Medical Imaging Certificate vs. Radiation Therapy Certificat

sarrjr · Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Posts: 1

Hi,

I am a 41yo career changer and I am trying to piece together what education I need in order to become a radiation therapist.

Here in Boston, we have a post-graduate certificate program at MGH for Medical Imaging and a post-grad certificate program at Suffolk University (affiliated w/ MGH) for Radiation Therapy. Both are accredited by JRCERT. I think what is confusing me is that while the Suffolk program is specific to Radiation Therapy, it appears that graduates for both programs sit for the same ARRT certification and licensure (radiologic technologist). Am I undertsanding this correctly, whereby either program will allow me to enter radiation therapy post-graduation? Also, anyone have any knowledge or experience in either of the programs that I have mentioned? Finally, if the MGH program is sufficient to allow me to become a radiation therapist, would it be a bigger bang for my buck in the long run to have the Medical Imaging Certification, allowing for other employment options down the road?

Thank you for any thoughts or feedback!!

hjhogle · Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:00 pm Post subject:

Although the ARRT does certify technologists from both disciplines, they are two distinctly different fields and graduates of these two programs do not sit for the same exam.

MGH's program makes one eligible to sit for the ARRT Radiologic Technologist (RT) exam. Suffolk's program makes one eligible to sit for the ARRT Radiation Therapist (RTT) exam.

Good luck
hjh, RT