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Academic Catalog

2022-2023 Catalog 
    
    Dec 11, 2024  
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2022-2023 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Radiography, A.A.S.

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The Radiography program is designated as a Health Manpower Shortage Program; therefore, some residents of Maryland enrolled in this program of study on the first day of the term may be eligible for in-county tuition rates for courses required for program completion. 

Special Admission Requirements: Program Application Deadline, February 1st

Purpose: Prepares students for practice as entry-level radiographers in health care facilities and specialty offices. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (www.arrt.org) certification examination in radiography.

View the Radiography, A.A.S. Fee Sheet. 

Curriculum: The curriculum is divided into areas of study consisting of lecture, laboratory, and clinical experiences. Content areas of the curriculum include anatomy and physiology, professional ethics, radiation safety and equipment operation, radiographic positioning and procedures, imaging techniques, and pathology. 

Accreditation:  The Radiography Program of Hagerstown Community College is accredited by:

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)
20 N. Wacker Drive
Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 704-5300
http://www.jrcert.org

Program Outcomes: Graduates of the Associate of Applied Science degree in radiography program will be able to:

  1. Provide appropriate patient care in the course of radiographic procedures with respect to diverse cultures, values, and beliefs.
  2. Competently perform routine imaging procedures.
  3. Utilize appropriate protection and standard precautions.
  4. Critique images to assure highest quality.
  5. Communicate effectively with staff and patients.
  6. Be able to solve age-specific, disease-specific, and non-routine imaging situations.
  7. Make critical decisions appropriate for the medical imager.
  8. Perform as an effective team member.
  9. Practice within the ethical framework of the profession.
  10. Document participation in continuing education activities while enrolled in the program.
  11. Begin employment in a healthcare facility within the community.
  12. Meet the imaging needs of the community.
  13. Participate in continuing education activities to stay current in their profession.
Admission Requirements: Admission to HCC does not guarantee admission to the Radiography Program.
The requirements below must be completed and submitted to the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Management by the application deadline of February 1st:
  • Submit official scores for the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Assessments. The assessments measure foundational skills required for entry in the radiography program. Applicants need to achieve a WorkKeys® assessment level of 5 in Applied Math, 3 in Graphic Literacy, and 5 in Workplace Documents taken within the last three years.
  • Completed program application known as the Supplemental Application for Radiography Program form.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges attended even if the courses taken are not directly applicable to the Radiography program. HCC calculates cumulative GPA from all college coursework as part of the scoring process (students who took classes at HCC do not need to submit official HCC transcripts).  All transcripts must be complete and show grades or outcomes for each class taken or the status of in-progress for classes that are in-progress at the application deadline.
  • Official SAT/ACT scores if taken within five years of the application deadline.
  • Completed Radiography Program Observation Verification Form (8 hours of observation). This form will not be accepted if older than three years. 
  • Eligible to enter into college-level English and Mathematics at the time of application. There are two program completion pathways:
  • In addition to the minimum grade requirement for English Composition set forth by COMAR, HCC requires Radiography students to complete all General Education requirements with a minimum grade of “C” or higher. If a student has a grade below a C, they are not eligible to be scored until that grade is replace with a grade of “C” or higher.
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for all college coursework is required. In addition, a minimum grade point average of 2.5 for all program courses is also required. 
  • Foreign educated students must have their college and high school transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES).
  • Completion of all required science courses within five years of the application deadline.
  • The Radiography program is a Maryland Health Manpower Shortage program.  All students who apply for this program must be eligible to work in the State of Maryland at the application deadline and while enrolled in the program.

Program Requirements: Students practice selected procedures on each other in the college laboratory. All radiography students must:

  1. Complete all radiography courses with a grade of “C” (75%) or higher.
  2. Meet program competency requirements for both the simulation laboratory and clinical experiences.
  • Students who receive a final mark of unsatisfactory in the clinical laboratory or clinical experience, despite a passing theory grade, will not be permitted to progress in the radiography program and will receive a final grade of “F” for the course.
  • Students who do not meet program, course, technical, health, and radiation standards that result in termination from the radiography program by the College are not eligible for readmission. This includes students who cannot meet safety standards, and students who violate the college’s Honor Code and Standards of Conduct, the radiography program’s Standards of Conduct, and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Standards of Ethics.

