Students will be required to perform certain physical functions in order to successfully complete the program. These functions will be performed throughout the course work and/or clinical experience. However, these functions are not conditions for admission to the program; they are listed to alert the student to physical functions that will be expected. Students who require accommodation should contact the Coordinator of Disability Support Services at (616) 234-4140.
The necessary physical functions include:
- Physical Strength – The student will assist in transferring patients from wheelchairs and beds to X-ray tables and vice versa. Patients may be comatose, paralyzed or suffering from some degree of incapacity. The student may have to move heavy equipment, such as a portable X-ray machine, to different locations.
- Mobility – In the course of performing duties in radiography, the student will be expected to stand and reach overhead to position the X-ray tube hanging from the ceiling; move quickly in an emergency; and be able to perform work while standing for long periods of time.
- Hearing – The student must have the ability to hear faint sounds from a distance of 15 feet—the approximate distance between the control panel of exposure switches and the X-ray table where the patient is being placed. He/she must also be able to hear faint signals emitted by a dysfunctioning machine.
- Visual Discrimination – The student must have vision that enables him/her to differentiate changing colors of X-ray films and to read markings on dials, monitors etc.
- Coordination – Good motor skills, eye-hand coordination skills, and sensory function in at least one upper limb are needed to align body parts of a patient with the film. Some of the other functions requiring dexterity include filling syringes, putting on surgical gloves, and manipulating locks on equipment.
- Manual Dexterity – Gross motor skills such as standing, walking, and writing are all required to perform the duties of a radiologic technologist. In addition, fine motor skills are needed (such as the ability to make insertion of IV lines, calibrate equipment, draw blood, and so on).
- Communication Skills – The student must be able to communicate orally and in writing. For example, he/she must be able to read and give directions and instructions clearly and to accurately record health data from patients.