A Conversation with . . . Eugene D. Frank, MA

The American Roentgen Ray Society’s (ARRS) newly launched continuing education program for radiologic technologists (CERT) offers ARRT Category A credits in CR, mammography, MRI, and other modalities. Noted RT educator Eugene D. Frank, MA, talks about the new program and how it could help technologists stay current in their rapidly advancing profession.


rt image: What are some of the reasons the ARRS decided to introduce a continuing education program for RTs?

Eugene D. Frank: From my perspective, I believe the ARRS wanted to make the research and other articles in their journal, American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), available to radiologic technologists. Many radiologic technologists work very closely in a team setting with the radiologists in areas such as CT, MRI, and mammography and would benefit from knowing the same information about the procedures.


image: Which professionals are eligible to complete the lessons?

Frank: Radiologic technologists who are certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists are eligible to complete the lessons.


image: How can RTs access the lessons, and how frequently?

Frank: The CERT program is completed online. Subscribers enter a password and, once connected, can access the entire list of lessons. The lessons are available 24 hours a day from anywhere there is Internet. Technologists are notified when new lessons are available. There is no limit to the number of lessons that can be accessed – that will most likely depend on the time available to the subscriber.

Technologists are required to complete 24 credits in 24 months, so most technologists would probably access one lesson per month. A nice feature of the program is that certificates of completion can be printed once the lesson is read and the exam written.


image: What is the cost? Do RTs need to belong to ARRS?

A Frank: If the technologist is a member of the ARRS, then there is no cost. For technologists who are not members, the pre-launch fee is $36, and the regular fee will be $45 per year.


image: When you authored these lessons, how did you select the topics/articles that would be covered?

Frank: The AJR journal contains a large number of general radiology and research articles, and many additional articles are available each month in the online version of the journal. Large numbers of articles are available in the specialty modalities of CT, MRI, and women’s imaging (mammography, in particular).

I review all the articles each month and determine those that would benefit the technologist the most. I find that at least 50 percent of the articles published each month can be of direct benefit to the technologist.

For example, during the past year, nearly every issue of the journal had articles on the dose levels associated with the new, high-resolution CT scanners. Many of the articles discuss methods of reducing the dose. Since it is the technologist who actually determines the exposure technique used for the exam, these articles can be of great value to the technologist.
 

image: How will the program help RTs succeed in their field?

Frank: I believe the program will help technologists succeed in their field because they will always have access to the most timely research available. This will enable them to interface with the radiologists in a more effective manner, and ultimately, the patient will benefit by having knowledgeable professionals doing their examinations.


image: Any other comments?

Frank: I would like to add that this is the only continuing education program available to technologists that has content coming directly from a prestigious radiology journal. The published articles are not altered; however, the articles are designed with objectives, definitions of medical terms, and an examination to determine comprehension. Each lesson also tells the technologist why it is important for them in their practice.

— Jane Kollmer