The Amarillo College Radiation Therapy Program is fully accredited by the only radiation therapy program accreditation agency, JRCERT (www.jrcert.org).
JRCERT accreditation information (full 8 year accreditation, next accreditation Review, 01/01/2027)
The program was founded in 1982 by Alan Burns as a joint venture between the (Amarillo) Harrington Cancer Center and Amarillo College. The program is now available online nation-wide!
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns
Tony Tackitt, M.Ed,, RT(T) tmtackitt@actx.edu
Application Materials
Accreditation and other Professional Links
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for graduation from the radiation therapy program at Amarillo College, the student must fulfill each of the following requirements:
Complete ALL required courses contained in the curriculum (including all academic, lab, and clinical requriements) as listed in the college General Catalog found at:
http://catalog.actx.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=15&poid=3089&returnto=663.
The student should also consult the college General Catalog and the Students Rights and Responsibilities documents for more complete information about Amarillo College policies and procedures found at.
https://www.actx.edu/hr/pagesmith/68
THE STUDENT IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ABIDING BY THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THESE DOCUMENTS.
Earn a minimum grade of "C in any course contained in the curriculum. A grade of "D" does not count towards graduation in any course.
Have an over-all Amarillo College Grade Point Average (GPA) not less than a 2.00 ("C average). This GPA will include ALL courses ever taken at Amarillo College. Note: The program faculty have noticed, over the years, a strong correlation between students completing the curriculum on time (e.g. not having to repeat failed courses) and job placement rates. Additionally, a similar correlation appears to exist between passing the ARRT national Certification Exam and job placement rates. Students are HIGHLY encouraged to maintain good grades throughout the entire program curriculum
Discharge all financial obligations to Amarillo College. (note: according to the college catalog, a student may not repeat more than 2 classes in the major. Also, a student may not repeat a class more than once).
Make a formal application for graduation at the appropriate time.
Note: RADT and RADR classes cannot be repeated more than once, and no more than 3 classes can be failed in order to continue in the program.
Note: If a student applies for graduation and does not complete the program within that fiscal year (August), the graduation application becomes null-and-void and all graduation fees are forfeited. In such case, the student must re-apply at the next opportunity.
The student must have completed all required courses in the official Radiation Therapy program curriculum. In some cases, course substitutions are possible with permission of the Program Director, the Dean of Health Sciences, and the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Requests for course substitutions must be made in writing to the Program Director. A request for course substitution is not a guarantee that the substitution will be approved.
The majority of Radiation Therapy students complete all of their academic requirements and graduate at the end of the Spring semester following their Sophomore year in the program. If a student fails to complete the program requirements by the end of the last semester of the program, he or she will not be able to graduate until all requirements are met.
Upon satisfactory completion of the total curriculum, and after meeting all other graduation requirements, the graduate will receive the Associate in Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.). After the degree has been earned, the student is eligible to write for the national certification examination via ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists). Applicants into the Radiation Therapy Program should contact the ARRT in advance of applying to the Amarillo College Radiation Therapy program to determine if they meet ARRT eligibility requirements:
Note: Issuing of the Associate in Applied Science Degree in Radiation Therapy in of itself IS NOT contingent upon passing any type of external certification or licensure examination.
CLINICAL OBLIGATIONS (note: a full description of clinicals is given to and reviewed with accepted majors at the beginning of the program)
Clinicals (Practicums) can be thought of as similar to on the job training or apprenticeship that takes place at a local hospital/clinic.
Please note that, while our academics are 100% online, you still must perform clinicals several full days/week (2 - 3.5 full days/week, depending on the semester) at a local hospital or clinic (live, not online).
Important note: all students must have a permanent residence that is within 50 miles and 50 minutes travel time by car from the clinic!!!
Radiation therapy clinics are typically only open Mon-Fri 7:45-5:00, so your schedule must be able to allow you to undergo clinicals during regular business hours--typically Monday-Thursday mornings (but depending on clinical circumstances during the first two semesters, and Tues/Wed/Thurs all day during the last year of the program--plus an extra half day on Fridays during the summer semester. There are no weekend or evening shifts.
Clinicals extend throughout ALL semesters of the program (typically 5 semesters, with standard breaks between semesters, spring break, etc.).
If you are a distance student, the Program Director will give you more information relating to securing a clinical site during the application process. Note: securing a new clinical site is typically a time-consuming and frustrating process that is successful only about half of the time. Being close to an existing clinical site or being able/willing to relocate to an existing clinical site can make this process much easier.
Expected clinical days for each semester:
- Semester 1 (Fall 1st year: clinical start mid Sept. though orientations and classes start in late August):
- Clinicals are Mondays-Thursday mornings (some clinics will be Mondays/Fridays all day, but this is rare. Distance students should expect clinicals to be Monday-Thursday mornings)
- Semester 2 (spring first year): Clinicals Same as first semester
- Semester 3 (summer): Clinicals Tues/Wed/Thurs all day AND Friday mornings
- Semester 4 (Fall 2nd year): Clinicals Tues/Wed/Thurs all day
- Semester 5: Spring 2nd year): Clinicals Tues/Wed/Thurs all day
All students are expected to be able to travel to their appointed/accepted clinical sites on their own.
Upon acceptance into the program, the applicant will receive a formal Acceptance Letter from the Program Director, which will give details regarding acceptance procedures, which include demonstration of the following (in addition to the immunizations described for the application process):
1. CPR Certification
2. TB Test (if you have already done this, it must be done again if it had been completed earlier than June 1 of this year)
3. Background Check & Drug Screening (10 panel, though note: some clinics/states may require 12 panel drug screen testing)
4. Hepatitis-B verification (you have almost certainly already demonstrated this, but I need it once again
5. Note: You will also be required to take the flu shot each year when those formulations become available typically in the early to mid-Fall semester, but NOT now. You should also expect your clinical site to require that you be fully Covid vaccinated if you are accepted.
There are some other immunizations that are required as a part of the application process. These include: Tetanus (within the last 10 yrs), MMR, Hep-B, Varicella (must have proof of immunity through documented innoculation or titers results)
LIABILITY INSURANCE INFORMATION:
Students pay a once/semester fee (appr. $55/semester) for liability insurance. The college has contracted to provide a student blanket medical liability Occurrence policy that insures the Healthcare students, the faculty and the school for $1Million per incident and $5 Million aggregate. A sample copy of the insurance certificate can be found below: