Vascular Technology, Associate of Applied Science Degree

Overview

Offered at the Augusta Campus

Entrance Dates:	Fall
Length of Program:	Seven Terms
Credit Hours Required for Graduation:	73

Admission: Vascular Technology is a competitive program. Students who meet the College admission criteria are eligible to enroll at the College to take prerequisite courses for this program. Prerequisite courses (ENGL 1101, Humanities/Fine Arts Area IV [refer to options], MATH 1111, MATH 1127, PSYC 1101, BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, PHYS 1110, and PHYS 1110L) must be completed with a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale by the designated deadline to be evaluated for program admission. The ranking/academic order for admission to the program is determined using the grade point average in MATH 1111, BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, BIOL 2114L, PHYS 1110, and PHYS 1110L). Students who are not selected for admission may consider another program or resubmit an admission application and a new Competitive Ranking Application by the next ranking cycle deadline. High school graduation or GED is required for admission to this program. For more information regarding this process, please contact the Admissions Office at [phone]. Refer to program related deadlines.

Program Description: Vascular Technology is a program of Augusta Technical College and University Hospital‘s Harry T. Harper, Jr., M.D., School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology. The off-campus site is centered at the Heart and Vascular Institute at University Hospital.

The program is a sequence of courses that 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 Vascular Technologist in an allied health profession specifically concerning the diagnosis and treatment of patients with vascular diseases. The profession requires critical thinking skills, judgment, and the ability to provide appropriate health care services. A vascular technologist performs examinations at the request or under direct supervision of a physician, is proficient in the use of a variety of diagnostic imaging and monitoring equipment, and provides sonographic images and data from which a correct anatomic and physiologic diagnosis can be made. Vascular Technology use high frequency sound waves to perform venous and arterial diagnostic procedures. The information is evaluated by physicians to make a medical diagnosis. Course work includes sonographic physics, sonographic identification of normal and abnormal anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pathophysiology of the venous and arterial systems, journal and case reviews, and a comprehensive registry review.

Employment Opportunities: Vascular technologists may pursue career opportunities within hospitals, physician offices, medical clinics, mobile outreach companies, cardiac equipment companies, or research groups.

Credentialing (Optional):  Satisfactory completion of all program courses entitles students to sit for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) – ARDMS examination. Students take the National Registry in Cardiac or Vascular Technology before graduation.

Curriculum Outline

General Core Courses, 19 credits

ENGL 1101	COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC	3
MATH 1111	COLLEGE ALGEBRA	3
MATH 1127	INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS	3
XXXX XXXX	HUMANITIES/FINE ARTS AREA IV*	3
PSYC 1101	INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY	3
PHYS 1110	CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS	3
PHYS 1110L	CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS LAB	1

*A list of General Education Area I, II, III, IV courses can be found in the General Education

Core Curriculum Section of this catalog.

Non General Education Degree Courses, 8 credits

BIOL 2113	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I	3
BIOL 2113L	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB I	1
BIOL 2114	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II	3
BIOL 2114L	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB II	1

Occupational Courses, 46 credits

CAVT 1030	ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND CARDIAC ANATOMY	3
DMSO 1020	SECTIONAL ANATOMY AND NORMAL SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE	3
DMSO 1040	SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION	3
DMSO 1080	SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION REGISTRY REVIEW	1
VAST 1100	VASCULAR FUNDAMENTALS	3
VAST 1040	VASCULAR I	4
VAST 2050	VASCULAR II	4
VAST 2060	VASCULAR CLINICAL I	6
VAST 2080	VASCULAR CLINICAL II	6
VAST 2090	VASCULAR CLINICAL III - EXTERNSHIP	13

Notes:

