CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM CENTRAL GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE Macon Campus 3300 Macon Tech Drive, Macon, GA 31206 478-757-3403 www.centralgatech.edu Effective Fall Semester 2014 / Revised August 2014
CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM SELECTION Admission to the college and selection into the Cardiovascular program is a distinct process. Students are responsible for understanding and following the entire process. Questions regarding admission to the college should be directed to the Office of Admissions. Macon Campus: (478) 757-3403 Warner Robins Campus: (478) 988-6850 Milledgeville Campus: (478) 445-2300 Questions regarding Cardiovascular Technology program selection should be directed to: Tiffini Strickland RT(R), RCIS, Program Chairperson: tstrickland@centralgatech.edu, (478) 757-3667 Or Jessica Smith, RVS, RCS, Cardiovascular Instructor: jssmith@centralgatech.edu, (478) 757-4356 As set forth in its Student Catalog, Central Georgia Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam Era, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law). The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the administration of the College nondiscrimination policies: Linda Hampton Executive Director of Conduct, Appeals and Compliance 3300 Macon Tech Drive Macon, GA 31206 Building J, Room 133 478-757-3408 FAX-478-471-5197
CGTC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or its equivalent to be admitted to the CVT program. Submit an application for college admission, along with a $20 non-refundable application fee. Schedule to take the COMPASS placement exam (offered in the Testing Center) in order to be admitted to the college. There is no charge for initial administration of the COMPASS exam. (Other placement exam scores may be acceptable, for example, SAT or ACT.) Request transfer credit for courses completed at accredited college(s) or other educational institutes, if applicable. Complete a Request for Transfer Credit prior to admission, and submit official transcripts to the Registrar s Office. Complete a Transcript Evaluation form in order to receive credit for transferred course work. Classes will be accepted at the end Fall Semester. CARDIOVASCULAR ADMISSION FILE CHECKLIST An applicant s official student record must contain the following items in order to be accepted for admission: Application for admission High School/GED or College Transcript Proof of age Placement Exam Scores (COMPASS, SAT, ACT) PSB Health Aptitude for Practical Nursing Examination, 3 rd Edition *The PSB exam is not required for admission to CGTC; however, it is required prior to selection into the Cardiovascular Technology Program. No minimum score is required to be selected into the program. This exam should be taken prior to completion of the required eight core courses. More information about the PSB exam may be obtained in the college Testing Centers or Media Centers or on-line at http://www.psbtests.com/web/guest
CGTC CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM SELECTION PROCEDURE Students are admitted to CGTC s Cardiovascular Program through a process of competitive admission that includes three steps. Only those students who meet the minimum academic eligibility requirements (outlined below) will be considered for selection. 1) Successfully complete the nine required core courses (minimum 3.0 GPA of these courses required). ENGL 1101 (Composition and Rhetoric) Associate degree-level MATH 1111 (College Algebra) Associate degree-level BIOL 2113/Lab (Anatomy and Physiology I) Associate degree-level with Lab successful completion within the last five (5) years. BIOL 2114/Lab (Anatomy and Physiology II) Associate degree-level with Lab successful completion within the last five (5) years. PSYC 1101 (Introduction to Psychology) Associate degree-level PHYS 1110/Lab (Conceptual Physics) Associate degree-level with Lab. Transfer Credit: Core courses requested for transfer credit from another institution must meet the above criteria in order to be accepted by CGTC. Other courses requested for transfer credit will be accepted as follows: ALHS courses successfully completed within the last five (5) years and CAVT/ECHO/DMSO courses successfully completed within the last year (any specific grade requirements mentioned later in this pamphlet are applicable). The student requesting transfer credit into CAVT courses must have taken the PSB Aptitude for Practical Nursing Examination, 3 rd Edition as outlined in the next step of this procedure. Additionally, the student must be able to successfully perform all competencies of the CAVT/ECHO/DMSO course(s) for which transfer credit is requested. 2) Complete the PSB Aptitude for Practical Nursing Examination, 3 rd Edition. Students may take the exam at any time while taking their required core courses, but no later than midterm Fall semester. This PSB procedure is also applicable to students requesting to transfer into CAVT/ECHO/DMSO courses. Students may take the test two times in a year. The exam is administered in the CGTC Testing Center. There is a $20 testing fee. * Only PSB Aptitude for Practical Nursing Examination, 3 rd Edition scores will be considered in the selection process. Students who took the 2 nd Edition PSB (prior to February 1, 2011) or the 3 rd Edition Health Aptitude Test (prior to May 2, 2013) must take the PSB Aptitude for Practical Nursing Examination, 3 rd Edition.
