What Courses Do You Take in Radiologic Technology?

Great Careers Start Here

Campus*
Program*
First Name*
Last Name*
Phone*
Email*
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Zip Code*
Military Status*
High School Status*
Email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

All information submitted to Charter College is subject to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking 'Learn More About Charter College', I authorize Charter College to call (on a recorded line), text, or email me at email and telephone number provided above with additional school information, and that such communications may be initiated using an automatic telephone dialing system. Reply STOP to end texts. I understand that I am not required to provide this consent to be eligible to enroll or otherwise purchase services. Messaging and data rates may apply.

A radiologic technology program prepares you to perform diagnostic imaging procedures like X-rays and CT scans. The courses you take introduce you to the human body, medical terminology, radiography, and healthcare practices. You also take a prep course for your AART certification exam so you’re ready to attain the credentials you need to become a Radiologic Technician. Deciding if this is the medical career path for you? Check out the courses you take in a radiologic technology program:

Anatomy and Physiology for Radiologic Technology

Basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology is critical to understanding what you need to image and where it lies in the human body. It helps you accurately identify the correct body parts, recognize normal versus abnormal structures, and ensure high-quality diagnostic results. For example, if you need to obtain a scan of the kidneys, you need to know exactly where they are located in the body and how your patient should lay or stand to achieve an accurate image of those organs. Without a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology, producing clear, clinically useful images—and ensuring patient safety—would be nearly impossible.

Medical Terminology in Radiography

To be a Rad Tech, you need to speak the same language as the medical professionals you work with. A course in medical terminology provides you with the proper vocabulary to use with doctors and nurses to communicate about patient symptoms, illnesses, treatments, and body parts. Learning this language helps you to speak correctly with other medical professionals and also helps you translate important information to patients and their families.

Radiography and Patient Care

Learning about radiography and patient care is important to understand how to properly use radiation on patients to safely produce the best images possible. In this course, you learn how to safely administer exams, prevent infection and cross contamination, and avoid overexposure to radiation in the exam room. You also learn how to act and care for a patient during a medical emergency and how to treat patients with respect, compassion, and confidentiality.

Radiographic Biology and Radiation Protection

Since your primary tool for imaging is radiation, it’s important to understand its benefits, but also its potential effects on the human body and how you can minimize them. You learn how to properly shield your patient and yourself from radiation exposure through proper positioning and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as goggles or lead-lined medical gowns. You also learn how to measure your radiation exposure over time through wearable devices, to ensure that your day-to-day contact with it remains in the normal range.

Radiographic Procedures and Positioning

At the core of your Radiologic Technology program is learning the actual process of taking a medical image. You learn to use X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to produce accurate images that doctors can use to diagnose and treat their patients. You also learn how to manipulate the machinery to produce the right images and maintain the equipment for optimal performance.

Radiographic Imaging and Exposure

Taking a radiographic image is something like taking a picture with a camera. You want the image to be focused, clear, and with the right subject in view. Your imaging and exposure course will teach you to examine images for accuracy and to distinguish between abnormalities in the body and defects in the image. When an image is poor quality, you need to retake it, so learning to capture images the right way is a key skill to hone during your program.

Radiographic Pathology

You may be familiar with certain diseases, including the health issues they cause and what they are termed in the medical world. But do you know what they look like? This course will teach you to identify various pathogens in medical images – not to diagnose patients – but to confer with doctors on what may be shown and to decide if further images are needed.

Labs Courses in Radiography

Lab-based courses provide a chance for you to practice the lessons you’ve been taught in the classroom. The labs are set up like a medical facility and are equipped with up-to-date technology and instrumentation that you can use to produce quality images. During labs, you learn to take proper X-rays, position patients to get an accurate image of different parts of the body, and how to maintain the equipment. The practice you get in the lab is invaluable for your clinicals and your eventual job.

Clinical Rotations for Radiographic Technicians

One of the most important courses you take doesn’t happen in the classroom or the lab. Instead, it’s when you get to step into the real world and work with actual patients during your radiographic clinicals. Considered the application phase of your learning outcomes, this is when you get to practice the skills of your new career under the supervision of professionals from the industry.

Do these radiologic technology course sound interesting to you? Charter College offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Radiologic Technology that can prepare you for an entry-level job as a Rad Tech. The program is delivered in a blended learning format, which mixes classroom, labs, online learning, and clinical rotations for instruction that is both comprehensive and convenient. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.

888.200.9942