Curriculum and Academic Calendar

Curriculum
The 14-month clinical-based internship curriculum provides students with clinical education that includes instruction and experience in a variety of radiation therapy procedures, examinations and equipment operation. Didactic courses are divided into four semesters with the initial semester being accelerated. After the initial semester, students are expected to start clinical competencies and case studies.
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Academic Calendar 2020-2021
 
Summer Semester (July 6 – August 28, 2020)
Medical Terminology
Patient Care
Medical Imaging
Introduction to Radiologic Technology
Introduction to Radiation Therapy
Introduction to Clinical Education

Fall Semester (August 31 – December 24, 2020) 
Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy I
Technical Radiation Therapy I
Radiation Therapy Physics I (fall/spring course)
Radiation Safety (fall/spring course)
Pathology (fall/spring course)
Clinical Practicum I

Spring Semester (January 4 – April 23, 2021)
Principles and Practice II
Technical Radiation Therapy II
Radiation Therapy Physics II (spring/summer course)
Radiation Safety (fall/spring course)
Pathology (fall/spring course)
Radiation Biology (spring/summer course)
Quality Management
Clinical Practicum II

Summer Semester (April 26 – August 19, 2021)
Principles and Practice III
Radiation Biology (spring/summer course)
Radiation Therapy Physics II (spring/summer course)
Operational Issues in the Healthcare Environment
Introduction to Computed Tomography
Registry Review Seminar
Clinical Practicum III

Note: Final course sequence is subject to change.

Program Grading Scale Didactic Grading Scale

• A+ = 100 – 98%
• A = 97.9 - 93%
• A- = 92.9 - 92%
• B+ = 91.9 - 90%
• B = 89.9 – 87%
• B- = 86.9 - 86%
• C+ = 85.9 - 85%
• C = 84.9 – 78%
• C- = 77.9 - 75%
• D+ = 74.9 - 71%
• D = 70.9 - 67%
• D- = 66.9 - 63%
• F = below 63%

Clinical Grading Scale

• A = 100 – 95%
• B = 94 – 87%
• C = 86 – 80%
• D = 79 – 71%
• F = below 70%

Academic Standing
To be considered in good standing in the School of Radiation Therapy Program, students must maintain a cumulative course grade average of at least a C/2.0 in all didactic and clinical courses.

Students will be dismissed from the Radiation Therapy Program for failure to maintain a final course grade of a C/2.0 or better in didactic and clinical course work.
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Program Hours
Regular program hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm although students may need to arrive early or leave later on certain occasions.

Students will be off six regular holidays per year. Those are:

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas

There will be a one-week holiday break from the end of December through early January each year.

Students also have a total of 80 hours of personal time off. The program begins early July and ends late August of the following year.

Clinical Rotations
Students will rotate through Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Rush University Medical Center with an optional rotation through Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.