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Radiologic technologists play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, providing the images and insights that are the cornerstone of accurate medical care. Their work often

goes unseen, yet it is the backbone of countless decisions and outcomes in the medical field. At the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, we not only see radiologic technologists, we train them.

The Minneapolis VA School of Radiologic Technology, established in 1965, has a rich history of producing highly skilled and sought-after radiologic technologists. It is the only VA

Radiologic Technology program in the country and holds a prestigious reputation within Minnesota's radiology field. Each fall, a new cohort of students embark on the full-time 24-month

program, which includes approximately 2600 clinical hours and 110 credits of didactic content. Successful graduates are eligible to take the American Registry for Radiologic Technologists

(ARRT) Examination, leading to the title of Registered Radiologic Technologists in Radiography (R.T. (R)). This certification is widely recognized as the national standard for the

profession. The school’s program director, Katie Smith, and the clinical coordinator, Amanda Koehn, are currently instructing 14 students. At the beginning of their program students

typically participate in approximately 30% of all x-ray examinations. Once they have gained more skills clinically and knowledge didactically, they participate in about 65% of examinations.

“We have six second-year students who have begun extended outside rotations at Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota-Minneapolis and Hennepin Healthcare Medical Center, while our

eight first-year students have begun their training here at the Minneapolis VA and surrounding Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs),” said Koehn. In August, seven students graduated

with their Radiologic Technology Certificate. “Because of personal experiences at a young age, I knew I wanted to be in healthcare,” said Jacob Wilson, a recent graduate of the program. “I

was initially drawn to the Minneapolis VA School of Radiologic Technology as it was Veteran-based. My grandparents, father and sister are all Veterans. I believe this was my way of giving

back because I couldn’t be in the military. As I progressed into the program, and now as a new hire here at the Minneapolis VA, I have learned how high of caliber this program is for

hands-on learning, where the instructors and technologist encourage you to jump in but won’t let you to sink, allowing for more growth than I expected.” The Minneapolis VA School of

Radiologic Technology currently has a 91.1% pass rate on the ARRT examination on the first attempt and a 100% pass rate on the second attempt. The school also boasts a 100% job placement

rate every year. “We are proud to share that 66% of the imaging department at the Minneapolis VA is made up of graduates from our school. We have former students in CT, MRI, Interventional

Radiology, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, and most of the x-ray departments at the medical center and CBOCs,” said Smith. The annual deadline to apply to the Minneapolis VA

School of Radiologic Technology is in December. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or be a current radiography science student at an affiliated university. The application deadline for

the 2025 cohort is Dec. 20, 2024. “I can’t express enough to individuals looking for a career in healthcare how many opportunities there are for a Radiologic Technologist, from general

x-ray to the advanced modalities; it’s an ever-growing field,” said Wilson.  For more information visit online or reach out to Katie Smith at [email protected] or Amanda Koehn at

[email protected]. National Radiologic Technology Week is Nov. 4-8 and is meant to commemorate the discovery of the x-ray by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen on Nov. 8, 1895.