Radiation Therapy

Description of the Profession

Radiation Therapists administer differing forms of ionizing radiation to specific sites of a patient body to treat benign and malignant tumors. They operate various types of equipment and observe the clinical progress of patients to identify and minimize complications.

Skills and Characteristics Important to this Profession

Prospective Radiation Therapists have a desire to work in a team environment with physicians, nurses, physicists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals. They have well-developed communication skills and enjoy direct patient contact. As professionals, they will be interacting with a patient and the patient's family from Monday-Friday for approximately 3-8 weeks. Radiation therapists keep handwritten records of their patients' treatments, so accuracy and spelling are very important.

Description of the Indiana University Radiation Therapy Program

Potential applicants to the IU School of Medicine Radiation Therapy program (Indianapolis) may have already received a degree in radiologic technology. However, most of the students that attend IU Bloomington to complete their prerequisite coursework have not. The course of study for non-radiographers requires the applicant to complete two years of prerequisite work equaling 50 credit hours at Indiana University in Bloomington (or another campus or college) and 22.5 months of professional and clinical work at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis.

Other Accredited Programs

For a list of accredited radiation therapy programs, see The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

Additional Notes and Recommendations

Because the radiation therapist monitors the patient's emotional as well as physical condition, taking courses that assist in understanding the stress these patients undergo is recommended. A list of such courses offered on the IU Bloomington campus is available on the .PDF file listed in Further Information below.

Job Shadowing / Observation

On-site observation in a radiation oncology department is required for admission to the IU School of Medicine Radiation Therapy B.S. program. An observation form must be completed and sent with the application to the program. The form is available on the Program Specific Requirements website of the IUSM Health Professions Programs.

Further Information

Refer to the HPPLC Radiation Therapy handout for more detailed information about prerequisite courses, application and admission information, and for additional resources.

If you are interested in other health professions that are advised through HPPLC, we encourage you to sign up for the HPPLC email list associated with your program(s) of interest. Feel free to sign up for more than one list. Also refer to the HPPLC handout, Health Professions Descriptions.