|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B.S. in Medical Imaging Technology approved for IU Kokomo
November 11, 2004 | |||||
|
KOKOMO, Ind.—Just two years after starting an Associate of Science in Radiography program, Indiana University Kokomo has received state approval to offer the next level of education in this field, a Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology. The Indiana Commission on Higher Education voted on October 8 to approve the program, IU Kokomo’s 35th four-year-degree offering. The campus hopes to begin classes in fall 2005, pending funding approval. A radiographer uses x-rays to create images that physicians interpret for diagnosis of disease or pathology. With the B.S. in Medical Imaging Technology, certified radiologic technologists will be able to perform advanced medical imaging skills in such areas as CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasound, interventional/cardiovascular procedures, mammography, and bone density scans. The bachelor’s degree program will offer tracks in those disciplines, said Director of Radiologic Sciences John Hughey, M.S.M., R.T., (R.). Earning the B.S. degree “should allow easier access to career ladders in imaging modalities” for graduates, Hughey said. “Many working technologists with associate degrees, who have graduated from a hospital-based radiography program, or who have an undergraduate degree in another field, can benefit from this degree choice.” To assess demand for the bachelor’s degree, IU Kokomo surveyed several north central Indiana health care facilities, and found a “great need” for technologists with the advanced imaging education and credentials, Hughey said. “Many employers are paying premium wages for temporary technologists with this education and these skills.” Some facilities limit the variety of imaging examinations they offer, due to a shortage of skilled personnel, he added. “The only other schools in Indiana to offer this type of degree on campus are Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis and IU Northwest [in Gary],” he said. Hughey has also seen high interest in radiography education from prospective students. On a recent V.I.P. (Visit In Person) Day sponsored by the Office of Admissions, several high school students asked detailed questions about careers in radiography when they toured IU Kokomo’s labs, he said. Students enrolled in the B.S. in Medical Imaging Technology will take one year of prerequisite courses and one year of core education, which includes clinical experience in the radiography departments of regional health care facilities. “Thankfully, all eight of our present A.S. clinical sites have agreed to allow B.S. students to perform their clinical education competencies at those sites,” said Hughey. He and Heidi Thomason, A.S. clinical coordinator and assistant clinical professor of radiography, are seeking at least two specialty clinical sites for B.S. training, so that all tracks can be covered simultaneously. Once the program is funded, IU Kokomo will hire additional faculty members for the bachelor’s degree courses. To be admitted to B.S. clinical courses, students must be certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) as a registered technologist in radiography. In June 2005, the first 11 candidates of IU Kokomo’s A.S. in Radiography program are expected to receive their degrees, making them eligible to take the ARRT certification exam. IU Kokomo currently has 23 students enrolled in core courses for the A.S. in Radiography. Many more are taking prerequisite courses. Last spring, Hughey said, a total 81 students were either in core courses or had declared their intention of being a radiography major. “The maximum number of students in the B.S. professional courses will depend on the number of available clinical education spots that are approved by our accrediting organizations,” he said. “We currently are approved for 12 students per year in A.S. clinical experience education.” Numerous campus colleagues contributed to the winning degree proposal, Hughey said. He thanked Chairperson of the Division of Allied Health Sciences Robert Roales, Ph.D., for adjusting the curriculum; Senior Lecturer in Chemistry Marcia Gillette, Ph.D., for coordinating review of the materials by Department of Natural, Information and Mathematical Sciences faculty; and Director of Institutional Research Tim Sehr, for finalizing budgetary proposals. “Associate Professor of Nursing Sue Hendricks, Ed.D., and other members of the campus’ Educational Policies Committee were extremely helpful in enabling the degree to be presented in a manner that non-clinical people could understand,” Hughey said. “Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Stuart Green was instrumental in getting the proposal through the Vice Chancellors Committee at the regional campuses, and Chancellor Ruth Person gave an excellent presentation to the IU Board of Trustees.” Green expressed his appreciation to Hughey and Roales “for their hard work and visionary leadership in promoting and writing this important degree program. “With the addition of this new program, we continue a campus trend toward the development of a solid educational health care niche in our service region, including our A.S. in Radiography, B.A. in Health and Aging, and our three degrees in nursing: A.S.N., B.S.N., and M.S.N.” [IU Kokomo offers the M.S.N.—Master of Science in Nursing—in collaboration with IUPUI, the actual degree-granting institution.] For more information on IU Kokomo degree offerings in radiography and medical imaging, call (765) 455-9331 or visit iuk.edu/ACADEMICS/healthsci/Radiography.
|
|
||||