Fact Sheet:

Three-Year Program Pathway

Courses required for application to the program
Course Number Course Name Credits
ENG 101 English Composition
*(ENG 101E  and ENG 101P  are approved substitutions for ENG 101) 		 3
MAT 114 Introduction to Applied Algebra 3
BIO 116
or
BIO 203 and BIO 204		 Human Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health (4 Credits)
or
Human Anatomy and Physiology I AND Human Anatomy and Physiology II (8 Credits) 		 4
Gen Ed Diversity 3
PSY 101 General Psychology 3
Gen Ed Arts/Humanities 3
TOTAL   19

 

First Summer
Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 101 Radiography I 2
RAD 103 Radiographic Positioning I 3
RAD 109 Patient Care for Radiographers 3
TOTAL   8

 

First Year Fall   First Year Spring
Course Number Course Name Credits   Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 102 Radiography II  2   RAD 105 Radiographic Positioning III 3
RAD 104 Radiographic Positioning II 3   RAD 108C Clinical Technique II 2

RAD 106C

 Clinical Technique I 2   PHY 106 Radiological Physics Theory 3
HIM 102 Medical Terminology 3   RAD 215 Pathology for Imaging Sciences 3
TOTAL   10   TOTAL   11

 

Second Summer
Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 200C Clinical Practicum 4
TOTAL   4

 

Second Year Fall   Second Year Spring
Course Number Course Name Credits   Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 205C Clinical Technique III 4   RAD 211C Clinical Technique IV 4
RAD 202 Advanced Medical Imaging Concepts 3   RAD 201 Radiographic Imaging Concepts 3
        BIO 202 Radiation Biology 2
TOTAL   7   TOTAL   9

Two-Year Program Pathway

First Summer
Course Number Course Name Credits
BIO 116
or
BIO 203 and BIO 204		 Human Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health (4 Credits)
or
Human Anatomy and Physiology I AND Human Anatomy and Physiology II (8 Credits)		 4
RAD 101 Radiography I 2
RAD 103 Radiographic Positioning I 3
RAD 109 Patient Care for Radiographers 3
TOTAL   12

 

First Year Fall   First Year Spring
Course Number Course Name Credits   Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 102 Radiography II 2   RAD 105 Radiographic Positioning III 3
RAD 104 Radiographic Positioning II 3   RAD 108C Clinical Technique II 2
RAD 106C Clinical Technique I 2   PHY 106 Radiological Physics Theory 3
Gen Ed Diversity 3   ENG 101 English Composition
*(ENG 101E  and ENG 101P  are approved substitutions for ENG 101) 		 3
HIM 102 Medical Terminology 3   MAT 114 Introduction to Applied Algebra 3
        RAD 215 Pathology for Imaging Sciences 3
TOTAL   13   TOTAL   17

 

Second Summer
Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 200C Clinical Practicum 4
TOTAL   4

 

Second Year Fall   Second Year Spring
Course Number Course Name Credits   Course Number Course Name Credits
RAD 205C Clinical Technique III 4   RAD 211C Clinical Technique IV 4
RAD 202 Advanced Medical Imaging Concepts 3   BIO 202 Radiation Biology 2
PSY 101 General Psychology 3   RAD 201 Radiographic Imaging Concepts 3
        Gen Ed Arts/Humanities 3
TOTAL   10   TOTAL   12

General Education Requirements (19-23 Credits)

Arts/Humanities

Behavioral/Social Sciences

Biological/Physical Science

Diversity

English

*A minimum grade of “C” or better is required for ENG-101, ENG-101E, and ENG-101P

Mathematics

Program Requirements (49 Credits)

Degree Requirement (68 Credits)

Additional Program Requirements

Selection Criteria

The initial application deadline is February 1st; students will be admitted to the radiography program in May. The radiography program is an oversubscribed program which means that there are more applicants than there are available seats in the program. Students are selected for admission based on a point system. Points are earned by the number of program required general education courses completed, grade point average in program required general education courses, cumulative grade point average for all college courses taken and for students who have completed their program required general education courses at HCC. Those with the greatest number of points are admitted to the program. Students who have been accepted for admission will be notified of the decision by mail by mid-March. The offer of admission is for the specified year only.

