The radiographic science program started with its first class of 14 students in the Fall semester of 1976. The program was officially approved by the State board of Education during their Feb. 6th meeting in 1975,[1] and was originally in the College of Medical Arts in the Department of Dental Hygiene and Radiologic Technology. Within a year it was changed to the College of Health-Related professions. By the 1979-80 school year the Dental Hygiene department was separated from the Radiologic Technology department. The department was made into a program under in the Department of Allied Health. It also underwent a name change from Radiologic Technology to the Radiographic Science Program. These changes aided the program in its national registry designations and adapted them to new professional terminologies. In 1977 The American Medical Association Registry for Radiographic Technologists removed radiation therapy and nuclear medicine from the basic radiographic science profession.[2] This caused changes to the program curriculum removing individual classes in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.[3]
The Radiographic Science Program is a 4-year program. Students spend the first 2-years taking general education classes then enter the program for 2 years of didactic education in the classroom and lab and clinical training in area hospitals and clinics. Graduates can then sit for the national registry exam. This exam is required to obtain licensure and work in most states in the United States and in Joint Commission institutions. Licensure is not required in Idaho, so a cosmetologist is required to have a license in Idaho, but a person that deals with exposing people to radiation needs none. There was also an Associate of Science Degree available with 1-year general education requirements and the same 2 years of professional requirements[4]. In 1977 there was a proficiency exam established for those who completed a hospital-based program and were currently working as technologists to obtain a degree instead of just a hospital certificate.[5]
In June of 1976 the State board of Education approved the completion of an energized lab, a dark room and faculty office space in the basement of the Medical Arts building.[6] This new space was finished in early 1977; these facilities are still used as the program’s classroom and lab. By 1979 a 2nd lab was requested, and funds were approved to accommodate more students and to help gain accreditation[7]. At least one of the machines installed in 1976 was still running, though not well, and being used by students as late as 2004. In 2001 the program moved its faculty offices to the main floor of the now Beckley Nursing building which doubled the classroom size which helped with overcrowding issues and gave students easier access to the faculty. One of the machines was upgraded to computed radiography in 2002 as the professions was widely going digital. In 2013 the program went fully digital with a new direct radiography machine. This came with a curriculum change as there was no longer a need for a dark room or classes in film processing. Another curriculum change came in 2012 as the program started offering independent study programs for the CT and MRI modalities. This allowed students to cross train and become more employable. Before this, students had to go to other universities to train in other modalities. An independent study program in mammography was instituted in 2013. The department is currently trying to establish a sonography program slated to start in the May of 2019.[8]
The program was switched back to the Department of Radiographic Science in 1989. In 2001 the college was changed to the Kasiska College of Health Professions. In 2010 the Division of Health Sciences was created, and the Department of Radiographic Science was changed back to a program. This caused tensions with the department head, Chuck Francis, who was effectively demoted from department head to program director and had his salary cut while his workload stayed the same. He made the decision to retire. The University did not replace his full-time position. Dan Hobbs was made the program director. This left them with just 2 full-time faculty members and the rest of the classes were taught by adjunct faculty. The lack of faculty support stressed the existing faculty as they had to teach the same number of classes and take up extra advising and other duties within the program. The programs accrediting body, JRCERT, had problems with the lack of faculty support; they deemed the program could not run effectively this way. However, they did work this way until Dan Hobbs retired in 2015. During the hiring process for a new program head, Christopher Wertz, their preferred candidate, said he would not accept a job at the university without 3 full-time faculty positions. Between this and the problems caused with accreditation the University again hired a third faculty member. This gave the program the current faculty members of Wendy Mickelson who started teaching at ISU in 2001, Trevor Ward who was hired as an instructor in 2015, and Christopher Wertz who was hired as the program head in 2015.[9]
– Janelle Wertz
[1] Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, Feb. 6, 1975, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1975, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 50.
[2] Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, Nov 29,1979, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1975, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 41.
[3] Radiographic Science Curriculum, ISU, Course Catalog, 1980-1981, Idaho Doc LD 2308I6A332, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 111.
[4] Radiographic Science Curriculum, ISU, Course Catalog, 1976-1977, Idaho Doc LD 2308I6A332, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 89.
[5] Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, Nov. 4,1977 Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1977, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 26.
[6] Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, July 14, 1976, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1976, Eli M Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 47.
[7] Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, April 5, 1979, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1979, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID: 40.
[8] Wendy Mickelson (ISU Radiographic Science Assistant Professor), interviewed by Janelle Wertz, Pocatello, ID, Dec. 3, 2018.
[9] Christopher Wertz (ISU Radiographic Science Program Director), interviewed by Janelle Wertz, Pocatello, ID, Dec. 3,2018.
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Works Cited
Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, Feb. 6, 1975, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1975, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, July 14, 1976, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1976, Eli M Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, Nov. 4,1977 Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1977, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, April 5, 1979, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1979, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Idaho State Board of Education Minutes, Nov 29,1979, Idaho DOC LB 2809.I25I3a 1975, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Mickelson, Wendy (ISU Radiographic Science Assistant Professor). interviewed by Janelle Wertz. Pocatello, ID. Dec. 3, 2018.
Radiographic Science Curriculum, ISU, Course Catalog, 1976-1977, Idaho Doc LD 2308I6A332, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Radiographic Science Curriculum, ISU, Course Catalog, 1980-1981, Idaho Doc LD 2308I6A332, Eli M. Oboler Library, Pocatello, ID.
Wertz, Christopher (ISU Radiographic Science Program Director). interviewed by Janelle Wertz. Pocatello, ID. Dec. 3,2018.
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