The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences is launching a new baccalaureate program in radiation therapy to meet a growing need for qualified therapists in northwest Ohio and throughout the country.
As part of a multidisciplinary cancer care team, radiation technologists oversee treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists to position patients and operate the advanced machinery that delivers precisely placed beams of radiation to kill cancer cells.
Dr. David Pearson, an associate professor of radiation oncology and associate dean of admissions in the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences.
“It’s hands on, boots-on-the ground medicine,” said Dr. David Pearson, an associate professor of radiation oncology and associate dean of admissions in the UToledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. “You’re spending time with patients playing an important role in their care, and I think that’s a very appealing prospect for people who want to help in medicine and want to be on the front line.”
“It’s a very important job in the clinic, but one that healthcare providers in our region have struggled to fill,” Pearson added. “The ideal solution to this is to recruit and train people locally.”
The program, which received state approval last month, is expected to offer its first introductory course next summer and enroll the initial cohort in fall 2024.
UToledo joins just two other universities statewide offering a bachelor’s program in radiation therapy. Michigan previously had four accredited radiation therapy programs, but one those — which had been located a little north of Toledo in Jackson — shut down earlier this year.
“A key part of our mission is educating future healthcare professionals who will serve and care for our region,” said Dr. Christopher Cooper, dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. “This is an in-demand field and there’s a real need for well-trained radiation therapists. We saw an opportunity here to bring new students into our college and to create a pipeline of graduates to fill these jobs locally and nationally. Furthermore, it integrates well with our graduate program in medical physics and our medical physics residency.”
The Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy is the first undergraduate degree offered exclusively through the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. The college also offers a bachelor’s degree in neurosciences in partnership with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics — a program that launched in January 2023.
“Our college has historically focused on graduate-level education for scientists and clinicians. That’s not going to change, and now we are adding select undergraduate programs in areas where there is a clear need and where we can provide an exceptional experience,” Cooper said. “Each of these new programs fit that ideal well. We have the expertise to offer these degrees, and doing so opens up new possibilities for us.”
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median annual salary for radiation therapist is more than $89,000 per year.
Students enrolled in UToledo’s program will spend the first two years on Main Campus completing general education requirements. The second two years of the program will be located on the University’s Health Science Campus, where students will receive more intensive science education, including advanced coursework in in anatomy, radiation therapy physics and patient care management. They’ll also participate in labs and embark on clinical rotations.
Dr. Kandace Williams, a professor of cancer biology and senior associate dean of graduate programs in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, said there’s already been a great deal of interest from the college’s local clinical partners.
“They are excited about this and are eager to have our students to rotate in their clinics,” she said. “There is a lack of radiation therapists in this area, so this program is needed and should have a real benefit to our area.”
Williams and Pearson are spearheading the launch of the new degree, though the college expects to hire a new program director in the coming months.
