General Information

The Radiological Technology Program will accept 20 students every fall semester.   The clinical training begins during the second half of the first semester and the hours will be set by the clinical institution in which the student is working.   This may include days, evenings, nights and/or weekend shifts.   The student will attend clinical 8 hours a day for 10 weeks during the first semester.   The clinical experience increases to two days a week during the spring semester and to 3 days a week during the summer and during the last year (fall and spring) of the curriculum.  

Students are encouraged to take the academic support courses prior to entering the program.   The program is rigorous and completing the support courses enables the student to complete the program successfully while maintaining personal responsibilities such as work and family commitments.

The Radiological Technology student will employ cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills in acquisition of their degree.   They will be expected to perform as radiographic technologists who must lift and move patients as well as push, pull, lift, and carry heavy equipment.   Additionally, students will be required to stoop, bend, and stand for long periods of time and will be required to move quickly in emergency situations.   Interpersonal skills are an integral part of the profession and require that the student be able to function appropriately in highly stressful situations.

NCTC will require that a pregnant student withdraw during the term of her pregnancy.   She will be readmitted upon completion of her pregnancy when determined by her physician and depending on space available.   Students who must miss clinical experiences due to illness will be required to obtain a written release from their physician before returning to the clinical setting.   

A physical examination and proof of immunization must be submitted prior to beginning the program.   A physical examination will be provided that documents a medical history and physical examination.   Current record of immunizations will include:

•  Tuberculin skin test within the last six months.   (If positive, a chest x-ray is required within the last two years.)

•  Tetanus/Diphtheria current within 10 years.

•  Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) two doses of measles immunization is required either separately or in combination with MMR

•  Varicella disclaimer (no immunization necessary)

•  Hepatitis B Series  

•  Health situations which may prohibit the use of the Hepatitis B vaccine must be documented by a physician, and a waiver must be signed by the student.

Students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the Health Care Provider level as designated by the American Heart Association.   A copy of a current CPR card must be submitted to the student's instructor prior to attending clinical.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen

Students are required to undergo a criminal background check and drug screen prior to beginning clinical experiences.   The criminal background check is conducted once the student has been deemed eligible to enter the program but prior to admission.   Therefore, if a student does not pass the criminal background check, the student will not be admitted to the program and will not have incurred the expenses associated with enrollment.  

The criminal background check reviews a person's criminal history seven years previous to the date of program application.   The check will include all cities and counties of the person's residency during that time period.   The following histories will disqualify an individual from consideration for a clinical rotation.

• Felony conviction
• Misdemeanor convictions or felony deferred adjudications involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
• Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, etc.)
• Felony deferred adjudications for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances
• Registered sex offenders

The drug screen will be conducted after the student has been accepted to the program.   Results of these screenings will be reviewed and verified to determine that a student is eligible to attend clinical rotations.    The student is responsible for all charges incurred for these screenings and will pay this fee upon registration for the program.

The clinical agency reserves the right to remove a student from their facility for suspicion of substance use or abuse including alcohol.   The clinical agency reserves the right to request that a student submit to a repeat drug screening at the student's expense on the same day that the student is removed from the clinical facility.   Failure to comply will result in the student's immediate expulsion from the clinical facility.   Regardless of testing or testing results, a clinical agency reserves the right to expel a student form their facility.

Should a student who has been accepted to the program be prohibited from attending a clinical rotation experience due to drug screening, the student will be dismissed from the program.

The drug screen follows National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) guidelines and screens for 10 substances as designated in the Substance Abuse Panel 10 (SAP 10).   These substances are:

Amphetamines                   Cocaine Metabolites            Opiates

Barbiturates                       Marijuana Metabolites        Phencyclidine

Benzodiazepines                Methadone                         Propoxyphene

SAP 10 test results which fall outside of any of the acceptable ranges are considered positive test results and are automatically sent for a separate confirmatory test by a Gas Chromotography MSS Spectometry (GCMS) method.   If these results remain positive, the test results are sent to a Medical Review Officer (MRO) which will entail an additional cost of $25-$75 to the student.   The MRO will then contact the student to determine if there is a valid prescription for the drug in question.   If a valid prescription exists and is verified, the test result will be deemed to be negative and acceptable.                                          

Professional Conduct

Students are responsible for their own actions and must not engage in any activities considered non-professional or non-conducive to proper patient care.   Failure of a student to maintain a professional attitude may result in reduction of course grade, course failure, and possible expulsion from the program.   A clinical agency reserves the right to remove a student form the facility for any behavior that disrupts the clinical setting or endangers a patient or peer's well being.   If a student is removed from a clinical site for behavioral reasons, the student will be counseled by the program director and will receive discipline up to and including dismissal from the program.

Students are responsible for their own transportation arrangements to campus and to their assigned health care facilities for clinical experiences.