Clinical Obligations

Palm Beach Health Network School of Medical Imaging offers a 2-year certificate program in Radiography and prepares the student to be eligible to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technology and become certified as a Radiographer upon passing the American Registry exam. The program is nationally accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. The JRCERT address is:

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
20. N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2850. Chicago, IL. 60606-3182
312-704-5300
Web Site: www.jrcert.org

The Program

Is a 2-year hospital-based program, and combines clinical education with academic structured classes.

The student will rotate their clinical training between a variety of clinical settings. This gives the student an objective comparison of different radiology department and exposure to all radiographic procedures.

Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate will receive a certificate of successful completion and will be eligible to sit for the National Registry examination and the Florida license examination and become certified by the State of Florida as a General Radiographer.

Radiologic Technologists, or radiographers, are certified and/or licensed to use X-rays and other forms of radiation to produce images of patients' body parts and organs. Such images are helpful to physicians in their diagnoses of illness and injury.

Radiographers are typically employed by hospitals, private physicians, and public health departments. They may also work as technical advisors or as representatives for firms that manufacture radiologic equipment. Others become faculty members in hospital or community college programs of radiologic technology.

Application Requirements

Initial requirements include
Cover letter introducing yourself
Completed application form
College transcripts
$50.00 application fee
AS/AA Degree or higher must be obtained before completion of the program
8 hours of observation at one of our clinical hospitals
Interview with the Program Director, Clinical Coordinator and Clinical Instructor

There is limited enrollment. Acceptance into the program will be based on all of the above and successful completion of the hospital physical. Students will have also completed a CPR training program before acceptance into the program.

School Schedule

The program begins in October and continues for a minimum of 24 consecutive months. The program is full-time, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The program is divided so that each student will rotate through several clinical sites over the two years. Miles traveled to the clinical sites from WBMC will be different depending on site location. The first year students will have clinical education.

Monday and Wednesday with didactic classes on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The following are clinical sites of the program: SMMC, PBGMC, GSMC, MTI RPB, MTI PBG, WBMC, WBDIC, DMC, DOP, CCF, CCF/OP, FMC, NSMC, MHS, and Sports Orthopedic.

Directions to each site can be found on our website and included with this packet.

The second year students will have clinical education on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with didactic classes on Wednesday.

The students will have limited exposure to evenings and weekend shifts scheduled in their senior year. This is NOT mandatory. If selected, the student's off-hour assignments will be less than 25% of total clinical time.

All students are given a one week vacation during the winter holiday and a one week vacation during the last week in July and the first week in August of each academic year.

Students are also given five personal days and five sick days per year.

Students are off from school on holidays. The following holidays are observed by the program and sponsoring institution. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

Dress Code

All white hospital uniform with white hospital shoes or all white leather tennis shoes. The uniforms will be an additional cost to the students.

Uniforms

Students are responsible for uniforms, transportation, and an online study platform in the 2nd year. Uniforms are approximately $100.

Cost

Tuition cost is $6,000 per year ($12,000 Total). Monthly payments are $500. Tuition may be increased annually.

Palm Beach Health Network School of Medical Imaging provides high-quality training for individuals interested in this field, at extremely modest cost to the student.

Our school has been nationally accredited for more than 32 years by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) and recognized by the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT). Program graduates have demonstrated a superior passing rate on the National Registry examination and have, had excellent success in job placement. (Please review our website).

For further information concerning the Radiologic Technology program, contact the Program Director, Dr. Elby Pernsteiner, at (561) 488-8173 or by e-mail at [email protected]

Web Site: www.westbocamedctr.com/RadioIogySchool

The application process is from January-June.

Clinical Competency

Competency based clinical education has been established for students in this radiography program. It is designed to permit accurate assessment of knowledge, skills, and abilities of students in the clinical education component of this program. After completion of the prerequisite practice of the radiographic examination, under Direct Supervision of a Registered Technologist, the student or clinical instructor will indicate readiness to challenge the procedure. The student is evaluated on knowledge of procedure and anatomy as well as performance. This challenge is a Pass/fail process. Passing allows the student to perform that procedure under Indirect Supervision, meaning that a student may perform that procedure alone as long as a registered technologist is readily available if the student requires assistance.

Students that do not pass the challenge must re-challenge the procedure until the student passes the procedure. Counseling of the student may be needed if the student continues to fail challenges. Students are expected to complete a required number of competencies each clinical rotation and may even exceed requirements.

Competency goals are as follows:

At the completion of the first rotation/semester in the first year, a student must pass at least two (2) challenges.
At the completion of the second rotation/semester in the first year, a student must have passed at least eleven (11) challenges.
At the completion of the third rotation/semester in the first year, a student must have passed at least twenty-three (23) challenges.
At the completion of the final, rotation/in the first year/4th semester, a. student must have passed all thirty-four (34) first year challenges.
At the completion of the first rotation/semester in the second year, a student must pass at least four (4) second year challenges.
At the completion of the second rotation/semester in the second year, a student must have passed at least nine (9) second year challenges.
At the completion of the third rotation/semester in the second year, a student must have passed at least thirteen (13) second year challenges.
At the completion of the final rotation/semester in the second year, a student must have passed all seventeen (17) second year challenges.

Failure to meet any of these expectations will result in a deduction of points in formulating rotational and clinical grades.