The academic year is divided into fall, spring, and summer semesters. During the fall and spring semesters, students attend two days of classroom instruction and three days of clinical instruction. From the very beginning, students are assigned to various treatment units under the direct supervision of a licensed radiation therapist for their clinical instruction. Students have the opportunity to apply the techniques and principles covered in the classroom and learn to operate the equipment used in planning and administering radiation treatments. View our 2012-2013 academic calendar.
The courses included in the curriculum are sequenced as follows:
Semester I
| Fall (15 weeks + Orientation) | Hours |
|---|---|
| Orientation | 36 |
| Methods of Patient Care | 15 |
| Introduction to Radiation Therapy I | 15 |
| Clinical Anatomy I | 45 |
| Record Keeping/Medical Terminology | 15 |
| Radiation Physics I | 37.5 |
| Clinical Set-ups I | 15 |
| Clinical Performance | 350 |
Semester II
| Spring (16 weeks) | Hours |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Radiation Therapy II | 16 |
| Clinical Anatomy II | 48 |
| Radiation Physics II | 40 |
| Clinical Setups II | 24 |
| Principles of Radiography | 16 |
| Ethics and Law in Radiation Therapy | 16 |
| Clinical Performance Spring | 546 |
| Clinical Performance Summer | 315 |
| Total Didactic Hours = | 676.5 |
Semester III
| Fall (16 weeks) | Hours |
|---|---|
| Clinical Radiation Oncology I | 48 |
| Treatment Planning I | 48 |
| Pathology | 24 |
| Radiation Protection | 24 |
| Film Review | 16 |
| Clinical Performance | 371 |
Semester IV
| Spring (16 weeks + Registry Review) | Hours |
|---|---|
| Clinical Radiation Oncology II | 48 |
| Treatment Planning II | 48 |
| Radiobiology | 16 |
| Quality Assurance | 16 |
| Registry Review | 50 |
| Clinical Performance | 496 |
| Total Clinical Hours | 2078 |
During the summer semester, students attend five days of clinical instruction and other required clinical rotations. Students are also required to attend periodic Saturday clinical workshops where they get to put theory into practice. Students also have the option to rotate through our regional clinical sites for periodic month-long clinical rotations. The regional sites are:
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Rockville Centre
1000 North Village Ave
Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Commack
650 Commack Road
Commack, NY 11725
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Sleepy Hollow
777 NorthBroadway, Suite 100
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Students are given 20 days-off per year, in addition to six observed holidays and a 5-day winter break. During the senior year, students get two professional days to be used for job-seeking activities and/or interviews. All instruction, clinical and didactic, takes place a tour main campus, with the option to rotate through our regional sites listed above.
Grading
Each didactic course is graded on a numerical scale from zero to 100%. 75% is passing in each course. Every course must be taken in sequence such that any student receiving below 75% will be dismissed from the program. Clinical performance is also graded in the fall and spring semesters as well as the summer semester and also must be passed with a 75%.
Our numerical grades can be converted to a letter grade based on the following scale:
| Grade | Letter Score |
|---|---|
| Below 75 | F |
| 75-76 | C |
| 77-79 | C+ |
| 80-83 | B- |
| 84-86 | B |
| 87-89 | B+ |
| 90-93 | A- |
| 93-96 | A |
| 97-100 | A+ |
Requirements for Graduation
Upon completion of our two-year certificate program, our graduates will have accumulated approximately 2,100 hours of clinical instruction and 700 hours of classroom instruction. Graduation ceremonies are generally held in mid July.
In order to qualify for graduation from the training program, students must meet the following:
- Satisfactory completion of all courses with a grade point average equivalent of 75 percent or better
- Accrual of all necessary clinical days
- Clinical competence by fulfillment of the clinical objectives with a 75 percent equivalent or better
- Return of any equipment/books borrowed from the school and/or medical library
- Fulfillment of all monetary obligations
- Completion of all program assessment forms/evaluations/surveys, financial aid entrance and exit interviews, if applicable.
Note: Graduation from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center training program does not automatically guarantee licensure by New York State and/or certification by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Licensure and certification are granted by the New York State Department of Health and the ARRT upon passing (75 percent or better) the ARRT Boards.
