Providing Radiographers with Quality Continuing Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of materials are offered? Books? Tapes? Videos?
Are these courses approved?
Can our radiologists complete these courses for CME credits?
Why would I choose a homestudy course instead of attending a seminar?
I live in Florida / I live in Iowa. Are these courses approved by these states?
Do these courses have expiration dates?
Can several techs share the study guides and receive a discount?
Can we order for several techs who work out of different locations?
We have more than one person who is interested in completing the courses. Do you offer discounts?
Can we order less than the full set and still receive a discount if more than one tech is interested in completing the courses?
How fast can we make this happen? We have an inspection next week!
How long does it take to complete these courses?
Can I earn credit for a course more than once in a biennium?
Can you explain the different continuing education requirements?
Can you explain about the quality of the coursework?
I have done homestudy courses before and I found them to be confusing and tricky. What is the level of difficulty with these courses?
Do you offer any guarantee?
Can you explain the MQSA Initial Training Requirements?

What type of materials are offered? Books? Tapes? Videos?

Our homestudy courses are offered in printed study guide format. The technologist reads the material, then completes a post-test. The post-test can be returned to us via mail or fax for correction. Upon successful completion, a certificate is mailed to the technologist.

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Are these courses approved?

Yes, all our courses have been approved by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) for Category A credit for mammography. Any materials approved by the ASRT are acceptable by the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists) for continuing education.

Can our radiologists complete these courses for CME credits?

No, these courses have only been approved by the ASRT for technologist use. They have not been submitted to physician governing bodies for approval.

Why would I choose a homestudy course instead of attending a seminar?

We believe there are a number of advantages. First of all, consider the convenience. You can study on your breaks at work or in your own home at whatever time is convenient for you. (Do you have 20 minutes before you have to pick up the kids from school? Grab the course.) Next, consider the efficiency. The subject matter has been selected for the mammographer. The courses are organized so you can make the best of your time. Next, consider the cost savings. Often, seminars require transportation costs, meals, and a hotel. You can avoid all these costs by performing a homestudy course. Next, consider the relevance of the materials. You will be able to use this information in your daily practice as a mammographer. Next, consider the quality of the materials. All courses have been approved by the ASRT for Category A continuing education credit.

I live in Florida / I live in Iowa. Are these courses approved by these states?

Yes, these courses have received additional approval by the states of Florida and Iowa as required by these individual states. The other states recognize and accept all ASRT-approved continuing education materials. You may wish to check with your state governing body to ensure they do not have any specific requirements. For example, Texas allows only half of the credits to be completed by homestudy work.

Do these courses have expiration dates?

Yes. The ASRT approves each of these courses for a period of one year. We at RadComm, Inc. do not allow the courses to expire at that time. All courses are updated and resubmitted to the ASRT for renewal. Upon re-approval, the expiration date is extended another year. We advise that you complete the coursework within one year of placing your order. We are unable to grant credit for coursework completed beyond a period of one year.

Can several techs share the study guides and receive a discount?

Yes. This works out well if the techs are working at the same location. Each will take a study guide home for a couple of days, read the material, complete the post-test, then return and exchange it for another course.

Can we order for several techs who work out of different locations?

Just give us a call. We will try to provide you with study guides for each location.

We have more than one person who is interested in completing the courses. Do you offer discounts?

Yes. If an order is placed for the full set (13 courses totaling 31.0 credits), the first set is priced at $9 per credit plus shipping/handling. Each additional test is priced at the discounted price of $8 per credit. Please call us to place orders with additional tests as our website is not capable of calculating the reduced cost.

Can we order less than the full set and still receive a discount if more than one tech is interested in completing the courses?

Yes. If you order less than the full set, the initial courses are priced at $10 per credit. Then, each additional credit is priced at $8 each.

How fast can we make this happen? We have an inspection next week!

All our orders are shipped via the United States Post Office’s Priority Mail Service. The delivery commitment is 2-3 days. Our orders are shipped the day after they are received (Remember that the post office is closed on Sunday). For the fastest service, call in your order using a credit card. The order will be shipped the next day. Read the material and complete the post-test. Fax the post-test to us for quicker service. Typically, the post-test is processed within 3 days and a certificate of completion is mailed to you. If the inspectors are on your doorstep, give us a call and we can fax the certificate to you.

How long does it take to complete these courses?

The courses vary from 1.0 credit to 3.5 credits. The number of credits is assigned by the ASRT during the approval process. The ASRT program reviewers read the coursework and complete the post-test. Then they calculate the number of credits by assigning every 50 minutes of reading time to 1.0 credit. Since everyone reads and comprehends differently, the reading time may vary depending upon the coursework.

Can I earn credit for a course more than once in a biennium?

No. These homestudy courses should be completed only once for credit. Even though you may review the material throughout the biennium, credit is reserved for the initial learning period.

Can you explain the different continuing education requirements?

The ARRT does not require any specific credits in mammography. They do require that technologists earn 24 credits every two years to renew their registry.

MQSA (FDA) requires 15 hours of mammography-specific continuing education every 36 months (3 years). The dates do not begin and end like the ARRT biennium. Instead, the inspectors rely on the inspection date at the facility. We recommend that the mammographer obtain 5 credits every year, based on the inspection date, in order to avoid confusion.

Can you explain about the quality of the coursework?

Yes. All courses have been written by Jeanette Joyce, a practicing mammographer and educator, for the mammographer. That’s right! Written by a technologist for a technologist. This means that the course material is interesting and relevant to the everyday duties of the mammography technologist. Many of us in the field of mammography received on-the-job training years ago. There was no formal education in mammography offered when we began working in the field. These study courses will provide you with a firm understanding of the foundations of mammography, as well as keep you current on the most recent advancements in the field.

I have done homestudy courses before and I found them to be confusing and tricky. What is the level of difficulty with these courses?

We have also experienced the frustrations of various homestudy courses! We find ourselves searching for the answers and not even knowing for certain what the author desires. The homestudy courses from RadComm, Inc. have been developed with this in mind. Following each section, there is a set of study questions. We recommend that the technologist highlights the answers to these study questions as she reads along. By doing this, you will find that all the answers for the post-test will be highlighted and in order when you complete the post-test. What could be easier?

Do you offer any guarantee?

Yes. We are so confident that you will be pleased with our materials that we offer a money-back guarantee within 14 days if you are not satisfied for any reason! Just give us a call, return the unused materials, and you will receive a refund (excluding the shipping/handling charge).

Can you explain the MQSA Initial Training Requirements?

First, you must be a registered radiologic technologist or licensed by a state in general radiography.

You must complete 40 hours of documented mammography training with a qualified instructor. The content of the material must include breast anatomy and physiology, positioning, breast compression, AQ/QC techniques and special training in breast implants.

At your facility, you must perform 25 mammograms under direct supervision. These 25 mammograms are worth up to 12.5 credits and can be applied toward the 40 hours of initial training.

In summary, 27.5 hours of instruction + the performance of 25 mammograms = the required 40 hours of training. (Attention California techs: The state of California requires 40 hours of instruction + the performance of 25 mammograms to fulfill the initial training requirement.)

Feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have!