Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology Program

A candidate for admission must be registered by the A.R.R.T. or Board (A.R.R.T.) eligible and have a high degree of self-motivation and the ability to accept the responsibilities of a skilled member of the angiographic team. The application must be accompanied by an official high school transcript as well as official transcripts and clinical performance evaluations from an approved Radiologic Technology program. Transcripts from other schools attended beyond high school must be submitted. A letter of reference and a personal interview with members of the Admissions Committee are required.

Forsyth Technical Community College
(click here for more information on Admission Requirements from Foryth Tech)
Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology (ICVT) - Vascular is a selective enrollment program beginning each fall. Resources such as faculty, as well as approval standards, limit the number of applicants accepted to 20 students for the fall. Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology (ICVT) – Vascular is an advanced two-semester, on-line certificate program and all applicants must meet minimum requirements to be considered for admission. Please note, however, that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Applicants applying for this program must be graduates with an Associate in Applied Science degree or higher in any accredited health program: Radiography. Current licensure/registry must be in good standing.

Minimum Admissions Requirements

1. Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement
Applicants must have a final, cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher to qualify for acceptance into the Interventional Cardiac and Vascular Technology – Vascular program. If the final, cumulative GPA is less than 2.5, the applicant will be required to submit a letter of recommendation from their Current Manager to be considered for admission to the program. This recommendation letter can be included with the letter of employment confirmation, which must be submitted to the ICVT Program Coordinator. 

A final, cumulative GPA of lower than 2.0 will not be considered. 

2. Employment Requirement
This program is designed for applicants who are enhancing their education in the field of peripheral vascular interventional medicine and wish to obtain study guides/materials to pass their VI registry. An applicant interested in an interventional lab may enroll in the ICVT vascular certificate program; however, they must secure their own clinical rotations. Forsyth Tech will not be responsible for assigning clinical rotations during this certificate program. Students who obtain personal permission to perform clinical rotations may be required to obtain private malpractice insurance by their clinical site. This contract would be drawn up solely between the student and the clinical site.

3. Letter of Recommendation Requirement
Applicants must present a letter of recommendation from a department manager verifying their  personally secured rotation in a peripheral vascular interventional lab. The letter must include the number and types of exams performed per year in the department. This letter of confirmation must be submitted on hospital letterhead via email, fax, or regular mail to:

Marti Feathers-Magee, BS, RT(R)(CV) 
ICVT Program Director
2100 Silas Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem, NC  27103
Email: [email protected]
Fax:  336-734-7444

The school year begins late in August. Formal classes are presented in conjunction with thorough clinical experience under the supervision of highly trained angiographers and special procedures technologists. The faculty consists of radiologists, technologists, nurses, and cardiologists.

The following is a list of the course work covered throughout the year:
(Click here to view Forsyth Tech's online curriculum)

• Radiographic Pharmacology
• Intervascular Neuro Radiography
• Patient Care and Nursing Procedures
• Interventional Imaging Equipment and Supplies
• ICV Physics
• Vascular Physiology and Procedures
• Clinical Labs
• Clinical Rotations
• General Studies

The school grade policy requires the student to maintain an average of 80%. Academic and clinical evaluation records are reviewed with the student every quarter.  Mid-year and final examinations are administered by the university. The  Professional Code of Ethics of the ARRT is respected at all times. Failure to comply with the Professional Code of Ethics is reason for dismissal.

Should a student's participation, for whatever reason, appear unsatisfactory at any time during the twelve-month period, he or she may be advised to resign from the program at the request of the Advisory Committee.

Certification
Upon satisfactory completion of the twelve-month program, Forsyth Technical Community College and CHI St. Alexius Health awards the students with a certificate in recognition of their competency in Interventional Radiology. Graduate students are prepared and eligible to sit for the ARRT VI boards.

Attendance and Vacation
Students are expected to be in attendance from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students are granted a total of 100 hours per year to be used both as vacation and sick time depending on the circumstances. 

Tuition and Textbook Costs
Tuition for the 12-month program is $268/credit hour (for both Cardiac and Vascular together the cost is $5628.00; individually the cost is Cardiac $4288.00 or Vascular $4556.00) and is due one month after the beginning of the program. A lab fee of $1500.00 is due at the start of the Program. Textbooks cost approximately $950.00,and need to be purchased the first month of enrollment. We recommend doing both Cardiac and the Vascular program.

Financial Assistance
Financial assistance in the form of scholarships may be offered, depending upon available funding. Students are compensated for overtime work.