Those students not admitted to the May class will be placed on a standby list until May 1st. The stand-by list is dissolved after May 1st, and students who desire admission to the radiography program in a subsequent year, must fill out another Supplemental Application for the Radiography Program form and follow the admission guidelines above.

Final Acceptance

Final acceptance into the program is contingent upon the following criteria. Students unable to meet these criteria will be withdrawn from the program and the seat filled by a student from the stand-by list.

  1. Those students accepted into the program must submit a $50 enrollment deposit when accepting their spot in the program. This deposit will be applied to your tuition for the semester and is not refundable.

  2. At the time of application, applicants must be eligible to enter college-level Math and English. For the 3-year Pathway, applicants must have a minimum of 16 credits of the following courses completed or in progress. The courses include:
    an Arts/Humanities Elective , PSY 101 - General Psychology , BIO 116 - Human Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health  OR BIO 203 - BIO 203 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I  must be completed and BIO 204 - BIO 204 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II  must be completed or in progress, ENG 101 - English Composition  (ENG 101E  and ENG 101P  are approved substitutions for ENG 101) and MAT 114 - Introduction to Applied Algebra .

    • For two-year pathway and applicants who recently graduated from high school, submit SAT scores if taken within the last five years.

  3. The Radiography program is an over-subscribed program which means that there are more applicants than there are available seats in the program. Students are selected for admission based on a point system. Applicants are scored following the following guidelines:

    • Applicant has completed 16 credits or more of the Radiography general education courses, use GPA of program required general education courses and cumulative GPA of all college courses taken to score (general education courses must be completed with a minimum grade of “C” or higher to count), OR

    • Applicant has completed less than 16 credits of the Radiography general education courses, please use SAT scores, if SAT scores are on file and were taken within 5 years of the application deadline, OR

    • Applicant has completed less than 16 credits of the Radiography general education courses and has no SAT scores on file, or did not take the SAT within 5 years of the application deadline, use ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Assessments scores.  

  4. Students must successfully pass a drug screen and criminal background check. A valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, or green card) is required for a background check. Prior criminal records may prohibit students from clinical program placement and employment opportunities.

  5. Students must be able to meet the program’s Technical Standards.

  6. Satisfactory completion of a health examination record and all required tests and immunizations.

  7. Current American Heart Association “BLS Provider” CPR certification.

Criminal Background Checks

All students who are offered admission to the radiography program will be required to submit to fingerprinting and a complete criminal background check. A separate criminal background check may also be required by a clinical site prior to beginning a clinical experience. Criminal background check results are disclosed to clinical facilities as required. If a student is denied access by a clinical site because of the background check, and as a result, cannot meet program requirements, the student will be dismissed from the radiography program.

Individuals applying to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) certification exam may need to complete a Pre-Application Review to determine ethics eligibility. Hagerstown Community College has no influence or control over the ARRT’s judgment in these matters. State agencies governing the practice of radiographers may deny an individual licensure, even if the individual has completed all course work and graduated from the program, if the individual has a criminal history, has been convicted, or pleads guilty, or nolo contendere to a felony or other serious crime.

Drug Screen

All students who are offered admission to the radiography program will be required to submit to a drug screen. Drug screen results are disclosed to clinical facilities as required. A random drug screen may also be requested at any time during the radiography program if a radiography faculty member or a clinical facility representative has reasonable cause to suspect that a student is impaired and poses a safety concern to patients or others. If a student is denied access by a clinical site because of drug screen results, and as such, cannot meet program requirements, the student will be dismissed from the radiography program.

Vaccine Requirements

Several immunizations are required as part of your health documentation, including:  HEP B 3 vaccine series AND Positive immunity titer, Tetanus (Tdap) within last 10 years, Varicella 2 vaccine series AND positive immunity titer, MMR 2 vaccine series AND positive immunity titer,  the Flu vaccine (fall and spring), and the COVID-19 vaccine. Since many individuals fail to maintain immunity over time, you may be required to repeat vaccination series/ receive a booster in order to demonstrate positive immunity. Positive immunity titers are required to proceed with Clinical or Externship rotations in all Health Sciences Programs. It is the student’s responsibility to verify immunity prior to the start of the program and take the necessary steps to ensure positive immunity by the health documentation deadline provided to each cohort.

Clinical Site Placement

Student placement in the clinical education component of the radiography program is determined each semester.  

