Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science

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“In the right places, research can help radiologic science programs—and the profession as a whole—empower and enable technologists”

By Jenny Song

Gary Sayed, PhD, FACNM, dean of the College of Science and Health at Charles Drew University
of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, has what few radiologic science educators can claim: A $1.4 million annual research budget, three brand-new research labs and six PhD-level researchers to act as research mentors to his radiologic science educators while also teaching alongside them.

At a time when rumors abound of a looming educator shortage and JRCERT degree requirements are causing rifts in the profession, Dr. Sayed is challenging the field through the creation of his academic research program in radiologic sciences and proving anything is possible if you expand your horizons.

Try to recognize his singular efforts and Dr. Sayed will dismiss any credit due to him for initiating the academic research program, while sheepishly admitting he had an ulterior motive, as the dean, to pursue extramural funding. Listening to him speak about the program, however, reveals a truer motivation—a passion for research in radiologic sciences and a dedication to the belief that applied research in the technical field must begin among technologists.

It is true that computer scientists develop the algorithms to fuse images from different modalities, while biomedical engineers, medical physicists, radiologic scientists and chemists design and commission new imaging devices, instruments and contrast agents. Physicians do their part by investigating which diagnostic imaging approach works best for a specific disease and which therapeutic technique works best for a given type of tumor.

But there is an area, Dr. Sayed argued, that radiologic technologists are better suited to than any of these other professionals.

"A bench top scientist who designs X-ray tubes is not necessarily the best kind of person to do [applied clinical research] because he may never have taken an X-ray of an individual in his entire life," he said. "What is missing is the applied technical research in the clinical area, and that's a role the technologists, as primary users, can engage in. If they don't do their own [research], it simply will not get done," said Dr. Sayed, a former nuclear medicine technologist who has a master's degree in radiochemistry and a doctorate in the radiologic sciences.

He cited as an example the basic chest X-ray one of the most common tests performed in the radiology department. Technologists learn in school how to acquire the chest X-ray the standard way in the upright position with 120 kVp and mAs in the 1.5 to 10 range.

"But has anybody looked at an alternate way that's more efficient, that produces a better image, and that's less time consuming?" Dr. Sayed asked rhetorically. "Those are the types of operational questions that these frontline practitioners are best suited for, and they're the ones who can answer it."

Those are also the kinds of questions that propelled Dr. Sayed to spearhead a project that had never been attempted before in the radiologic sciences.

Creating a research program.

The radiologic science research program at Charles Drew University seeks to accomplish three goals: create knowledge to expand and advance the field of radiologic science; provide its faculty
with a professional development opportunity; and to enhance the department and college research portfolio and boost extramural funding.

As part of the program, educators with doctorate degrees in the radiologic science department are paired with one of six research scientists. The research scientists are recruited from top universities around the country to aid in training junior researchers and in conducting various projects sponsored by grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Sayed, for example, received a five-year, $4.62 million infrastructure grant from the NIH. One of
the key projects funded by the grant is MRI contrast development, including a blood brain permeable contrast agent that Dr. Sayed is working on. Each of his six researchers has his own research
project as well.

"For example, we have a person who does neuroscience research using micro-CT scanning. She studies cell regeneration. We are also using DEXA scans to determine lead levels on certain populations," he said.

The radiologic science department at Charles Drew University has been fortunate to have
recruited educators with doctorate degrees, making participation in the research program feasible. But Dr. Sayed admitted it wasn't easy finding them.

According to the JRCERT 2004 annual report, only 6 percent of radiography program directors, and only 5 percent of radiation therapy program directors, hold doctorate degrees. Fifty-one percent of radiography program directors, on the other hand, hold master's degrees, while 50 percent of radiation therapy program directors hold master's degrees.

Looking at the broader picture, radiologic technologists with doctorate degrees are even fewer. According to the ASRT's 2004 Wage and Salary Survey, just 0.27 percent of ASRT-member respondents reported holding a doctoral degree. Given that there are about 118,000 ASRT
members, that means a mere 327 ASRT members have doctoral degrees. Take it a step further
and, of the total 250,000 registered technologists nationwide, less than 350 RTs list a doctoral degree among their credentials, according to the ARRT.

One reason for the small percentage is money.

"The pay scale is an issue, but we're paying probably a lot more than what other programs are paying," Dr. Sayed said. "As challenging as it is, however, it is possible. I can count four or five of my own students who are in the process of earning [a doctorate degree.] And as this population grows, we will be better positioned to do this kind of work."

After all, in order for research to have a viable future in the radiologic sciences, education must begin with the educators.

"One cannot be a bench scientist or a principle investigator with a master's degree under normal circumstances because that's not enough training. If our baseline is a master's we have a long way to go," Dr. Sayed continued.

That's not to say that research should be put off to the sidelines just because most educators don't possess terminal degrees.

"What are we going to do about it? Train them and get them to a level where they can do this kind of work by providing them with these opportunities," he said.

For those educators in the radiologic science department without doctorate degrees, Charles Drew University is providing the appropriate infrastructure, support and guidance, and release time for its own faculty to pursue their doctorates.

"Our definition of a full-time instructor or professor is a person who teaches four courses per semester. Depending upon their capability or capacity, we ask them to teach three, two or one
course per semester while on release time," he said.

In addition, the six senior faculty members teach at least two courses so that their responsibilities
are split in half. They spend 50 percent of their time teaching and 50 percent conducting research. Research scientists are told in advance that teaching is part of their responsibilities, and so far
there has been no problem with it, Dr. Sayed said. He added that overall, the program has been a tremendous success, not only fostering research among educators, but also benefiting students by enabling them to learn from the experts.

"Our students in the process are taught by specialists in the field for example when they learn drug interaction and contrast agent mechanisms, they learn it from a specialist with a doctorate in the field," Dr. Sayed said. "The primary instructors are still practitioners certified in the field and the researchers teach the basic science courses."

For example, he said, radiographers and MR and CT technologists must take a course in contrast agents. Since contrast agents are a branch of pharmacology, the pharmacologist teaches that course. Similarly, the radiologic science students are also required to take a course in physics and instrumentation, so the medical physicist teaches the course on physics and instrumentation.

Perfect for certain programs.

Dr. Sayed cautioned that the development of a research program is not for all radiologic science departments, and should not be seen as a panacea for the educator shortage.

"This model is not going to work for everyone," he said, citing community college-based programs
as an example, since community colleges ordinarily aren't engaged in research.

"It also won't work in a hospital certificate program since radiologic science professors usually have an inordinate amount of teaching load, and without any adjustment to that, it just wouldn't work out
at all," he said. "I would not take this as a magic pill—it's a good start and has potential."

A research program can be used, however, as a powerful recruitment tool for university-based radiologic science programs. The radiologic science department at the university has been using
its research program this way and, as a result, has received applications from highly qualified students, many of whom are interested in research. Active recruitment has also attracted
high-caliber faculty because of the infrastructure and support provided.

"We're trying to set up a model program in the radiologic sciences and in allied health in general to empower and enable the faculty to stand on their own feet, pursue their own funding and do their
own research," Dr. Sayed said. "So our long-term plan would be to enhance the caliber of our faculty and increase the number of faculty in the radiologic and imaging sciences by ultimately graduating PhD students."

Jenny Song is an assistant editor at ADVANCE. She can be reached at jsong@merion.com.