Radiography 6650, A.S.

A Two-Year Restricted Admission Program Leading to a Certificate from Good Samaritan Hospital and an A.S. Degree from Vincennes University

Good Samaritan Hospital offers individuals who are interested in a career in Radiography the opportunity to do so through their Radiography program, which is a 24-month hospital based program founded in 1956. The Program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850, Chicago, Illinois 60606-2901, 312-704-5300, email: mail@jrcert.org.

The Program prepares the individual to assume responsibilities and duties of a Radiographer with ability and confidence. The Program integrates academic, technical and human relation aspects of an individual’s education to enable them to do significant work in the profession.

Upon completion of the Program, the individual will be eligible to take the national registry examination and utilize their practical and technical skills as a professional Radiologic Technologist. By passing the American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT) examination, the individual is entitled to use the designation of Registered Technologist in Radiography signified by the initials R.T.® behind their name.  Graduates, passing the national registry examination, are also required, in most states, to apply and receive their state operator license before being able to work without supervision.

All program didactic courses are taught at Good Samaritan Hospital with the students routinely rotating through five clinical sites during the 2-year program. This enables the  student to broaden their experience and skills to other facilities. The five clinical sites utilized by the program include Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana, Gibson General Hospital in Princeton, Indiana, Daviess Community Hospital in Washington, Indiana, Lawrence County Memorial Hospital in Lawrenceville, Illinois, and Sullivan County Community Hospital in Sullivan, Indiana.

Admission Procedure

Admission to the Program will be determined by the Good Samaritan Hospital Radiography Program Selection Committee. Applications for the Radiography Program can be obtained by calling the Program office at 812-885-8011 or by email at radeduc@gshvin.org. Application Deadline is January 1st with a start date the second week of June.

Admission to Vincennes University will be through application to the University through the Admissions Office. Students who choose to take courses at Vincennes University leading to the optional A.S. Degree are required to take Vincennes University’s Accuplacer CPTS Math and English Placement Test.

Academic Standards for Admission

In striving to meet the needs of the health care community and in striving to provide a quality educational experience for all students in the Good Samaritan Hospital Radiography Program, the following Academic Standards for Admission have been established.

High School Requirement

High School graduate or successful completion of a General Education Development (GED) program.

Aptitude Exam Requirement

Score an overall average above the twenty-fifth percentile on the academic portions of the Psychological Services Bureau Health Occupations Aptitude Examination (Administered by the GSH Radiography Program).

Pre-Admission Requirements

Before the start of the Program all applicants must have completed the following college courses and passed each course with a C or better:

1. BIOL 111 - Anatomy and Physiology I , 2 credit hours
2. BIOL 111L - Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory I , 1 credit hour
3. BIOL 112 - Anatomy and Physiology II , 2 credit hours
4. BIOL 112L - Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory II , 1 credit hour
5. ENGL 101 - English Composition I , 3 credit hours
6. HIMT 110 - Medical Terminology for Allied Health , 3 credit hours
7. Qualify for placement in MATH 102  or higher as determined by Vincennes University Placement Test (Accuplacer).
8. SPCH 143  or SPCH 148 - Interpersonal Communication , 3 credit hours

Completion of the high school requirements, college prerequisites and/or optional A.S. degree required courses does not guarantee a position in the upcoming class. Each individual must complete a new application packet and go through the entire application process each year.

If you are pursuing the A.S. degree and are taking the prerequisites and/or the additional required A.S. degree courses at another college or university, contact the Chair of the Radiography Program at VU to verify that the courses will transfer into VU for the A.S. degree.

These standards are established as minimum standards. Due to the limited size of the class, candidate selection will be based on a combination of various areas such as: academics, entrance examination, career and life experiences, ability to meet the characteristics required of a radiographer (listed below) and a personal interview with the selection committee.

Characteristics Required of a Radiographer:

Radiography involves the provision of direct care for individuals and is characterized by the application of verified knowledge in the skillful performance of technical radiography functions.

Therefore, an individual must possess the following characteristics:

1. Sufficient strength, motor coordination and manual dexterity to:
   1. Transport, move, lift, or transfer patients from a wheelchair or stretcher to a radiographic table or patient bed.
   2. Move, adjust and manipulate a variety of radiographic equipment, including mobile radiographic units, in order to arrange and align the equipment with respect to the patient and the image receptor in accordance with established procedures and standards of speed and accuracy.
   3. Physically place patients in proper positions for the examination in accordance with established procedures and standards of speed and accuracy.
2. Have communication abilities which allow him/her to:
   1. Explain to and direct patients as necessary during an examination.
   2. Work as a team member with other health care professionals.
3. Be capable of:
   1. Handling stressful situations related to technical and procedural standards and patient care situations.
   2. Providing physical and emotional support to the patient during radiographic procedures.
   3. Responding to situations requiring first aid and providing emergency care to the patient in the absence of or until the physician or code team arrives.
4. Have the mental and intellectual capacity to:
   1. Calculate and select proper technical factors according to the individual needs of the patient and the established procedures and standards of speed and accuracy.
   2. Review and evaluate the recorded images on the radiograph to assess proper patient position, accuracy of procedural sequence, proper radiographic exposure and other appropriate and pertinent technical qualities.
   3. Recognize signs and sounds of patient distress and react according to the accepted patient care procedures.
   4. Utilize appropriate radiation protection standards and techniques for all ionizing radiation examination.