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Release Date: 
Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Radiographer Program Receives Technology Upgrade

The HFC Radiography (RAD) program will receive a technology upgrade for its Imaging Lab just in time for the Winter 2015 semester, which begins Jan. 12.

Funded through the College’s Perkins Grant, the RAD program will install upgraded technology – a digital flat panel detector – in its Imaging Lab. This device captures the x-ray image, converts it to a digital signal and sends it immediately to a computer monitor. Ionizing radiation creates images of tissues, organs, bones and vessels that comprise the human body.

Established in 1997, the RAD program spans 22 months with students learning in both classroom and clinical settings concurrently. HFC RAD Program graduates are instructors both in the classroom and at the clinical sites.

“The beauty of our field is the opportunity for graduates once working in the industry to cross-train in other imaging modalities, such as CT, MRI and mammography. Picture archiving communications system (PACS) administration is another area of specialization, which involves medical imaging informatics. There are many different career paths our graduates can take,” said Sharon Wu, HFC RAD program director.

The five-year graduation rate of students in the HFC RAD program is 87 percent. In the past five years, there has been a 97 percent pass rate on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) national certification examination at the first attempt and 100 percent with second attempts.

According to Wu, employers in southeast Michigan value and hire graduates of the HFC RAD program. The odds are very high that if you have an imaging procedure done in the Metro Detroit area, an HFC RAD graduate will be performing it.

“The two-year RAD program at HFC is a well-rounded program that prepares students to obtain X-ray jobs immediately after graduation and set the basic foundation for further schooling in other areas of the imaging field. Through the diverse clinical rotation that was offered in the program, it allowed myself and other students to make connections with many potential employers and – more importantly – the hands-on experience that cannot be taught in a traditional classroom. Thanks to this program, I was offered a job by my last clinical site just before graduation,” said Pinar Ozbek, a 2006 HFC RAD program alumnus, who is an advance clinical sales specialist for General Electric Healthcare.

“When I started my journey at HFC, I did not know what doors would open for me in my future. All I could think of was how I would finish my degree. But because of the solid structure and strong curriculum of the Radiographer program, not only was I hired right away as a radiographer but I was also able to take my career to the highest level I could. Because of my solid foundation that I have received at HFC, I am one of the best in my current role. Without an education at HFC, I would not be where I am today,” said Wendy Chang, a 2013 HFC RAD program alumna, who is a registered radiologic technologist for Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in Detroit.

For further information about the HFC RAD Program, please visit www.hfcc.edu and click on “Programs and Courses.” You may also contact Wu at 313-317-6595 or via email at swu@hfcc.edu.