3) Submit Progression/Application Form to the Admissions Office. a. Students will not be considered for selection for any given semester unless his/her name is on the list. All requirements for selection must be completed and official documents submitted (including all items listed on the Cardiovascular Technology Admission File Checklist) by midterm Fall semester. In the event that the student is not selected for the program and wishes to be considered for the following semester selection, it is the student s responsibility to ensure that his/her application remains active by submitting a progression form/application again and that all required course grades and timeframes are still applicable. b. To submit the Progression Form go to the CGTC home page at www.centralgatech.edu page Current Students Student Affairs Admissions Progression Form Request log in to your BannerWeb account. This will automatically open the form. You will then just fill in the form and submit it electronically. Please make sure you print a copy of the form for your records. Selection Criteria Upon successful completion of the required core courses and having taken the PSB test, students will be considered for selection into the CAVT program based on the following criteria: 1. GPA will be calculated according to the following guidelines: a. Scoring: GPA X 100 plus highest PSB score. b. In the case of multiple attempts at a course(s) to achieve the required course grade or improve a grade, only the two most recent attempts will be calculated in the GPA. In the event that a student previously attempted coursework at institutions other than GGTC, official transcripts will be evaluated to include the two most recent attempts, and grades from any applicable coursework will be calculated in the GPA accordingly. c. Only courses taken within the required timeframe will be calculated in the GPA. In the case of English, COMP and/or Psychology, course grades for courses taken over five (5) years will not be computed in the GPA, unless it is the student s only grade for the specific course. 2. The number of students selected is based on the number of available clinical slots in the program as a whole and may vary by campus and semester. Tiebreaker: In the event of a tie in the ranking, the student s current PSB score will be used as the tiebreaker. In the event that a student has taken the PSB exam more than once, the current PSB scores will be averaged and the average of the two scores will be used in the tiebreaker process. Students will receive notification from the Admissions Office by phone or e-mail regarding selection results. At that time, instructions will be given as to registration and CAVT Program orientation.
Post-selection Requirements Following selection, in order to progress in the program, the student must maintain a minimum grade of C for all required CAVT/ECHO/DMSO courses and maintain a GPA of a 2.5 or higher in order to progress to the next term and remain on track. Those who receive a grade below a "C" on any CAVT/ECHO/DMSO course and/or who s GPA drops below 2.5, will be removed from the track progression in the program and have to wait until the course is offered again (usually the next year) to apply to repeat the course. Admission back into the program is dependent upon space available at the time the course is offered. Transfer, re-entry (any break in successive semester enrollment), and transient students will be accepted into the program based on clinical slot availability. In order to receive transfer or reentry credit for the courses below, CAVT/ECHO/DMSO courses must have been taken within the last year. If CAVT/ECHO/DMSO courses are older than one (1) year, they will not be accepted for credit, and the student must compete for selection (as previously outlined in this packet) and begin the program with new first semester students (see below). Students transferring to CGTC from another institution who are applying for entrance into the Cardiovascular Technology program upper level selections (i.e.: entering the program at any point past the new student first semester) must also meet the 2.5 GPA requirement as stated above. Before any student s first clinical experience in the program, proof of required immunizations, a drug screen and background check are required (re-entry students will fulfill the drug screen/background check requirements upon re-entering the program as well as with the first clinical experience). A student who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be admitted to the Cardiovascular Technology program, but such a conviction may prohibit one from being accepted into a clinical training site and/or taking the certification examination. A preapplication form to determine eligibility is available from the Cardiovascular Technology Program Director or at www.cci-online.org.
CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM CURRICULUM Required Core Courses for Competitive Admission All previously mentioned requirements apply for selection eligibility. These courses can be taken in two or more semesters, depending on the student s schedule and course availability, but must be completed by the end of Fall semester for Spring acceptance. COURSE CREDIT HOURS CONTACT HOURS ENGL 1101 Composition and Rhetoric 3 45 MATH 1111 College Algebra 3 45 PSYC 1101 Introduction to Psychology 3 45 BIOL 2113 Anatomy and Physiology I 3 45 BIOL 2113L Anatomy and Physiology I Lab 1 45 BIOL 2114 Anatomy and Physiology II 3 45 BIOL 2114 L Anatomy and Physiology II Lab 1 45 PHYS 1110 Conceptual Physics 3 45 PHYS 1110 L Conceptual Physics Lab 1 45 Total Hours 21 405 COURSE CREDIT HOURS CONTACT HOURS SPCH 1101 Public Speaking 3 45 MATH 1127 Introduction to Statistics 3 45 HUMN 1101 Introduction to Humanities 3 45 ALHS 1040 Introduction to Healthcare 3 75 COMP 1000 Introduction to Computers 3 75 ALHS 1090 Medical Terminology 2 30 Total Hours 20 320 Suggested Course Progression for Students Selected into the CAVT Program In each of the semesters listed below, the student must successfully complete all courses prior to progressing to the following semester. Fall Semester CAVT 1030 Electrophysiology & Cardiac A&P 4 credit hours CAVT 1100 Cardiac Catheterization Fundamentals 3 credit hours CAVT 1002 Medical Physics 2 credit hours ECHO 1100 Echocardiography Fundamentals 3 credit hours
