Radiation Therapy Program Course Descriptions

RT 3301 Oncology Nursing and Patient Care (3 semester hours)

Content is designed to provide the student with foundation concepts and competencies in assessment and evaluation of the patient for both external beam and brachytherapy procedures. Psychological and physical needs and factors affecting treatment outcome will be presented and examined. Routine and emergency care procedures will be discussed.

RT 3412 Radiation Biology (4 semester hours)

This course will examine the effects of radiation from the perspective of the cell, tissue and whole body. The biological consequences of ionizing radiation on living tissue as well as tolerance doses and fractionation schemes will also be discussed.

RT 3302 Introduction to Radiation Therapy ( 3 semester hours)

The course is designed to provide an overview of cancer and the specialty of radiation therapy. The medical, biological and pathological aspect as well as the physical and technical aspects will be discussed. The history, roles and responsibilities of the radiation therapist will be presented. University and program policies will be discussed as well.

RT 3210 Legal and Ethical Issues in Radiation Therapy

Legal and Ethical issues as they pertain to health care and the field of Radiation Therapy will be discussed.

RT 3304 Clinical Education I (3 semester hours)

Students will begin to gain skill in clinical procedures, interactions with patients and professional personnel as they apply didactic knowledge to the clinical setting of radiation therapy and become familiar with each section of the radiation therapy department.

RT 3314 Medical Dosimetry I (3 semester hours)

This course will cover the basic concepts in treatment planning including treatment accessories and their relationship to dose distribution. Derivations and definitions of dosimetric terms and basic treatment calculations will be presented. Treatment planning computerized systems will be introduced.

RT 3211 Pathology (2 semester hours)

This course will cover both general pathology  and neoplasia. The general pathology section will cover basic disease concepts and pathophysiology, while the second part will discuss neoplastic transformation and neoplasia.

RT 3421 Principles and Practices of Radiation Therapy I (4 semester hours)

This course will examine the etiology, epidemiology, detection, diagnosis and treatment rationale with a multidisciplinary approach for the management of neoplastic disease. Specific topics will be addressed with respect to radiation therapist’s role in patient education, simulation and treatment delivery.

RT  4422 Principles and Practices of Radiation Therapy II (4 semester hours)

A continuation of  Principles and Practices of Radiation Therapy I

RT 3413 Radiation and Therapy Physics (4 semester hours)

This course will review basic concepts in radiation physics concerning atomic structure, production and characteristics of ionizing radiation. The quality of ionizing radiation and measuring equipment will also be presented. Linear accelerator design and radiation protection will be discussed.

RT 3405 Clinical Education II (4 semester credits)

Students will gain additional skills in clinical procedures and interactions with patients and professional personnel.

RT 3212 Sectional Anatomy (2 semester Hours)

Topographic, sectional and radiographic anatomy will be studied through the use of various diagnostic images including plain films, nuclear medicine scans, sonograms, computer tomography, magnetic resonance images and other imaging modalities.

RT 4406 Clinical Education III (4 semester hours)

A continuation of RT and RT. Students will continue to improve their skills in clinical procedures by interacting with patients and professional personnel. Students will also gain clinical experience in dosimetry and medical physics.

RT 4315 Medical Dosimetry II (3 semester hours)

This course will continue the concepts presented in Medical Dosimetry I with intensity modulated radiation therapy, brachytherapy, stereotactic techniques, and non-traditional fractionation schemes studied. New treatment modalities and their impact on dose distribution will be presented.

RT 3303 Medical Imaging and Processing (3 semester hours)

This course is designed to establish a knowledge base in factors that govern and influence the production and recording of radiographic images. Both diagnostic and radiation therapy imaging equipment will be discussed.

RT 4407 Clinical Education IV ( 4 semester hours)

A continuation of the clinical education sequence. Students will apply didactic knowledge to their clinical experience.

RT 4316 Quality Assurance and Operational Issues (3 semester hours)

This course is designed to focus on the evolution of quality management (QM) programs and continuing quality improvements in radiation oncology. Human resources, coding and billing, insurance and departmental budgets will be discussed as they apply to the radiation oncology department.

RT 4323 Registry Review (3 semester hours)

Students will review all course material in preparation for their national board examination in radiation therapy.

HCS 5106 Professional Development (1 semester credit hour)

This course offers interprofessional education to health professions students through interaction with students from other healthcare disciplines and faculty facilitators in a small group setting. Topics include communication skills, team dynamics, conflict management, cultural competency, and other professional skills necessary to succeed in a collaborative healthcare work environment.

HCS 4301 Introduction to Research Methodology (3 semester credit hour)

This course offers an introduction to statistical and epidemiological concepts with an emphasis on research strategies and an analysis of literature. A research topic will be selected and a literature review completed. This course is the first in a two semester sequence.

HCS 4302 Directed Research (3 semester credit hour)

This course is a continuation of HCS 4301 Introduction to Research Methodology. Students will complete a research project started in the previous semester with data collection, analysis, paper and presentation.

HCS 3101 Medical Terminology (1 semester credit hour)

This course introduces the entering school of health professions student to medical terminology through a self- instructional format. Explanations of Greek and Latin root words, prefixes and suffixes serve as a basis for interpretation of terms common in

medicine and allied health fields. Students are provided an opportunity to develop skills in defining, pronouncing and spelling medical terms.