• High school graduate/GED/equivalent
• Minimum age eighteen years
• Completion of the application packet
• Payment of the nonrefundable application fee

• Minimum 2.0 on a 4 point scale for all college pre-requisite courses

• College Algebra
• English (ex: composition, grammar or technical writing)
• Medical Terminology
• General Physics I & II OR General Chemistry I & II (labs strongly recommended)
• Complete Human Anatomy & Physiology lab/s required
• Social / Behavorial Science Course ex: Psychology, Sociology

• Selection for candidate interview
• Completion of the candidate interview
• Invitation to enter the MRP
• Payment of nonrefundable tuition deposit
• Satisfactory completion of the RCRH "pre-work" health exams and screens:
• Back Screen
• TB Skin Test
• Rubella Titre
• General Physical Examination
• Drug Screen
• CPR certification as Professional Rescuer

FINAL COMPETENCIES

In order to meet in part the terminal requisite for graduation from the RCRH Medical Radiography Program, the student shall, within the reasonable time frame established, achieve the following minimum final competencies:

• Satisfactory completion of all required clinical and didactic courses with a minimum final grade of 80% for each.
• Satisfactory completion of all required clinical competencies with a minimum final grade of 80% for each.
• Satisfactory completion of the program attendance requirements.
• Satisfactory completion of the final evaluation process.
• Satisfactory completion of Program Objectives

COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY AFFILIATIONS

Graduates of the RCRH MRP are strongly urged to complete a baccalaureate degree so that they are better prepared to meet the current and future needs and trends of the profession.

Program graduates may be awarded college-level academic credit toward a degree from several local, state, and regional colleges and universities, including:

• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology - Rapid City, SD
    www.sdsmt.edu
• University of Mary - Bismarck, ND
    www.umary.edu
• Jamestown College - Jamestown, ND
    www.jc.edu
• University of Nebraska-Kearney - Kearney, NE
    www.unk.edu
• North Dakota State University - Fargo, ND
    www.ndsu.nodak.edu
• Minot State University - Minot, ND
    www.minotstateu.edu
• Mount Marty College - Yankton, SD
    www.mtmc.edu

Applicants from the Black Hills region of South Dakota often complete the majority of their college prep courses at SDSM&T, with which RCRH maintains a formal affiliation agreement. MRP graduates may be awarded up to 80-90 academic credit hours for completion of the MRP, toward the BS degree in Interdisciplinary Science.

TECHNICAL ADMISSION STANDARDS

Prospective students must be able to meet and maintain certain minimum technical abilities in order to effectively function in this highly demanding field. Applicants must:

Have sufficient strength, motor coordination, and manual dexterity to be able to:

• Lift, move and transport patients, up to 250lbs, (from bed to wheelchair/stretcher or from wheelchair/stretcher to radiographic table) without causing undue pain or discomfort to the patient.
• Push, pull, bend, kneel, and squat routinely; work standing on feet 80% of time.
• Position patients for various radiographic examinations without injury to the patient.
• Manipulate imaging equipment into proper positions, including fixed and mobile units, in order to align the equipment with respect to the patient and the image receptor according to established procedure and standards of speed and accuracy.
• Transport mobile equipment to assigned areas of the hospital in a timely and cautious manner.
• Carry heavy imaging accessories (25lbs) as required.

Be capable of:
• Responding instantly to emergency situations that may otherwise jeopardize a patient's physical state if speedy care is not administered.
• Clearly hearing a patient calling for assistance from a minimum of ten feet away.
• Evaluating written radiographic procedures requisitions.
• Communicating orally, the explanation of procedures, and giving effective instructions to patients.
• Obtaining medical histories of patients and effectively communicate this information to others, including the radiologist.

Have the mental and intellectual capacity to:

• Select proper technical exposure factors according to the individual needs of the patient and the requirements of the procedure's standard of speed and accuracy. Review and evaluate radiographic images in relation to proper exposure factors, sequence appropriateness, and proper positioning of anatomic parts.