Mammography Initial Training | Classroom - Houston

AHEC has provided mammography initial training since 1989. The current training required through federal and state regulations from the Mammography Quality Standard Act (MQSA) is composed of classroom hours, lab demonstrations, and supervised clinical procedures.

AHEC hosts 3 to 4 initial training programs annually. Enrollment in the programs requires advance registration with completion of the required documentation for credentials, supervision, and sponsorship. There are two options in our program. The first option allows the technologist to return to her facility sponsor where she is employed and complete her training program under the approved supervision of a registered mammographer in her department. The supervising mammographer must submit credentials, proof of continuing experience, and current CE compliance. Supervisors must be approved by AHEC to participate in the education of the mammographer. They will utilize AHEC competency forms which identify the criteria for a satisfactory mark of completion. The second option is available for radiologic technologists who sponsor themselves and require a facility and a credentialed supervisor to teach, evaluate, and assist in completion of their 25 clinical procedures. Our office will ask one of our clinical partners to allow you to complete your patient procedures under supervision of one of their qualified mammographers. Student liability insurance is provided for you as part of your tuition while you are enrolled in the AHEC program performing clinical procedures. Participants from other states who are not licensed in Texas have a 2 week window for performing patient procedures as part of an education program before a Texas license is required to administer ionizing radiation to patients.

The program is scheduled from Thursday through Sunday with Digital Tomosynthesis on Monday and clinical procedures on Tuesday and Wednesday. Clinical procedures must be completed within a 6 month window upon completion of the coursework or the positioning lectures and the positioning labs must be repeated before clinical procedures can be performed.

The digital modality training will be an integral part of our program in 2015 and will not be offered as a standalone class. Those who require digital training who have been performing analog mammography can visit our video CE and choose the digital class videos and satisfy the 8 hour requirement.

AHEC teaches a hands-on positioning lab during the initial training class. Participants are divided into small groups with a qualified mammographer instructor and using clinical mammography equipment for demonstration, each student must practice what they learned in the classroom except for the actual application of radiation.

Analog training for film/screen mammography is available in our online video CE. It is not a part of our classroom initial training program for entry level mammographers anymore. There are still questions on the ARRT advanced level exam on the subject content as analog mammography is still in practice. You will be given a link to access these modules during the classroom training.

Mammographic procedures are highly operator dependent. The knowledge and skills of the radiologic technologist will be severely tested to produce high quality diagnostic images and to do it consistently. It is far more important that you have a passion for this specialty and pride in your work to enter this as a career. There is no tolerance for sloppy work and to ignore the regulatory components could lead to serious consequences.