By: Angela Mennecke
Mammography program students at College of DuPage now have access to more specialized training, thanks for the addition of new field-specific equipment.
The innovative digital technology, Hologic Tomosynthesis 2D and 3D mammography machines, typically are available at hospitals and clinical settings, and most programs do not have the equipment on-campus, said COD Diagnostic Medical Imaging Assistant Professor and Mammography Program Chair Sue Dumford.
“The new equipment gives students an added advantage to be able to practice their skills in the classroom before having to use it on real patients during clinical rotations at hospitals and clinics,” she said. “Students will be able to practice on other classmates as well as on model torsos with soft breasts. Having the machines in front of students also allows us to teach about quality assurance and quality control.”
The Mammography program at COD is a one-semester post-radiography advanced certificate program available to graduates of an accredited Radiography program. Many of the students enrolled in the Mammography program are graduates of COD’s two-year Radiography program.
I’m proud to say that we maintain a 100 percent American Registry of Radiologic Technologists registry pass rate and that our graduates are recognized as excellent entry-level mammographers.
Sue Dumford, Mammography Program Chair
Tara Logan decided to pursue a career in mammography after working at the front desk of a general surgery office.
“One of the doctors in my office was a breast surgeon,” she said. “Every day he worked with breast cancer patients, and I will never forget how he made them feel. When people are going through some of the toughest days of their life, they need someone to lean on, and I wanted to be that person for them.”
Logan graduated from COD’s Radiography program in 2017 earning an Associate in Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Imaging before earning an advanced certificate in Mammography shortly after.
“The program truly prepared me for a long career in breast imaging, and I’m so lucky to have been a part of both COD’s Radiography and Mammography programs,” she said. “With the two mammography units, I was able to learn correct positioning skills and then go out into the field and practice on real patients. Cancer screening is something that will always be needed, and your patients will always need you. Apply to the program and start making a difference in the way females feel about health care.”