On the positive side, the teachers and clinical director are excellent. They have a great deal of experience to draw upon, and remarkable focus on the important information. Superfluous classes are cropped down, and neccessary information is stressed and repeated. As with Nursing, this is challenging material set at an accelerated pace. The program takes 21 months to complete, vs 3 1/2 years at the community college level. Working with Pima Grads at my hospital, I can see firsthand that quality RT's are produced here.
However, the challenges are considerable. Pima is 1 of 5 programs in the state, but creates triple its market share of RT's, and has corresponding disproportionate need for clinical sites and jobs. The natural alliance of community college programs has alienated many potential employers and clinical hours. This is compounded by the egotistical and megalomaniacle behavior of our director. Through arrogance, deceit and childish unprofessionalism he has created a stigma for our program and shut a great many doors. In a small professional community, this has far reaching consequences for the students. We are put in a position where we must succeed IN SPITE of his leadership.
It follows that we must go far and wide to find programs that will offer us clinical hours, and this adds to the graduate degree-level of the programs cost. 20 weeks of room and board at the corners of the state adds a hefty price tag to the 35k tuition.
Buyer beware.
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