Radiation Therapy (RTT)

3124 W.S. White Building
(810) 237-6502
Fax: (810) 762-3003
http://www.umflint.edu/pubhealth/bachelor-science-radiation-therapy

Program Director: Julie Hollenbeck, M.Ed., R.T.(T)

The Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy is a four-year, 124-credit, baccalaureate degree program. Upon successful completion of the program requirements, the graduate is eligible to take the Radiation Therapy Certification Examination given by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

The profession of Radiation Therapy involves the use of high-energy radiation in the treatment of disease, primarily cancer. Radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. As a team member the radiation therapist administers the radiation to an exact area of the patient’s body as prescribed by a physician. In order to effectively treat patients, various types of equipment are utilized, such as high-energy linear accelerators. In addition, radiation therapists monitor the patient’s progress while they are receiving radiation therapy, observe for signs of any complications, and determine when treatment should be withheld until a physician is consulted. A radiation therapist also offers great deal of emotional support to the cancer patient during their treatment course.

The structure of the Radiation Therapy program includes two years of general education requirements and pre-professional courses. The professional program begins in the summer of the junior year and continues for 22 consecutive months through April of the senior year. Didactic classes in the junior year are taught on the University of Michigan-Flint campus. The didactic classes taught in the senior year are held at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. The clinical practicum begins September of the junior year. Juniors attend clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am-3:30 pm. Seniors attend Monday-Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm in the spring and summer and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm in the fall and winter semesters. The student is required to complete one week on the early shift to learn quality assurance procedures in RTT 403, 404, and 405. The student will never exceed forty hours of combined classroom and clinical time per week.

Admission to the Radiation Therapy program

University of Michigan-Flint students applying to the program can obtain an application by contacting the Program Office, 3124 W.S. White Building. The Radiation Therapy Program Director must receive completed applications, including all references by May 1 of the calendar year of the intended summer semester enrollment. Students will be admitted in the summer term only. In order to be admitted to the program all prerequisite courses must be successfully completed. Students applying to the program who are not UM-Flint students at the time of application must also submit a completed UM-Flint application including any transfer transcripts, indicating “Radiation Therapy” as the proposed field of study. Forms to apply for admission to the University are available from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, from the Program Director, and also online at www.umflint.edu.

All qualified applicants will be invited to interview with the Admissions Committee. However, should the number of applications to the program far exceed the number of positions available, the program’s Admissions Committee reserves the right to limit the number of interviewed applicants to two times the number of positions available in the class.

The Radiation Therapy Program at UM-Flint is fully accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 North Wacker Dr., Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182; telephone (312) 704-5300.

Program Mission and Assessment

The mission of the Radiation Therapy Program is to provide high quality, professional radiation therapy education to undergraduate students by: preparing graduates in radiation therapy to meet the needs of society through theory-based radiation therapy practice; preparing graduates who have the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with respect for cultural and human diversity; maintaining a radiation therapy curriculum that reflects the interactive aspects of radiation therapy with the psychosocial behavioral, physical, and natural sciences; collaborating with local and regional institutions/organizations to provide access to professional radiation therapy education; promoting service and scholarly endeavors relating to health care needs of the community of Flint and Southeastern Michigan; promoting lifelong learning for graduates in Radiation Therapy. The program participates in the University-wide effort to assess its academic programs. Information on assessment plans, including goals, methods and outcomes is available at http://www.umflint.edu/assessment.

Program in Radiation Therapy

A concentration program in Radiation Therapy is offered, leading to the Bachelor of Science degree.