Diagnostic Imaging and Therapy: Radiation Therapy, AS

Information about the Diagnostic Imaging and Therapy Programs  

A Radiation Therapist delivers radiation treatment as prescribed by a physician for the treatment of disease, primarily cancer. The Radiation Therapist will monitor patients’ physical condition and response to treatment. The associate degree program in radiation therapy is based on twenty-two (22) months of full time study. The curriculum prepared students for employment as entry-level Radiation Therapist in hospitals and cancer centers. Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) board examination (Radiation Therapy). For more information, call the Program Director Gina Finn, at (203) 285-2392 or e-mail at (gfinn@gatewayct.edu).

Program Curriculum:

The structure of the curriculum is such that courses are offered in sequence and progress in complexity. It offers appropriate didactic content and ample supervised clinical education to assure sufficient opportunity to achieve all didactic and clinical requirements established by the ARRT. Clinical education takes place in hospitals and cancer centers. Students will rotate through all clinical settings during the length of the Program. The following clinical sites are: Yale-New Haven Hospital Smilow Cancer Hospital, McGivney Cancer Care at Yale-New Haven Hospital Hamden Campus, Yale-New Haven Hospital Shoreline Medical Center Guilford, Danbury Hospital, Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute, Park Avenue Bridgeport Hospital, and Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. Transportation and parking are the student’s responsibility. The following pre-requisites must be completed with a grade of C or higher before applying to the Program:

* BIO* 211 - Anatomy and Physiology I  
* BIO* 212 - Anatomy and Physiology II  
* PHY* 111 - Physics for the Life Sciences  

The Program is accredited by the Board of Governors for Higher Education and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60606-3182, (312)704-5300, www.jrcert.org.

Mission Statement:

The Radiation Therapy Program at Gateway Community College is committed to educating and preparing competent, entry-level therapists who provide high quality patient care to members of the community. Furthermore, the Program is dedicated to providing tools to support life-long learning.

Program Goals

1. Graduates in the Gateway Community College Radiation Therapy Program will demonstrate skills in effective written and oral communication.
2. Graduates in the Gateway Community College Radiation Therapy Program will demonstrate skills in effective critical thinking and problem solving in the principles and practices of Radiation Therapy.
3. Graduates in the Gateway Community College Radiation Therapy Program will achieve personal and professional growth.
4. Graduates in the Gateway Community College Radiation Therapy Program will be clinically competent in the practice of Radiation Therapy.
5. The Program will prepare graduates to be entry-level Radiation Therapists.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all Program requirements, the graduate should be able to:

• Evaluate and assess treatment delivery components.
• Provide radiation therapy treatment delivery services to cure or improve the quality of life of patients by accurately delivering a prescribed course of treatment.
• Evaluate and assess daily the physiological and psychological responsiveness of each patient to treatment delivery.
• Maintain values congruent with the professional code of ethics and scope of practice while adhering to national, institutional and/or departmental standards, policies and procedures regarding treatment delivery and patient care.
• Meet the criteria to apply for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification exam