大象传媒

Accreditation

The 大象传媒 Hospitals Medical Dosimetry Program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT).

JRCERT
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606-3182
(312) 704-5300
mail@jrcert.org

The program鈥檚 current award is 8 years. General program accreditation information and the current accreditation award letter can be found on the

Program Mission

Mission: To prepare outstanding entry-level medical dosimetrists with an ability to evaluate treatment processes to enhance patient safety.

Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

Goal 1: Students will be clinically competent.

• Students will demonstrate acquisition of correct dosimetry treatment planning skills.
• Students will evidence competency in treatment.

Goal 2: Students will demonstrate effective communication skills.

• Students will effectively communicate with patients, medical dosimetrists, faculty, and staff.
• Students will write at a proficient level by graduation.

Goal 3: Students will develop critical thinking skills.

• Students will apply didactic concepts and information in the clinical setting.
• Students will conceptualize current patient safety radiation therapy Lean A3 engineering principles.

Goal 4: Students will grow and develop professionally.

• Students will demonstrate professional behaviors.
• Students will participate in continuing education.

Program Handbook and Assessment Plan

2024鈥�2025 大象传媒 Medical Dosimetry Program Student Handbook

2024鈥�2025 大象传媒 Medical Dosimetry Program Assessment Plan

Program Accreditation and Development Committee

Jessica Mathis, PhD, RT(R)(T), CMD
Program Manager
大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology

Shiva Das, PhD
Head of Medical Physics
大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology

Jackie Williamson, BS, CMD
Clinical Educator
大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology

Faculty and Leadership

All students in our Medical Dosimetry Program are under the tutelage of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiation biologists, certified medical dosimetrists, and certified radiation therapists. Program faculty include 大象传媒 faculty and 大象传媒 Hospitals professional staff.

Program Director: Jessica Mathis, PhD, RT(R)(T), CMD
Technical Manager: Talisha Person, MBA, RT (R)(T)
Medical Dosimetry Clinical Instructor: Jackie Williamson, BS, RT (R)(T), CMD

Academic Policy and Curriculum

The Program is a 1-year certificate program based at 大象传媒 Hospitals鈥� Department of Radiation Oncology in Chapel Hill, NC. At present, the program does NOT offer online courses. Occasional synchronous hybrid class meetings are utilized.

The educational format includes both didactic sessions and clinical practicums. Students are expected to participate in clinical and research conferences, quality assurance, 3-dimensional and IMRT/VMAT external beam treatment planning, low- and high-dose-rate brachytherapy, stereotactic and intraoperative radiotherapy, and clinical education. As the Department of Radiation Oncology is home to four different training programs (radiation oncology residency, medical physics residency, radiation therapy certificate program and medical dosimetry certificate program), interprofessional education is particularly emphasized, and students at all levels take part in special seminars, social events, and clinical exercises.

Students are expected to adhere to high academic standards of performance and ethics and display appropriate professional behavior during all phases of their educational experience. Students are also required to abide by all program policies as outlined in the Program鈥檚 Master Plan of Education and the Student Handbook. The grievance plan can be found in the handbook.

Courses include:

(Note: A 3鈥揷redit hour course consists of approximately 37.5 classroom or contact hours.)

Course	Credit Hours (Semester)
MD 500 Orientation to Radiation Oncology This course provides the student with an overview of radiation therapy and its role in the management of cancer and allied diseases.	1 hour (first, Fall)
MD 501 Introduction to Medical Dosimetry This course is an introduction to medical dosimetry techniques at the 大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology. Includes treatment charts, patient information flow, and basic and irregular field calculations.	1 hour (first, Fall)
MD 504 Research Methodology and Design Statistics I This course provides an introduction to basic research methodology and statistics; students select a research project.	3 hours (first, Fall)
MD 506 Clinical Education I This course provides an introduction to basic medical dosimetry and hands-on experience in the radiation oncology clinic. Activities are supervised by professional staff of the 大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology.	6 hours (first, Fall)
MD 509 Radiation Safety and Protection This course provides an introduction to radiation sources used for therapy. Includes radiation detection and measurement, source handling, surveys, maximum permissible doses, room design, and government regulations.	Hybrid 1 hour (first, Fall)
MD 510 Anatomy for Radiation Oncology This course teaches human anatomy with an emphasis on sectional anatomy and topography as they apply to radiation oncology.	1 hour (first, Fall)
MD 511 Radiation Oncology Pathology This course provides an introduction to the staging and grading of tumors and to normal tissue responses to radiation injury.	1 hour (first, Fall)

