The Health Sciences Major may be used as a pre-professional curriculum for students wishing to apply to the AAS in Radiologic Technology at SWOSU or for students wishing to apply to a four-year baccalaureate degree program in Radiation Sciences. Health Science advisors can direct students in courses needed to apply to programs in Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences.
Students will apply to the professional phase of a program after first completing prerequisite courses.
SWOSU students may choose the Health Sciences Major to complete these 64 hours at SWOSU or obtain their degree in Health Sciences at SWOSU before applying to the Radiology Program at OUHSC.
Profession
Nuclear Medicine uses radiopharmaceuticals, scintillation cameras, and computers to image and quantify various physiologic process throughout the body.
Radiography uses diagnostic medical images thru X-ray and other radiations, such as Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Cardiovascular Interventional Technology (CIT).
Sonography uses equipment to generate high frequency sound waves to produce images of the human body.
Radiation Therapy is the profession in which radiations are directed at diseased tissues in strictly controlled circumstances to cure or palliate the disease.
Employment
Radiographers, Sonographers, Nuclear Medicine Technologists and Radiation Therapists are employed in health care facilities, including cancer centers and private offices; they are also employed in settings where their responsibilities focus on education, management, research, and sales. Salaries and benefits vary with experience and employment location but are generally competitive with other health specialties.
Curriculum/Accreditation
Programs may be 1, 2, or 4 years, depending on program design, objectives, and the degree or certificate awarded. Following completion of the baccalaureate degree, students are then eligible to sit for the national certification exam to become a BS RT(T) or (R) certified through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. The T and R designates specialization in either therapy, radiology, or both.