will be assigned a week of an evening shift and one weekend rotation at their clinic site. Attendance requirements are in place and any missed time must be made up as soon as possible or over the semester break. Students will not be permitted to attend clinical education for more than 10 hours per day or schedule make up time on holidays. Students should note that there may be the need for travel up to and including 45 miles from the Owens State Community College Toledo-area campus for their clinical site rotations.
- view Clinical Affiliations
Clinical Rotations
The Radiography program sponsored by Owens Community College has revised its policy, effective April 2017, regarding the placement of students in mammography clinical rotations to observe and/or perform breast imaging. (Additionally, the policy may be applied to any imaging procedures performed by professionals who are of the opposite gender of the patient.)
Under the revised policy, all students, male and female, will be offered the opportunity to participate in mammography clinical rotations. The program will make every effort to place a male student in a mammography clinical rotation if requested; however, the program is not in a position to override clinical setting policies that restrict clinical experiences in mammography to female students. Male students are advised that placement in a mammography rotation is not guaranteed and is subject to the availability of a clinical setting that allows males to participate in mammographic imaging procedures. The program will not deny female students the opportunity to participate in mammography rotations if clinical settings are not available to provide the same opportunity to male students.
The change in the program’s policy regarding student clinical rotations in mammography is based on the sound rationale presented in a position statement on student mammography clinical rotations adopted by the Board of Directors of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) at its April 2016 meeting. The JRCERT position statement is included as Addendum A to the program’s policy and is also available on the JRCERT Web site, www.jrcert.org, Programs & Faculty, Program Resources.
Certification
Graduates are eligible to apply for certification by examination sponsored by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Employment Opportunities
Program graduates will be prepared for positions as radiographers (X-ray technologists) in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare agencies. Currently, there is a great need for Radiographers in the community and nation-wide. Graduates may work in the areas of radiography, and with additional experience can move into other imaging modalities such as bone densitometry, cardiovascular-interventional technology, computed tomography, mammography, or magnetic resonance imaging.
Radiographers are needed to fill positions in many hospitals and clinics providing patient services around the clock. Although most technologists are employed on a full-time basis, there are many part-time job opportunities available in the radiologic field. The Radiologic Technology programs at Owens Community College provide students with the skills to successfully qualify for positions in:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Private Offices
- Industrial Laboratories
- Veterinary Medicine
- Research
- Commercial Sales
- Mobile
Entry-level graduates, working full-time, can expect to earn $34,000 - $36,000 per year. Additional compensation can be earned if the technologist is scheduled to work weekends or shifts other than days.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Owens Community College maintains an Office of Student Financial Services on each campus. The Office of Student Financial Services is the place for you to ask questions related to financial aid. Contact: 1-800-GO OWENS ext. 2387 or (567) 661-2387 Email: studentfinancial@owens.edu.
Scholarships may be available through Professional Organizations. Please check the following links for further information:
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Ohio Society of Radiologic Technologists (OSRT), www.osrt.org
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American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), www.asrt.org
Tuition, Fees, and Refunds
The Owens Community College tuition and fees can be found at https://www.owens.edu/student-accounts.
The Owens Community College Refund Policy can be found at: https://www.owens.edu/student-accounts/deferred.
Transfer of Credit Policy
The Owens Community transfer of credit policy can be found at: https://www.owens.edu/admissions/transfer.
Graduate Transfer Information
Graduates may pursue a bachelor’s degree at Bowling Green State University, Ohio University and the University of Cincinnati. Meet with an Advisor or the Department Chair for more information.
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