Radiologic Technology
Program Overview
Program Objective
The Radiologic Technology program prepares students for entry-level positions in a hospital or outpatient clinical setting. Graduates will be prepared to take the national certification for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) examination to become a registered technologist.
Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Radiologic Technology Program at Johnson College is to develop competent, professional radiographers whose expertise will meet the community they serve by providing patient-centered care in a professional, compassionate and responsible manner.
Program Vision Statement
The vision of the Radiologic Technology Program is consistent with the vision of Johnson College. The vision of the Radiologic Technology Program is to achieve excellence by the means of the outcome of assessments and continuous improvement. Johnson College will provide the students with the industrial skills and learning opportunities to foster critical thinking and problem solving.
What do Radiologic Technologists do?
The Radiologic Technologist must be well educated in:
- Anatomy
- Patient positioning
- Exam techniques
- Equipment protocols
- Radiation safety
- Radiation protection
- Basic patient care
The technologist will be responsible for patient assessment and preparation for radiologic procedures and image production. You are an important part of the diagnostic team responsible for producing a quality diagnostic image. The physicians that are specialized in the field of radiology (Radiologists) interpret these images to obtain an accurate diagnosis to rule out disease, injury, and develop a course of treatment.
Clinical Practicums
Clinical practicum rotations at approved sites must be completed. Students must satisfy the clinical requirements of both Johnson College and the clinical provider as a condition of graduation. Clinical sites require criminal background checks, fingerprinting, child abuse clearance and drug testing. Clinical sites may bar students from clinical rotations if a criminal record exists or a drug test has a positive result.
Program Effectiveness for Radiologic Technology at Johnson College
Johnson College adheres to standards and mandates set forth by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT.) This mandate requires a JRCERT accredited program to provide program data and effectiveness. This standard can be found at www.jrcert.org.
The JRCERT requires the Program’s Effectiveness Data be made available to the general public. Johnson’s Radiology Program effectiveness data is below.
Five-year average credentialing examination (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Radiography exam) pass rate of not less than 75 percent at first attempt within six months of graduation.
| Year | Percent passing on 1st attempt |
Number of students |
| 2014 | 72% | 13 of 18 students passed on 1st attempt. |
| 2015 | 86% | 18 of 21 students passed on 1st attempt. |
| 2016 | 81% | 14 of 16 students passed on 1st attempt. 1 not attempted. |
| 2017 | 92% | 11 of 12 students passed on 1st attempt. |
| 2018 | 94% | 17 of 18 students passed on 1st attempt |
| 5 year average | 85% | |
Job Placement Rate
Job Placement Rate is considered as the percentage of reporting students who are employed in the Radiography profession within 12 months of graduation. This number reflects only those students who are actively seeking employment as defined by the JRCERT. (*Years 2010 – 2014 reflect the prior JRCERT job placement mandate of requiring 75% employment within 6 months of graduation.)
Students who are considered as “not actively seeking employment” meet the following criteria:
- Graduate fails to communicate with the program in regards to employment after multiple attempts
- Graduate is not willing to seek employment that requires relocating
- Graduate is not willing to accept employment based on salary or hours
- Graduate is on active military duty
- Graduate is continuing their education
(definition of “not seeking employment” cited from JRCERT literature)
| Year | Percent Job Placement |
Number of students |
| 2014 | 92% | 12 of 13 actively seeking and employed, 2 not actively seeking, 1 continued education, 4 no data |
| 2015 | 94% | 17 of 18 actively seeking and employed, 1 continued education, 1 no data, 1 out of field |
| 2016 | 88% | 15 of 17 actively seeking and employed, 2 unknown |
| 2017 | 91% | 10 of 11 actively seeking and employed, 1 unknown, out of field |
| 2018 | 100% | 17 of 18 are employed 1 continued education |
| 5 year average | 93% |
Program Completion Rate
Program Completion Rate is considered as the number of students completing the program within 24 months compared to the number of students who originally enrolled in the program. According to JRCERT when considering the total number of students in the program, the program does not need to consider non-academic reasons in their completion rate.
| Year | Program Completion Rate | Number of students |
| 2014 | 71% | 26 started, 2 re-admits, 6 academic dismissals, 2 non-academic reasons* = 20 graduates |
| 2015 | 81% | 26 started, 2 academic dismissals, 3 non-academic reasons* = 21 graduates |
| 2016 | 63% | 27 started, 7 academic dismissals, 3 non-academic reasons* = 17 graduates |
| 2017 | 78% | 23 started, 5 academic dismissals, 5 non-academic reasons* = 13 graduates |
| 2018 | 75% | 25 started, 2 academic dismissals, 4 non-academic reasons, 1 change of major= 18 graduates |
| 5 year average | 73.6% | |
* JRCERT considers non-academic reasons as follows:
- Financial
- Medical / mental health / family reason
- Military deployment
- Change of major or course of study
Career Opportunities
Graduates can work as technologists in hospitals, medical service centers, and outpatient imaging centers, or with additional training and education, career advancement into other imaging modalities is possible.
