I joined City Tech on 29th January, 2016.
I was requested on January 25, 2016: could you please teach RAD 4830: Capstone Leadership for Technologists
I was thrilled. We enjoyed the semester. I am yet to publish on the leadership scenario then and now, possibly including some student leaders.
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On January 30, 2016 I came to know our instructor for RAD 4826 (Adv Imaging-II) quit: students told her not to come after the first class; she knew less than any of the students.
It is the hardest course and cannot be taught as research assignment or management group discussions where students can teach themselves. I was thrilled to take over. We lived happily thereafter.
Routine didactic courses:
As you see in the attached ppt the list of courses taught for each semester has increased in number and complexity. I have taught every course so that I have a good idea about the weakness of the course and the strength of the students and take the leap to a higher bar to increase the rigor and not topple over. I try to do it alongwith other faculty as co-instructor during and after COVID so as to create a rigorous and rewarding future for all: college, department, faculty, students and the radiology in NYC.
I like Independent Study offerings to go to a higher level for advanced students at times although last Spring 2023 I did an Individualized study in CT internship course for 1 student and guided her through the normal load when she could not get into the regular CT internship section due to a conflict.
Here is the PPT file (hardest to hardest: see below, there is nothing soft or easy at the BSRS RAD level); note the textbooks at BS level are actually AAS level RAD TECH books since there are not many qualified educators who can write at BSRS level. Most BSRS teachers in the nation have education or management degrees plus a license: but not a PHD or MD in Radiology. Those few who have adequate proficiency are emplyed in medical schools and teach at a higher and with different objectives than RAD TECH. There are plenty of medical texts that can be squeezed and be used at BSRS level. All the BS programs in RAD TECH run as a slight extension of AAS. That is not what we can ethically do.
So part of my teaching involves extracting from PhD and MD levels Radiology materials that actually correspond to what advanced Techs do in RAD TECH & RAD Sc and kep the scope and practice at par with the catalog description for each course as well as to keep up with the fast advancing field in Rad Sc.
All Courses-hardest to hardest 2016-2023
Example 1 of a well developed and challenging course: Two Faculty solution for a complex, theory & clinical application course (RAD 3737: MR Anatomy, Pathophysiology & Instrumentation : with theory & appl at 50/50)
It is time to realize and accept that faculty who know both theory & applications of MRI enough to teach at BS level with strong physics and strong clinical guidance are almost non-existent in this nation.
(Hence we have a Two Faculty solution: Program Director is always the guest instructor, mostly with 0 hour for credits to allow enough incentives for adjunct primary faculty). Here is a well run course [50/50 Theory/Appl])
RAD 3737 Syllabus_MR Anat Patho Instrum -2 Faculty Instruction
Example 2 of a challenging anaaomy/pathophysiology course with 65/35 weightage of CT/MR : Almost no school in USA, I believe, can offer such a comprehensive BS level by one teacher. There are baby courses on MR/CT together by single generic teachers at AAS programs just to stimulate student interest but no substance to affect career or patient care. We have such a course on multi-modality at AAS RAD TECH level at City Tech also.
It is time to realize and accept that faculty who know both MR & CT enough with strong CT and strong MR anatomy/pathophysiology background to teach at BS level are almost non-existent in this nation.
(Hence we have a Two Faculty solution: Program Director is always the guest instructor, mostly with 0 hour for credits to allow enough incentives for the adjunct primaary faculty). Here is a well run course [65/35 CT/MR]
RAD 3629-Fa22 Syllabus Primary and Guest Instructor Solution
Establishing educational collaboration: ASRC/CUNY Graduate Center:
Our clinical internships are of average standard since NYC hospital Techs train our students with what they currently know and they do not have a Masters or somethimes even Bachelors in Radiology. We do not advise the hospitals what to do or how to teach. We have started a collaboration with Advance Science Research Center (ASRC/CUNY GC) and I often use it to add a higher standard from time to time. Then students go to hospitals for externships and perform far better. See the ASRC Training Agreement here:
BSRS Trg Agreement with Adv Sc Res Ctr-CUNY GC 2021
Establishing clinical partners for student competency training toward licensures:
In addition to our established partner (Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn) two additional sites were established by myself and Prof Evans Lespinasse. Those are: Cornell Medical Center (Outpatient Units) and Distinguished Diagnostic Imaging (DDI). These are used to train MRI, CT and Mammography students from BSRS. In addition affiliation with a distance learning vendor (Nordic Neurologic Laboratory, NNL) was also done. See attached documents:
NYCCT and Distinguished Diagnostics Clinical Agreement 2020
Distance Clinical Trg Set Up-Nordic Neuro Lab 2020-21
Credentialing Agencies: What is the guarantee that our courses are any good!
In 2019 and years after that, several didactic courses were run through the credentialing process by myself and Prof Lespinasse to enable our MRI, CT and Mammography students to have board eligibility from credentialing board (ARRT). ALL OUR COURSES WERE CLEARED with ADEQUATE CONTENT CREDITS & QUALITY toward MRI, CT and Mammography boards; see below summary of credit distributions earned:
Clinical Externship Course Credentialing for Student Licensure Eligibility
