The Steps for Becoming a Radiation Therapist 

Thank you! & ME TOO!

You won’t necessarily have to start over completely, some of your health science courses will be useful. Radiation Therapy is a program though, so you’ll have to complete the courses inside the program.

nope. my career-lifetime exposure is 0. weeks have a lot of safety protocols in place, a lot of shielding and we are not in the room when the radiation beam is on. i’m making a video on this too!

Statistically, we are the lowest exposed profession.

There are jobs available in the US for radiation therapists, but it will require you to have your ARRT Board Certification to work in the US.

Hey! Did you ever find out the answer to this?? I have the same question !

The program just needs to be ARRT eligible. As long as that program allows you to transfer the credits from your other college/university you should be fine! Not sure what you mean by “instantly” though. If you do your prerequisites (1-2 years), then apply/transfer to a college with the program, complete the program (1-2 years) and then you would be eligible.

a.s* not aa sorry!

Yes, it is possible to get an Associates degree completed in Radiation Therapy completed in two years. But not every program has the same requirements, so some programs may take 4 years to complete.

You could start on that path, you would still have to complete a radiation therapy program after. Once you graduate from the radiation therapy program and pass your ARRT board exam, you will have to acquire a state license for Texas. It sounds daunting, but the program's faculty would be able to guide you on the next steps along the way!

I'm a big Wayne State fan! You can find the list of all the programs in each state at www.jrcert.org/find-a-program/

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. But yes, you have to complete a Radiation Therapy program to be an RTT. There are certifications, associates and bachelors degree programs.

Im guessing your asking will your radiation science degree be enough to get you into a radiation therapy program you will need to call various programs to see but you will need to make sure you meet all the prerequisites for the program but you have the right idea all though i heard most people get a degree in radiologic technology then apply but your degree seems along that line so it might do

It would depend on hospital policy and protocol. It was required in many during the pandemic, I am not sure how strict it is now.

No, Radiation Therapists are not exposed to radiation. There is always a chance though, so we take precautions to prevent and measure any exposure.

same questions here!

@@Blissbb ok i spoke with a radiation therapist recently so what u need to do is start off at university and do your prerequisites for a radiologic technology program which is almost necessary to be a competitive applicant for a radiation therapy program bc radiation therapy is essentially similar to rad tech (radiologic technology) which is basically x ray school so you would do your science based prerequisites which probably would either take a year or two not sure exactly how long on prerequisites then when your finishing out your prerequisites start applying to rad tech programs and once your in i believe most programs are two years so basically an associates in rad tech. When you’re finishing your second year or maybe going into it start applying for radiation therapy programs as these programs are extremely competitive and you more than likely only are getting in with some sort of great knowledge in x ray which u learn from your rad tech program. Be prepared for lots of science and physics for your pre reqs and once your in the rad tech program and u must grind really hard as the rad tech programs are super hard to get into as well and I believe you will have to choose one close bc transportation is all on you and u will have to do clinical rotations shadowing other rad techs and u will have to drive to these clinics yourself. So be prepared to grind to get into a rad tech program and to finish it strong so u have a chance of getting into the radiation therapy program. And once you get accepted into the radiation therapy program u finish it and get licensed i believe. So work very hard even starting with your science pre reqs for the rad tech stuff. Sorry for long message ik we were both still confused and i finally figured lots of it out. If you have any other questions reply but remember im not a rad therapists just sharing knowledge i learned from one

You need to first attend x-ray school and graduate as a Radiologic Technologist. Then you qualify to apply to a Radiation Therapy school.

it depends on the program. i did NOT go through a radiology program, the program at Wayne State is directly into Radiation Therapy.

@silvermist9644 that’s not the case for all Radiation Therapy programs, but yes, some will have that requirement.

Keep in mind that an associate's degree program is usually shorter and faster compared to a bachelor's program. A bachelor's program allows for more in-depth coverage of the subject, while shorter programs focus on equipping you with the essentials for an entry-level position. If you compare the courses listed you'll see things like a bachelors program offers separate courses on Radiology, Pathology, Pathophysiology, Topographical Anatomy and Medical Imaging, and Therapeutic Interactions in Oncology; but when you look an associate program you see them combined or not listed. Not that you won't learn about each topic, it will just be condensed and featured as a smaller portion of a related course. Also, with a bachelors program you will get more hours of clinical experience!

​@rachthertt can you do this online? Or do you have to be in person to do the classes and stuff i dont know if i can do this im pretty air brainded

@@KingFroglet I'm making this the next video! Yes, there are online programs, but there are in-person requirements.

@@rachthertt could it be dual like you do it online and the rest of the classes are at a local college or is that not possible

@@KingFroglet my understanding is that the coursework can be online, but the hands-on clinical training will be done in person.

I'm not familiar with there currently being a Master's degree available in Radiation Therapy. Your Masters would more likely be in something additional like Health Care Administration or Education. That said an Associates degree is typically 2 years, Bachelors degree is 4, and a Masters degree would be an additional 1-2 years. There are different roles as an RTT that would require more education and when more education is required the salary does increase. Most staff therapists will have an associates or bachelors degree; those salaries will vary more on experience than education. Working in education, like in a radiation therapy program, that requires a bachelor's degree and program directors often will have their Masters degree.