• A grade of “C” or higher is required for all courses.
• Students must have received a grade of a “C” or less in order to retake a course for ranking purposes. The first grade and the retake grade(s) will be averaged to determine the grade used for ranking purposes. This policy also applies to students with a transfer grade of a ‘C”. The transfer grade of a “C” and the retake grade will be averaged to determine the ranking grade.
• A student who receives a grade of less than a “C” in two or more prerequisite courses is not eligible for program progression/admission. This includes less than a “C” in the same or a different course. This includes courses taken under any program of study at Augusta Technical College and transcripts from colleges/universities previously attended.
• If a student makes less than a “C” in a prerequisite course that includes a lab, this will be counted as “one” academic failure or unsuccessful attempt. The student will be required to retake the component (lab or theory) in which a grade of less than a “C” was awarded in order to meet the prerequisite requirement. The theory letter grade will be averaged with the corresponding letter grade in lab to determine the final letter grade for ranking purposes.
• Unsuccessful course attempts that led to ineligibility for competitive progression evaluation will expire after five years.
• Prior to participation in campus/clinical labs, students are required to submit completed medical and dental examination forms. All required immunizations, including Hepatitis B, must be accompanied by documentation. Students who refuse to take the Hepatitis B vaccination series must sign a declination form and be aware that clinical practicum sites may refuse them an opportunity to gain clinical experience.
• A student who does not earn a grade of “C” or higher in one course with the CAVT, DMSO or VAST prefix will be suspended from the program for one year. A student who does not earn a grade of “C” or higher in any two courses with these prefixes will not be allowed to re-enter the Cardiovascular Technology Program.
• Conviction of a felony or gross misdemeanor may prohibit employment in field and may make a student ineligible to take licensing/certification exam(s) required for the profession. A background check and/or drug screen may be required by some agencies before a student attends a clinical practicum. For more information, contact the appropriate program advisor.
• Student activities associated with the curriculum, especially while students are completing his or her clinical rotations, will be educational in nature. Students will not be receiving monetary remuneration during this educational experience, nor will he or she be substituted for hired staff personnel within the clinical institution in the capacity of a cardiovascular technologist.
• Natural Science prefix courses older than 5 years will not be considered for program progression evaluation. Students will need to retake these courses to become eligible for program progression evaluation.
• Prior to participation in campus/clinical labs, students are required to show proof of current health insurance. Students who cannot show proof of health insurance need to be aware that clinical practicum sites may refuse to allow them the opportunity to gain clinical experience at their facility.

Guided Pathway

You may click on any course below to view the course description and prerequisite information.

Students who do not follow the Course Sequence listed below may not be able to complete the program in the number of semesters shown.

Augusta Day Program

PROGRAM NAME: Vascular Technology

AWARD: Associate of Applied Science Degree

CAMPUS: Augusta Day Program

Year 1 Fall Semester

ENGL 1101	COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC	3
MATH 1111	COLLEGE ALGEBRA	3
PSYC 1101	INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY	3
BIOL 2113	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I	3
BIOL 2113L	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB I	1

Year 1 Spring Semester

XXXX XXXX	HUMANITIES/FINE ARTS AREA IV*	3
MATH 1127	INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS	3
BIOL 2114	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II	3
BIOL 2114L	ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB II	1
PHYS 1110	CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS	3
PHYS 1110L	CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS LAB	1

*A list of General Education Area I, II, III, IV courses can be found in the General Education

Core Curriculum Section of this catalog.

Year 1 Summer Semester

Students are ranked for admission to the program summer semester

Year 2 Fall Semester

CAVT 1030	ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND CARDIAC ANATOMY	3
VAST 1100	VASCULAR FUNDAMENTALS	3
DMSO 1040	SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION	3

Year 2 Spring Semester

VAST 1040	VASCULAR I	4
VAST 2060	VASCULAR CLINICAL I	6
DMSO 1020	SECTIONAL ANATOMY AND NORMAL SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE	3
DMSO 1080	SONOGRAPHIC PHYSICS AND INSTRUMENTATION REGISTRY REVIEW	1

Year 2 Summer Semester

VAST 2050	VASCULAR II	4
VAST 2080	VASCULAR CLINICAL II	6

Year 3 Fall Semester

VAST 2090

VASCULAR CLINICAL III - EXTERNSHIP

13

 

.

Accreditation

The Vascular Technology Program is accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs—Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology. The contact information for the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs is as follows: 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL, 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org.

Student Achievement Data is available on the program's student achievement data page.