多倫多大學

The Medical Radiation Sciences (MRS) program is your first step towards a rewarding career as a Medical Radiation Technologist (MRT): a caring and compassionate healthcare professional and an essential member of the interprofessional healthcare team.

Working in a dynamic environment with emerging technologies, MRTs are regulated health professionals who use sophisticated radiation equipment to produce diagnostic images of a patient’s body or who administer radiation to treat patients for certain medical conditions. As a primary point of contact for patients on their healthcare journey, MRTs are committed to a collaborative patient- and family-centred approach to care. Future career opportunities include (but are not limited to): other specialties such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), research activities, management, industry, education and sales/marketing, medical equipment sales, health policy analyst, as well as pursuing higher education opportunities at a Masters level.

MRS students have the opportunity to choose one of three disciplines as the focus of their studies:

• Radiation Therapy uses ionizing radiation to destroy cancerous tissue while monitoring patients.
• Radiological Technology uses external x-rays to image body structures.
• Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology administers radio pharmaceuticals to assess organ function and cellular disease.

Radiological technology is the production of medical images commonly called X-rays, of internal organs and structures. They are produced by passing a small, highly controlled amount of radiation through the human body, and capturing the resulting image on an image recording device. When X-rays penetrate the body, they are absorbed in varying amounts by different parts of the anatomy. Bones, for example, will absorb much of the radiation and, therefore, appear white or light gray on the image, whereas soft tissue absorbs little radiation and appears dark.

Radiation Therapists work closely with doctors, medical physicists, patients and other members of the health care team. They use advanced computer systems and radiation therapy equipment to design and implement treatment plans and deliver radiation treatment, including:

• Planning all treatment details, including calculating the radiation dose and simulating its distribution
• Positioning the patient and operating the radiation therapy equipment
• Constructing and fitting accessory devices that shape, modify and direct the administered radiation to destroy cancerous tissue
• Therapists also play an important role in counseling patients on possible side effects from treatments and provide advice on how best to minimize these effects. Because radiation treatments often extend over several weeks, a special supportive relationship often develops between the therapist, the patient and the patient’s family.

About Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technology

The practice of Nuclear Medicine Technology is evolving, and will continue to change due to technology, practice and environmental factors. A two year program redevelopment phase has allowed for extensive consultation with key stakeholders. A comprehensive redesign of the curriculum was undertaken to best meet the needs of our students, clinical partners and the medical imaging community. The program will reflect the changing practice and technology in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.

A hybrid learning experience will meet the needs of different learners by allowing students to participate in both online and face-to-face components. Theory will be put into practice by examining increasingly complex case studies and applying knowledge in both simulated and clinical environments.