Wondering this as well!

they’re pretty competitive, you can usually see how many applicants there were and how many were accepted on the school’s website (you may have to do some digging) in most cases, Radiation Therapy programs are going to have smaller class sizes than the Radiology programs. the Radiation Therapy programs that don’t require a background in Radiology will be the most competitive.

​@@rachthertt I'm still trying to dig for applicant numbers of my local program online. All I see is a Facebook post about 15 people signing up to learn more on a discovery day. Any advice on how you've seen applicant numbers for programs before? Said school just states "selective admissions".

Yes, so here's an example of what I've seen. On this site you'll scroll down and see the program effectivness data and it will tell you how many students took the exam/passed the exam and how many had jobs. It's an idea of how many students they had. Of course they may have lost a few students along the way, but I'd say it's a pretty good way to find information. I also was told by my counselor when I was applying how many students applied to that program, how many were given interviews and approximately how many they would accept. I don't know how to find that data other than through the school admissions/counseling offices. cphs.wayne.edu/radiation-therapy/accreditation.php#data

I see people say that it will make you look better, but other than that there’s really no difference

Not one that has been consistent enough to note! Most facilities will base pay more on the experience and skills that the RTT has!

Did you try to reach out to Gurnick and see if they are able to help you find a site to shadow at for your observation, they will often have an RTT at their affiliated sites that can help facilitate that. Yes, City of Hope requires you to have a degree in Radiology and then you can continue your education to become a Radiation Therapist. Unfortunately, yes, California is a tough one. I do recommend reaching back out to Gurnick again though. I've worked with the instructors and the students and it's a really great group!

depends on the program, most have a minimum of 2.5 overall but will usually have a 2.7 or higher for science courses!

Yes, you’ll still complete a Radiation Therapy program. So I have my Associates in Applied Science and Bachelors of Radiation Therapy.

@@rachtherttok so you start off college getting a degree that transitions into rad tech then apply for a radiation therapy program then get whichever degree is required from that radiation therapy program?

You’ll definitely have math prerequisite courses. Maybe not required for an Associates program, but most likely required for a Bachelor’s program. I suggest checking the prerequisite courses on the college you’d be interested in attending! They usually will have the required courses listed on the website.

It's really going to vary throughout the country. You're best searching "Salary for Radiation Therapist in _" and checking out different resources like GlassDoor, ZipRecruiter and the BLS. Then you'll usually find ranges; 0-2 years of experience will be on the lower range, 3-9ish will probably be somewhere in the middle and 10+ will be higher. It's more common for the experience and skills an RTT has to influence their salary more than if they have an associates or bachelors degree.

@@rachthertt Well 💩 honey you're not very helpful 😹😹😹

@@bobbyknight3589it depends on the state and you degree? What do you want her to do.. make a long ass video about what each state requires

@@braincells9226 Idk do I 🙄

They do background checks but I’d look more into it. Call & ask a program director at a school you’re NOT interested in.

It depends! To take the board exam you’ll need to pass the ethics screening. It will depend on the felony and how long it has been. You can find more information here: www.arrt.org/pages/earn-arrt-credentials/initial-requirements/ethics/ethics-requirements (and they do have a phone number!)

Im confused too i think thats how its done bc i called a program who said they only accept people who are already studying radiation based academics or have graduated with a degree which ig is rad tech and i even spoke to a radiation therapist in person at a cancer center open house she told me to get a degree in radiologic technologies so ig thats a degree to get you certified for a radiation therapy program where u would go to get a separate degree in radiation therapy so ig u would technically have 2 degrees i think dont quote me this is a very niche field not the most information out there but Ive talked to multiple professionals it seems u cant just go right into the radiation therapy program u need to gain a degree along the lines of dealing with x rays or radiologic technologies degree to get accepted in a program ig

@@Derekdach344 Damn so its not 2 years? more like 3? Thats tough lol

Yeah so basically you have to do your prerequisites for a radiologic technology program then get accepted into that then once your finishing that apply to radiation therapy programs so its not straight forward at all u kinda gotta pursue a whole other career first to get to radiation therapy so be ok with learning about x rays first i mean radiation therapy does the same thing

@@Derekdach344 thank you I signed up for my local technical college and it's 2 years program and once I graduate and I pass state ARRT REGISTRY I'll then go to school again to add a modality to my degree 🤷 the pay is worth it

Depending on the program. If the program requires you to have that degree as a Radiologic Technologist then yes. If the program does not require you to have that degree, you would need to complete the prerequisite courses and then you can apply to the Radiation Therapy program. It will just depend on the program you choose.

degree in radiation therapy

Associates or Bachelors in Radiation Therapy (or a Radiation Therapy certificate after completing a Radiology program) and with one of those you will be eligible to take the exam to get your ARRT Board Certification.

@@rachthertt oh ok thanks for the info