Admissions

Prerequisites
To apply to the Radiography Program, prospective students must have a high school diploma (or the equivalent) or be a high school senior who expects to graduate by the time the program begins in August.

You must have academic skills that will allow you to enroll in College Algebra 1115 and English Composition 1117. This often requires testing, through an academic skills placement exam administered by Rochester Community and Technical College, to ensure your skills are at the appropriate level. In addition, you must have completed a high school or college level biology course with a grade of "C" or above within five years of beginning the program.

Applicants have a strong competitive advantage if they:

• Graduated in the upper half of their high school class.
• Scored above the 50th percentile on a college entrance examination (ACT or SAT).
• Can demonstrate a relatively strong background in math and science.
• Had at least a 3.0 grade point average in high school and college.

Students admitted to the Radiography Program are not selected based on grades alone; recommendations, essays and interviews are also required.

International Applicants
U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Immigrant Status is required for admission to the Radiography Program.

School Admissions Policy
Modern allied health education requires that the accumulation of scientific knowledge be accompanied by the simultaneous acquisition of essential skills, and professional attitudes and behavior.  The goal of MSHS programs is to graduate the best possible healthcare practitioners.  Further, MSHS must also ensure that patients are not placed in jeopardy by students with impaired intellectual, physical or emotional functions. Therefore, admission to educational programs in the school is offered only to those applicants who meet qualifications for education and training in the art and science of the respective allied health profession. Applicants should possess the following general qualities:

• Critical thinking
• Sound judgment
• Excellent communication skills
• Emotional stability and maturity
• Empathy
• Physical and mental stamina
• Ability to learn and function in a wide variety of didactic and clinical settings

Fluency in written and spoken English is essential for success in the program and to ensure patient safety.  Applicants must demonstrate objective competency in English through the admission interview and may be required to submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination or equivalent examination.

Applicants will be judged not only on their scholastic accomplishments, but also on their physical and emotional capacities to meet the requirements of the program’s curriculum and graduate as skilled and effective practitioners, with reasonable accommodations, if applicable.  To preserve the welfare of students and patients, each MSHS program will establish minimum standards which are deemed essential for safety in practicing that respective profession. Applicants seeking accommodations should initiate their request with the specific Program Director.

In addition to these general qualities, admissions committees for each program may require additional specific admission standards. Documentation of these program-specific standards is available from each individual Program Director.

Additional Admission Requirements
Applicants offered admission to MSHS programs must also comply with the following prevailing institutional policies and procedures:

• Immunization
• Occupational Health Review and/or Physical Exam
• Background Study
• Drug Screen
• Health Insurance
• HIPAA, Confidentiality, and other training deemed necessary by Mayo Clinic and/or the MSHS Program in which you are offered admission.

Specific questions about these requirements may be directed to the school.

Failure to comply or to provide requested documentation is grounds for rescinding an admission offer or terminating admission.

Equal opportunity
Mayo School of Health Sciences upholds all federal and state laws that preclude discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or veteran’s status.

Mayo School of Health Sciences accepts students who are highly qualified for its programs. To be considered for admittance you should exhibit strong qualifications for the health profession you wish to pursue.

In addition to the general quality standards described above, radiographers must be able to perform the following essential job functions:

• Lift more than 50 pounds routinely.
• Work with their arms above their head routinely.
• Push and pull, bend and stoop, and kneel or squat routinely.
• Work standing 80 percent of the time.
• Work compassionately with patients.
• Help patients on and off the X-ray equipment from wheelchairs or carts.
• Effectively write and speak to patients and staff.
• Hear and see clearly.
• Accurately align the patient, X-ray equipment and film.
• Work effectively in a team setting.
• Organize and accurately perform the individual steps in X-ray examinations in the proper sequence.
• Work nights, weekends and holidays.

Radiographers are exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation (X-rays) and are expected to examine patients who may have communicable diseases. Chemicals used to process X-ray film may cause skin rashes in sensitive individuals.

You must be able to perform the essential functions of the profession and meet the standards of the curriculum. Students seeking exceptions to these standards or reasonable accommodations should initiate their request with the program’s director.

Transfer Student Policy
Transfer credit for previous general college course work may be accepted by RCTC. This could reduce your academic load early in the program, but will not reduce the 24 months required to graduate. Transfer credit from other radiography program course work, which is specific to radiography, is not accepted.

• All math and science courses will be considered for transfer only if completed within two years of program start date. Placement above College Algebra on a current RCTC academic skills placement exam can substitute for math courses over two years old.
• Math courses which have College Algebra as a prerequisite will transfer towards MATH 1115.
• Students who transfer Anatomy and Physiology I & II must also transfer credit for Medical Terminology or complete BTEC 1600 at RCTC.
• When transferring in a physics course, one course of a two semester sequence will not be considered equal to PHYS 1103.