 

Course	Credit Hours (Semester)
MD 502 Medical Dosimetry Physics This course teaches basic theories and calculations for radiation oncology.	3 hours (second, Spring)
MD 505 Research Methodology and Design Statistics II This course is a continuation of MD 504, ending with the completion of the students鈥� projects.	3 hours (second, Spring)
MD 507 Clinical Education II This course consists of training in intermediate medical dosimetry concepts and techniques. Activities are supervised by professional staff of the 大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology.	6 hours (second, Spring)
MD 513 Radiation and Cancer Biology This course provides an overview of the molecular, cellular, and tissue biology of cancer, and of radiation biology as it applies to radiotherapy.	Hybrid 3 hours (second, Spring)
MD 514 Clinical Radiation Oncology This course provides a site-specific overview of the different types of cancer treated using radiation therapy.	3 hours (second, Spring)

 

Course	Credit Hours (Semester)
MD 503 Brachytherapy Dosimetry This course teaches the physics of brachytherapy, including source characteristics, dosimetry systems, and dose calculations.	2 hours (third, Summer)
MD 508 Clinical Education III This course consists of training in advanced medical dosimetry concepts and techniques. Activities are supervised by professional staff of the 大象传媒 Department of Radiation Oncology.	6 hours (third, Summer)
MD 512 Special Topics in Radiation Oncology This course teaches professional aspects of radiation oncology.	3 hours (third, Summer)
	Total = 43 credit hours

Grading

The grading scale is as follows (unless otherwise stated in a specific syllabus).

97 and up聽 A+
93鈥�96聽 聽 聽 聽 A
90鈥�92聽 聽 聽 聽 A-
87鈥�89聽 聽 聽 聽 B+
83鈥�86聽 聽 聽 聽 B
80鈥�82聽 聽 聽 聽 B-
77鈥�79聽 聽 聽 聽 C+
73鈥�76聽 聽 聽 聽 C
70鈥�72聽 聽 聽 聽 C-
67鈥�69聽 聽 聽 聽 D+
63鈥�66聽 聽 聽 聽 D
60鈥�62聽 聽 聽 聽 D-
Below 60聽 聽F

Academic Calendar

Orientation begins on or about July 1 of each year, with a completion date of around June 30 the following year. Attendance is required Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM (standard 40 hour work week). Students are allowed a total of 7 大象传媒 Hospitals-designated holidays, plus an additional 5 days for vacation and 1 day for personal time.

Each year, the exact start date could vary slightly depending on which day of the week Independence Day falls. Upon acceptance into the program, students will be notified of the exact start date for that year.

2024鈥�2025 Academic Calendar

Admissions

In order to be considered for the program, the applicant must be a US citizen, have a bachelor鈥檚 degree from an accredited college or university, and ARRT certification in radiation therapy. At least 2 years of additional clinical radiation therapy experience is recommended. Having met the program prerequisites, the applicant must then:

• Complete and submit a Medical Dosimetry Program Application.
• Submit transcripts from all high schools (if less than 5 years since graduation) and institutions of higher education attended.
• Submit three letters of recommendation.

Send the application materials to Jessica Mathis, Program Manager, via email: jessica.church@unchealth.unc.edu.

The Admissions Committee then considers as much information as possible when evaluating a candidate鈥檚 qualifications for the study and practice of medical dosimetry. The Admissions Committee will invite selected candidates to proceed to the next step, a personal interview. The personal interview enables prospective students to obtain more information about the program and allows the committee to better assess such factors as motivation and interpersonal communication skills.

