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Curriculum

Student and faculty member using a VERT classroom learning tool as part of the curriculum for the Radiation Therapy Program for training to become a radiation therapist.

Student experiences

The Radiation Therapy Program is designed to provide you with experience in all areas of radiation oncology. Courses take place in a specific sequence, progressively building on your expertise as you advance through the program. Academic coursework is coordinated with clinical rotations to optimize the learning experiences.

Classroom learning

This program is a full-time program. You will spend an average of 16-20 hours a week in classroom lecture (didactic) instruction, with the remaining time in clinical training and rotations. You are responsible for purchasing navy blue scrub uniforms to wear during all clinical rotations.

Clinical training

You’ll begin observing and working with patients as soon as the second week of the program. Two clinical labs on the treatment units are completed the first two Saturdays in September as part of orientation. During your clinical education, you’ll observe and participate in special treatment techniques, including:

  • Deep inspiration breath hold
  • Stereotactic body radiation therapy
  • Adaptive radiation therapy
  • Total body irradiation
  • Proton beam therapy
  • Brachytherapy

On-site rotations

During monthly rotations, under the supervision of qualified radiation therapists and in collaboration with several members of the health care team, you have learning opportunities in all aspects of radiation oncology, simulation, treatment, and dosimetry.

Off-site rotations

All students participate in off-site rotations to Mayo Clinic Health System locations in Mankato, Minnesota; Northfield, Minnesota; and La Crosse, Wisconsin. Students may also elect to rotate to the radiation oncology facility in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Each student will be assigned to two or three different regional sites over the course of the program for a four-week period.

The off-site rotations provide students with experience at a smaller, non-academic cancer center. Students will have the opportunity to see different treatment techniques and equipment, and to enhance their ability to adapt to a new center’s routine in preparation for employment.

Students are responsible for driving to these sites each week for three days per week in the fall semester and weekly during the second and third semesters. While it is your responsibility to commute to these sites, Mayo Clinic provides assistance with travel and housing during the second and third semesters. During the second and third semesters, you receive didactic coursework via Zoom. It is recommended that each student have his or her own laptop computer to complete homework assignments while off-site.

Professional liability

Mayo Clinic provides professional liability insurance for learners in relation to their radiation therapy program educational activities.

Portrait photo of Kirsten Wilcox, graduate of Radiation Therapy Program

The coolest experience I had in this program was watching people finish treatment and "ringing the bell." There is such a sense of community and support that is hard to explain. For the patient, it is a moment of victory in the battle with cancer. It is truly a joyous occasion in a very tight-knit community.

Kirsten Wilcox, RTT, R.T.(R)
2019 graduate who now works in Montana.

Facilities

Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, includes an extensive outpatient complex, Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester, and substantial research and education facilities. This Mayo Clinic site is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world.

Mayo Clinic's Department of Radiation Oncology has exceptional patient care facilities with advanced therapy equipment, which includes:

  • Four Varian TrueBeam linear accelerators with Station ARIA treatment verification software
  • Two Varian Ethos
  • Four Siemens CT simulators
  • Proton therapy
  • An integrated brachytherapy unit
  • An Xstrahl orthovoltage unit
  • A dedicated linear accelerator intraoperative therapy suite
  • A Leksell Gamma Knife

In addition, Mayo Clinic Radiation Oncology has a proton beam therapy treatment program that includes four treatment rooms equipped with intensity modulated pencil beam scanning, two CT simulators, and an MRI unit. Students have two rotations through the proton center, allowing them to gain experience with this newest treatment modality. Our students also participate in a three-week dosimetry rotation and gain experience doing treatment planning utilizing Eclipse planning system.

Hours and schedule

For the majority of the program, your learning schedule includes eight-hour days, five days a week, Monday through Friday. During the fall semester, classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Fridays from 1-5 p.m. Clinical rotations are held all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and on Friday mornings. Clinical rotation start time may vary based on the site location. The La Crosse rotation begins at 7:30 a.m.

During the second and third semesters, hours are 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. Classes are conducted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Clinical rotations will be conducted on Monday, Wednesday, Friday afternoon, and all day Tuesday and Thursday. There are also two clinical QA labs conducted on a Saturday morning in February and March. Students will participate in morning quality assurance procedures one day per week from April through July. The hours for QA days will be 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Rotations through our Proton Center will vary per semester and may be held from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

Course sequence

The Radiation Therapy Program requires completion of three semesters of courses, which totals 45 upper division credits. All courses are taught in Rochester, Minnesota, using a combination of face-to-face and virtual delivery.

Academic breaks

The program is not in session during:

  • Thanksgiving (Wednesday through Friday)
  • Christmas (1.5 weeks)
  • Spring break (one week — typically the second week of March)
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Graduation (August)

See the full 2023-2024 academic calendar and the 2024-2025 draft academic calendar.

Graduation and certification

To successfully complete the program, you must meet these requirements:

  • A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale
  • Successful completion of classroom (didactic) coursework and all clinical competencies
  • Be in good standing with all program policies

Upon successful completion of the Radiation Therapy Program, you will receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.

Graduates may apply to take the national registry examination administered by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

Grading and evaluation

All coursework must be completed with a grade of a C or above. The grading scale is below. As you move through the Radiation Therapy Program's clinical rotations, you will be evaluated in each clinical area by the supervising therapists and the clinical preceptors. A competency-based evaluation system and performance appraisal forms are used to evaluate clinical performance.

Meet the faculty

The Radiation Therapy Program is coordinated and taught by the clinical, scientific, and technical staff of Mayo Clinic. These include radiation therapists, dosimetrists, nurses, physicians, and physicists from the Department of Radiation Oncology. You have direct access to these individuals throughout your education program, giving you the opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners in radiation oncology.

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