Hours for clinical rotations can range from 6:00AM to 9:00PM (varies). All shifts are 8 hours in length, not to exceed 40 hours per week combined between classroom time and clinicals. The majority of shifts are scheduled during Monday-Friday, however, some weekends will also be required. First year students rotate Tuesdays and Thursdays, second year students rotate Monday through Friday in their second summer, and then rotate Monday, Wednesday and Friday the last two semesters of the program. The entire semester clinical schedule will be posted prior to the beginning of each semester.  

Clinical sites are within a 70 mile radius from campus. Transportation to and from these sites is the student’s responsibility.  A criminal background check, drug screen and various immunizations are required to attend all clinical sites. Specifics on fees and procedures are found in the health documentation packet provided at New Student Orientation. 

A list of clinical affiliates as well as more detailed information can be found in the Student Handbook. 

Readmission to the Radiography Program

Students seeking readmission to the radiography program must submit their request in writing to the Program Coordinator, Medical Imaging Programs, by February 1st, for summer. Readmission to the radiography program must take place within one year of leaving the program. Readmission cannot be assured and is based on the criteria described in the readmission requirements available in the Radiography Program Student Handbook. The curriculum under which a student seeks readmission may be different from the one under which the student left. Students who are accepted for readmission must complete the degree requirements in place at the time of readmission. Students who fail or withdraw from a radiography course after readmission are not eligible to be readmitted a second time. Readmission to the radiography program is based on highest grade-point average and available seats in the class.

Transfer from Other Colleges

Students who wish to transfer into the HCC radiography program may do so during the fall, spring, and summer semester providing there are unfilled seats in the class and meet all admission requirements.

Students transferring to HCC from other colleges who seek admission as a first-time student into the Radiography program must be enrolled as an HCC student and complete the Supplemental Application for the Radiography program by the established deadline date. In order to be considered for admission, students must meet the same requirements as other first-time students and will be selected according to the same criteria. Official transcripts from all colleges attended must be received by the application deadline and a completed Transcript Evaluation Request must be submitted.  This is required even if the courses do not directly apply to the Radiography program.  All transcripts must be complete and show grades or outcomes for each class completed or the status of in-progress for classes that are in-progress at the application deadline.  HCC calculates cumulative GPA from all college coursework as part of the scoring process for entry into this program.  Required science courses that are older than five years must be repeated.  

Transfer from Other Radiography Programs

Students transferring to HCC who have been enrolled in another radiography program must be enrolled as an HCC student, complete the Supplemental Application for the Radiography Program form, and submit transcripts from other colleges attended by the established deadline dates. A transfer evaluation will be done on all transcripts by the Registrar to determine which courses a student may transfer to HCC for credit. Science courses that are older than five years must be repeated. In addition to the transfer evaluation, the student’s transcript will be forwarded to the Coordinator, Medical Imaging Programs for an additional evaluation. An interview with the Coordinator and a reference check from the student’s previous radiography program is required. A decision is then made by the Coordinator as to whether the student will be admitted to the radiography program. An appeal to the Coordinator’s decision must be made to the Director, Health Sciences Division. The Director’s decision is considered final.

Ionizing Radiation and Pregnancy

Reporting of pregnancy to program officials is voluntary on the part of the student. Regulatory Guide 8.13, Instruction Concerning Prenatal Radiation Exposure, (www.nrc.gov) published by the United States Regulatory Commission provides information and guidelines.

ARRT–CQ/2011 Continued Requirements

American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certifications awarded January 1, 2011, and thereafter will be time-limited to 10 years. Prior to the end of the 10-year period, the individual will be required to demonstrate qualifications to continue to hold the certification. For additional information, visit the ARRT Web site at www.arrt.org.

Clinical Education

Students enrolled in the radiography program will be assigned to healthcare facilities within the tristate region. Students are expected to provide their own transportation to the facilities and abide by the policies and protocols of each facility. Clinical education assignments are completed on a semester basis and will include day, evening, and weekend schedules.

Technical Standards

There are technical standards and skill requirements which students are expected to possess and demonstrate in order to be successful in this program. More information on these standards can be found on the Web page for this program.

Program Hours of Operation

Classroom, laboratory, and clinical education assignments are completed on a semester basis and may include day, evening and weekend schedules between the hours of 6:00AM - 9:00PM.

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