Radiology Forums

MARC · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 5

Which medical radiography program in the U.S. has the shortest wait time??

I’m ready and willing to move absolutely anywhere in the country in order to start school by next August of 2007. My question to you all is; which school in the entire Country has the shortest wait time?

For your info, I’m in Arizona, and have been on a local community college’s wait list for over 1 year and have just been notified that I have at least 3 more years to waste before I can start the program.

I’ve just sent out a 30-person email to 30 different heads of radiography at 30 different schools around the Country hoping to get sense of what I’m dealing with, and possibly move there if they have a relatively short wait.

Again, my question to you all is; which school in the entire Country has the shortest wait time?

(Do I even need to mention the school must be fully accredited?)

Thanks!

iraydee8 · Power User Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 64 Location: AZ

Im sorry to hear about your wait to get into the AZ school. I can personally attest how difficult this is, since I was just informed that my daughter is number 187 on the wait list to get into GWCC radiology program. She has already waited 2 years. And it looks l ike another 1-2 years befor she will get in.

Sorry, I don't know of any other schools. DID you look at the ASRT and ARRT websites?

They too might have information. Another forum group to post this ? is www.auntminnie.com

Good luck in yor endevors
_________________
iraydee8

MARC · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 5

Sorry to hear about your daughter. I’m actually on GWCC wait list as well. I’m feeling like I’m about 2 seconds from calling all the local TV news investigators and dropping this story. Even to this day with (I just checked) 440 students currently on the wait list an advisor is suggesting (I just called) that there is a “minimum two year wait.” In my eyes, that means hopefully two years, possibly 3 years. By math, the wait for those students is actually 5-6 years, and so they need to be saying a minimum 5-year wait.

So what is your daughter going to do? Does she have an alternative plan? I have received about 10 emails out of the 30 I sent (to all the heads of radiography, at 30 different community colleges), and so far, I’m seeing that a majority of these schools don’t have wait list but rather competition based on GPA’s, etc. That’s great, but each school has slightly different prerequisites, so time wise, it’s not very feasible. Any comments, questions, concerns or ideas?

I’m also to the point where I want to get an organization started for students who are in similar predicaments as our own. We need to get organized, and from there I think we might be able to change some things.

I shot this email off to Gateway’s own department head:

To Whom It May Concern:

Upon my decision to participate in the Medical Radiography program offered by Gateway Community College, I have eagerly completed all the prerequisites, co-requisites, 2 associate level degrees, have gone on to NAU and I am now just 12 credits shy of completing what they suggest completing for the DMIT program. The entire time I have been doing this, my family and I have been planning our lives around this school.

I’m telling you all of this because in October of 2005, when I submitted my application to participate in the Medical Radiography program, I was repeatedly told by several Gateway advisors that I should expect a 2 year wait. On October 6, 2006, I suddenly received a notice approximating a very different, and much longer time line.

I have to admit that with this new development I’m left with the feeling that either the record keeping concerning the admissions queue are false, or I was intentionally misguided. Factually, I do know I’m only one of huge list students that have the same concern.

Being a service connected disabled veteran, I am under the obligations of completing my education within certain deadlines.

I would like to make an appointment with somebody responsible for the program, and that can give me direct answer of when I will be accepted into this program, so that I may plan accordingly. To set up an appointment please feel free to contact me at ***

Respectfully,

Marc McQuade

I’m still waiting to hear from everyone else out there! Does anyone have any suggestions??? Someone needs to write a book Getting into Medical Radiography for Dummies and address all these concerns, and do all the research…………I would buy it.

hjhogle · Moderator Joined: 23 May 2006 Posts: 608 Location: CT

Unfortunately, I don't think your'e alone in all this.

Trouble is ... what is it, exactly, you think that someone should do?

If the programs can only hold "X" numbers of participants, and there are 25 people applying for each spot .. you think they should let you in anyway?

They are only allowed to increase class sizes based on program guidelines, some of which are goverened by JCERT, not by the programs themselves. If everyone in AZ has decided to attend Gateway's program, then you're going to have to wait.

Schooling for other healthcare disciplines also have wait lists. It seems to depend on the profession and depend on the area of the country you're in. You could do like potential medical students do - apply all over the place, and go where there is room.

MARC · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 5

I completely understand I’m not alone. The 450 other students waiting to get into Gateway Community College’s program, (the one that only accepts 56 students per year), testifies I’m not alone.

(By the way in Az there are only 2 community colleges, and 2 $20K a year private schools that allow students to get certified) I’ll pay in a hear beat, but even these private schools have long waits.

The problem isn’t ... “what is it, exactly, you think that someone should do?” The problem is, I was told that my school had about a 2-year wait. Then one year later, I was told oh-no your actually student number 284 and we accept 56 student per year. On average it takes 100 students to meet that 56-student requirement, but this year it only took 80 students. At that rate my 2-year wait has now turned into a 4 to 5 year wait.

I know what we should do. We should make complaints to the school board, Dean, media and anyone else willing to listen. The fact that hundreds of families are being affected by the inaccurate estimations needs to be stopped. I guarantee you that if that 450th student knew he or she was looking at a 5-6 year wait (after completing the pre-requisites), than they would have never applied. Do the math.

I realize the fact that it’s the number of students per clinical setting that determines the number of students admitted into the program, as well as other factors, including sickness, deferment etc. also may change the wait times.

“Schooling for other healthcare disciplines also have wait lists. It seems to depend on the profession and depend on the area of the country you're in. You could do like potential medical students do - apply all over the place, and go where there is room.”

I’ve recently inquired into this, but have found out that nearly every school has different prerequisites. It would be illogical to complete pre-reqs for all these different schools and hope I get accepted. By that time my wait for my own local school would be up.

Thank you for the advice, at this point every thought helps.

Unless of course there is some small community college out there (ANY WHERE?) that offers this same program that would allow me to walk into the fall semester without a wait. If there was, my family and I would move there …. Now. Than my dilemma would be solved.

So far I estimate that there are about 150 community colleges that offer this program. The way they work is either acceptance determined by GPA or a wait list. Even though I have about a 3.8 GPA, I’m thinking that finding a school that does it by first come first serve, would be my best option.

To me, there has to be at least one school that doesn’t have a wait. Where is that school??????

THANKS!