The Radiologic Technology program at Johnson College offers several career and employment post-graduation paths. Upon successfully passing the ARRT national certification examination, students may continue their education in a nine-month certificate program in MRI or CT scanning.
Students may also further their education to complete an online Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Health Studies (BAH) through an articulation agreement with Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Program Learning Goals
Goal 1: Graduates will possess the skills necessary to obtain an entry-level radiologic position.
Student Learning Objectives – Students will:
- Demonstrate competence in positioning skills
- Be able to utilize the knowledge to set appropriate technical factors.
- Practice safe radiation techniques.
Goal 2: Graduates will understand the importance of professional behavior and life-long learning.
Student Learning Objectives – Students will:
- Be a responsible member of the healthcare team.
- Display professionalism in the medical environment.
- Demonstrate a good work ethic in the clinical environment.
Goal 3: Graduates will possess the appropriate skills needed for decision making and critical thinking, and make professional advancement within the Radiologic Technology field.
Student Learning Objectives – Students will:
- Partake in personal and professional growth opportunities.
- Assess patient condition and adjust the situation or procedure accordingly.
- Be able to critique images for diagnostic purposes
Goal 4: Graduates will meet the needs of the patient.
Student Learning Objectives – Students will:
- Demonstrate the necessary oral and written communication skills with patients and other medical professionals within the clinical setting.
- Be able to adjust standard procedures to meet the needs of the individual patient for non-routine exams.
Retention
Students are required to show both didactic and clinical progression each semester in order to progress through the Radiologic Technology program:
- The student MUST PASS each Radiologic didactic course, as well as related courses MTR 100, BIO 107, BIO 108, BIO 109 and BIO 110 with a grade of at least a B- (80) or higher.
In order to successfully pass each RAD course and progress through the program, students must:
- Receive an 80% or higher in each lecture and lab portion of the course
- Receive an overall grade of 80% or higher
- Achieve a written exam average (written exams + final exam) of 80% or higher
- Complete all skill checklists
- Pass each Practical Exam with a 80% or higher
- Demonstrate appropriate professional behaviors as assessed by the Professional Behavior Assessment Form.
If any of the above criteria are not met, students may fail the course and will not be able to progress in the Radiology program. If students do not obtain an 80 written exam average, but meet all of the other criteria, the students’ grade will be based on the written exam average. A student who fails the practical will receive an F in the course.
- The student MUST PASS each of the four clinical education courses
(RAD 163, RAD 165, RAD 251, RAD 259). - The student MUST PASS all laboratory practical exams, with a grade of at least a B- (80%) or better.
- The student MUST demonstrate appropriate Professional Behaviors
Please refer to the Radiologic Technology Student Handbook for further information.
Throughout the program of study, students are required to maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.00 and a minimum grade of 2.67 (B-) in each Radiologic Technology major course in order to remain in the program. Students who do not meet the GPA requirements for Radiologic Technology subjects will be placed on Academic Probation as outlined in the Radiologic Technology Student Handbook at the instructor’s discretion.
Admissions Requirements
Special Admissions Requirements
A minimal Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score of 900 for combined math and verbal or a minimal American College Test (ACT) of 20 is required for admission. Applicants must take either Biology or Physics and attain a grade of “C” or higher.
Course Outline
|
Major Courses (40 credits) |
||
| RAD 151 | Radiologic Positioning I | 3 |
| RAD 152 | Radiologic Positioning I Lab | 1 |
| RAD 153 | Radiologic Exposures & Principles I | 3 |
| RAD 154 | Radiologic Exposures & Principles I Lab | 1 |
| RAD 155 | Patient Care I | 2 |
| RAD 157 | Radiologic Positioning II | 2 |
| RAD 158 | Radiologic Positioning II Lab | 1 |
| RAD 159 | Radiologic Exposures & Principles II | 3 |
| RAD 161 | Patient Care II | 2 |
| RAD 163 | Clinical Practicum I | 2 |
| RAD 165 | Clinical Practicum II | 4 |
| RAD 251 | Clinical Practicum III | 2 |
| RAD 253 | Radiation Biology & Protection | 3 |
| RAD 255 | Image Analysis | 2 |
| RAD 259 | Clinical Practicum IV | 3 |
| RAD 261 | Radiologic Pathology | 2 |
| RAD 263 | Advanced Medical Imaging | 2 |
| RAD 295 | Professional Seminar | 2 |
|
Related Courses (9 credits) |
||
| BIO 107 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I | 3 |
| BIO 108 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I Lab | 1 |
| BIO 109 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II | 3 |
| BIO 110 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II Lab | 1 |
| MTR 100 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
|
General Education (22 credits) |
||
| ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| COM ### | Communications Elective | 3 |
| HMN 101 | Introduction to Humanities | 3 |
| MAT 101/201 | (Determine by Placement Test) | 3 |
| MAT 121 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| PHY 101 | Introductory Physics | 3 |
| PSY 101
or SOC 101 |
General Psychology
Introduction to Sociology |
3 |
| SSS 101 | Student Success Seminar | 1 |
| Minimum Credits to Graduate | 71 | |
For course descriptions, please visit the Course Catalog.