In addition to these classes students are required to attend observation days. Students will rotate through various areas of cardiovascular technology to help determine specialty track. Observations days are a part of your grade. Spring Semester CAVT 1080 Advanced Hemo & Physiology 4 credit hours ECHO 1550 Professional Development 1 credit hour And CAVT 1020 Cardiac Catheterization I 4 credit hours CAVT 1021 Cardiac Catheterization Clinical I 3 credit hours Or ECHO 1310 Echocardiography I 4 credit hours ECHO 1360 Echocardiography Clinical I 1 credit hour DMSO 1040 Sonography Physics & Instrumentation 4 credit hour Summer Semester CAVT 1090 Drug Calculation and Admin 2 credit hours And CAVT 2020 Cardiac Catheterization II 4 credit hours CAVT 2030 Cardiac Catheterization Clinical II 6 credit hours Or ECHO 1320 Echocardiography II 4 credit hours EHCO 1370 Echocardiography Clinical II 6 credit hours Fall Semester CAVT 2040 Cardiac Catheterization III 4 credit hours CAVT 2050 Cardiac Catheterization Clinical III 7 credit hours CAVT 2070 Cardiac Cath Registry Review I 1 credit hour Or ECHO 2310 Pediatric Echocardiography 4 credit hours ECHO 2360 Echocardiography Clinical III 8 credit hours DMSO 1080 Sono Physics/Instrumentation Reg Review 1 credit hour Spring Semester CAVT 2060 Cardiac Catheterization IV 11 credit hours CAVT 2080 Cardiac Cath Registry Review II 1 credit hour Or ECHO 2370 Echocardiography Clinical IV 11 credit hours ECHO 2400 Echo Comprehensive Registry Review 1 credit hour APPROXIMATE COST EXPECTATIONS (AFTER CAVT SELECTION) After selection, Cardiovascular Technology students should expect five (5) semesters of fulltime instruction. Textbook expense for the first semester is approximately $600, with approximately $300 more for the last two semesters combined, for a total of approximately $1,200 book expense. Other expected expenses (not including tuition) are:
Physical Examination: approximately $60 (plus additional immunizations) during 1 st Semester, before midterm. Drug Screen: approximately $35 during 1 st Semester, before midterm. Criminal Background Check: approximately $50 - during 1 st Semester before midterm. Liability Insurance: payable with CAVT 1021 or ECHO 1360 tuition 1 st Semester approximately $15.00 Uniforms: approximately $30 each; 3 required during 1 st Semester (most students purchase 4-5 over their clinical experience). Required Supplies for Clinical: approximately $50 during 1 st Semester Required Registry Prep Materials: approximately $300 during 3 rd Semester Expenses After Graduation Required To Apply For Licensure: Registry Specialty Examination Fee: $350 end of 4 th Semester Costs above may vary, and students will be given detailed information about requirements in program orientation, but the intent is to give the prospective student an idea of the financial obligations that the Cardiovascular student will incur. Financial Aid may assist with these costs, but may not cover all of the costs of the program and supplies. The above expense list does not include costs for housing, food, and mileage to travel to and from campus and clinical sites. CGTC s CAVT program is supported by area hospitals, clinics, physicians offices and urgent care centers which serve as clinical sites for the program. In order to obtain the required clinical practice for each course, the student is required to meet certain employment criteria for these clinical sites including, but not limited to, health clearance through physical examination, negative drug/alcohol screening, and negative criminal background history. The clinical sites (independent of the CGTC CAVT program) determine those students who meet their criteria for clinical practice.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND THE PROFESSION The mission of CGTC s Cardiovascular Technology program is to provide educational opportunities to individuals in didactic and clinical environments that will enable them to obtain skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to graduate and become successful entry-level Cardiovascular Technologist specializing in Invasive Cardiac Catheterization or Non-Invasive Echocardiography. Cardiovascular Technology is a health technology profession centered on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with cardiac diseases. A Cardiovascular Technologist performs examinations at the request or under direct supervision of a physician, is proficient in the use of analytical equipment, and provides a foundation of data from which a correct anatomic and physiologic diagnosis may be made. Licensure Information: After a CAVT student has completed a formal cardiovascular technology program of study and receives an associate s degree, they may be eligible to apply to Cardiac Credentialing International (CCI) for the specialty examination for their chosen specialty; Registered Invasive Cardiovascular Specialist (RCIS) or Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS). CGTC s CAVT program has practice exams, computer labs, and books available to prepare students for this examination. Although CGTC CAVT program graduates will have received the knowledge and skills necessary to practice, the graduate cannot deliver patient care or usually obtain employment without successfully passing the specialty registry exam. Upon graduation from the CGTC CAVT program, the program chairperson, on behalf of the student, will submit to CCI verification of program completion. The student may then submit the application online to the CCI. In order to be eligible for the registry, the student must meet all qualification criteria set for by CCI, including passing the specialty exam. Although the student with a criminal history may be accepted by the CAVT program s clinical sites for clinical practice, the CCI Board has the right to use the same criminal history to deny registry to a student, even if the student successfully completes the CAVT program. The decision to register a graduate of a CAVT program rests solely with Cardiac Credentialing International. CGTC is not a registry board and does not guarantee registry to its CAVT program graduates. The statements in this publication are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as the basis of a contract between the student and the College. For more information about the CAVT program, contact CGTC Admissions Warner Robins Campus, (478)988-6850, (478) 757-3403 Macon Campus, (478) 445-2300 Milledgeville Campus or Mrs. Tiffini Strickland at the Macon Campus (478) 757-3667.