Radiography Success Continues with Milestone

The radiography program, which NMU now offers in collaboration with Marquette General Health System, is in its 30th year. This anniversary milestone is noteworthy, but there are two more impressive trends worth celebrating.

In each year since the program was established at MGH, 100 percent of graduates have passed the radiography certification exam with average scores that place them in the top 3 percent in the nation. And in the last five years, nearly 100 percent of the radiography graduates reported that they were employed in their chosen field within the first six months after leaving campus.

"We have a pretty stringent selection process that students have to go through," said Joanna Perucco, program director for MGHS, when asked what she credits for the stellar statistics. "We are the gatekeepers. We're looking for the proper people to come into the program. If we spend that much time selecting them, there's a good chance they will be the right people. It's a system that has worked out well for us so far."

Kevin Foley (Clinical Sciences) attributes the outcomes to the "excellent faculty at MGH and the intensive nature of the program, with its many hours of hands-on training and a robust three-year curriculum."

Radiography began as an MGH certificate. Students took two of their academic courses at NMU while completing their didactic and clinical practicum at the hospital. Two changes occurred in 2007: MGHS relocated its School of Radiography to the NMU campus, but retained ownership and accreditation; and the program was elevated to an associate degree, which requires students to complete two semesters of general education courses. Graduates continue to receive a certificate of completion from MGHS to obtain licensure in radiologic technology from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

Foley said the second- and third-year class sizes are typically about 10 per year, but will increase to 16 next year. The first year, during which students complete prerequisites, has grown in popularity, with 55 students enrolled in 2008.