Letters of invitation to interview are sent via email, typically by March 1. A single interview session is scheduled for a Saturday or Sunday morning sometime in late March or early April. An interview 鈥渕ake-up date鈥� will NOT be offered.

• Selection for a personal interview does not guarantee admission into the program.
• A criminal background check and drug test are required of all students accepted into the program.
• The Medical Dosimetry Program adheres to the 大象传媒 Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, offering equal opportunity without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status as consistent with the .

Deadlines

Application submission opens October 1. The deadline for receipt of all program application materials is February 1 of each year, for planned enrollment in July of the same year.聽

Technical Standards for Medical Dosimetrists

• Demonstrate oral and written proficiency in the English language, including the ability to read, interpret, and apply written instructions (treatment charts, notes, records, technical publications, equipment manuals, etc.).
• Communicate effectively with faculty, fellow students, physicians, and all members of the health care team.
• Maintain intellectual and emotional stability and maturity under stress while also maintaining appropriate performance standards.
• Lift 30 pounds of weight (treatment cones, blocks for treatment, ancillary aids), including the ability to lift such heavy items overhead up to 6 feet.
• Push a standard wheelchair from the waiting room to the treatment room and transfer immobile patients from a stretcher to a treatment or diagnostic table.
• Possess sufficient audio acuity to perceive and interpret audio signals from equipment during treatment or treatment planning.
• Possess sufficient visual acuity鈥攃orrected to 20/20鈥攖o observe patients and equipment operation during treatment or treatment planning; have adequate perception of depth and color; and be able to view computer monitors for extended periods.
• Grasp complex 3-dimensional spatial relationships.
• Have sufficient manual dexterity to carry out all aspects of medical dosimetry procedures.

Graduation and Certification Examination Requirements

Before a student enrolled in the 大象传媒 Hospitals Medical Dosimetry Program can be deemed eligible to apply for the MDCB Examination, he or she must fulfill the following requirements:

• The student must have completed the academic requirements of the program successfully, as well as all research papers and other projects before being allowed to graduate.
• The student must have all fees and other program charges paid in full.
• The student must return all state property in their possession or else remit payment(s) for lost, stolen, or damaged property.

It is ultimately the responsibility of the student to verify that he or she is eligible to take the MDCB examination. Previous convictions or other legal problems may make the individual ineligible.

The 大象传媒 Hospitals Medical Dosimetry Program cannot absolutely guarantee the student will be eligible to take the examination despite fulfilling the requirements; the final decision is made by the MDCB.

Transfer Credit

The program is a 1-year certificate program, and as such, does not accept transfer students from other medical dosimetry programs.

If an already enrolled student in our program wishes to transfer to another medical dosimetry certificate program (that does accept transfers) or continue their higher education, it is the responsibility of the student to ascertain which, if any, 大象传媒 Hospitals Medical Dosimetry Program courses would be transferable to the other program or institution.

Student Services

Students enrolled in the 大象传媒 Hospitals Medical Dosimetry Program have access to five 大象传媒-Chapel Hill academic libraries, 大象传媒 Healthcare computer laboratories and tutors, medical and undergraduate bookstores, and the 大象传媒 Hospitals recreational facilities.

Students are responsible for their own health insurance coverage and living expenses. The program does not participate in Title IV financial aid.

Tuition and Fees

There is no tuition for the program, although the following nonrefundable, one-time costs do apply:

• Computer/dosimetry laboratory fee: $1,500
• Textbooks: approximately $300
• Background check and drug screen: approximately $100

No refunds are offered after program orientation.

Program Effectiveness Data (past 5 years)

The following is the most current program effectiveness data*. Our programmatic accreditation agency, JRCERT, defines and .

Medical Dosimetry Program Effectiveness Data

*For job placement: The number of graduates employed may differ from the number of graduates. The JRCERT has defined 鈥渘ot actively seeking employment鈥� as: 1) graduate fails to communicate with program officials regarding employment status after multiple attempts OR 2) graduate is unwilling to seek employment that requires relocation, OR 3) graduate is unwilling to accept employment due to salary or hours, OR 4) graduate is on active military duty, OR 5) graduate is continuing education.

Additional Information