For applicants who meet the criteria listed below, the School of Radiation Therapy accepts applications from practicing licensed radiation therapists seeking American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification eligibility. The maximum number of qualified students accepted into this accelerated advanced placement program is two per year.
Criteria for Advanced Placement admission:
- Must be a New York State-licensed radiation therapist. Internationally licensed radiation therapists are welcome to apply, provided they are also licensed in New York State.
- Must have graduated from an accredited radiation therapy program within the past 10 years with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or better
- Must have practiced in the field for at least the past three consecutive years
- Must be at least 18 years of age and a US legal resident or citizen
- Must be proficient in English. International applicants for whom English is their second language must take the TOEFL iBT exam (www.ets.org/toefl/) and attain a minimum overall score of 80
All applicants must submit the following: the online application, an application fee of $50 (US$), payable to MSKCC School of Radiation Therapy, and official school transcripts and transcripts of radiation therapy credentialing program.
Upon receipt of all required application materials, applicants will be scheduled for a 2.5 hour pre-assessment examination consisting of 200 multiple-choice questions. The pre-assessment exam consists of the five content categories found on the ARRT exam: Radiation Protection and Quality Assurance; Clinical Concepts in Radiation Oncology; Treatment Planning; Treatment Delivery; Patient Care and Education.
An interview with the Admission Committee will follow at a later date. Completed application materials, personal statement, interview results, and pre-assessment examination results will be reviewed and evaluated by the program director and the radiation oncology administrator before a decision on admission is made.
Program Details
Applicants accepted into the accelerated six-month advanced program will be required to complete all ARRT and MSKCC School of Radiation Therapy clinical competencies and clinical rotations (i.e. block shop, nursing rotation, brachytherapy rotation, treatment planning rotation). Based on a review of academic credentials and required pre-assessment examination, students may have to enroll in a number of didactic courses and abide by course requirements. Additional testing may be conducted to assess academic requirements. Students may also be required to audit other courses.
In the event that a new student is required to begin the program with Spring semester classes, admission will be deferred to the Spring semester which starts in February.
In addition, all advanced placement students will be required to pass (75 percent or higher) a comprehensive three-hour exam (200 multiple-choice questions) to receive the MSKCC School of Radiation Therapy program completion certification.
Advanced Placement Program: Clinical Instruction
Clinical instruction will be tailored to the individual needs of the student. Based on the review of the application material, clinical experience of applicant, and re-assessment examination results, the enrolled advanced placement student will be required to attend a minimum of three days of clinical instruction per week with a maximum of five days of clinical instruction per week for the duration of the training period.
Tuition
Tuition for Advanced Placement program is $1500. Upon acceptance into the program, students will submit a non-refundable acceptance fee of $500. The balance of $1,000 will be paid as follows:
- September 1: $500
- December 1: $500
Note: Completion of the advanced placement six-month program does not guarantee ARRT certification. By successfully completing the program, students are eligible to apply for ARRT certification. Applicants are advised to review the ARRT certification requirements by contacting the ARRT directly or logging on to www.arrt.org.
