Most general courses range from $2,000 to $3,000 per week - while a cutting edge course like digital mammography costs around $5,000. Most of RSTI's students are there at the request of their employers, who pay for the training. There are also a significant number of people looking to change careers and paying for classes on their own. "Repair and maintenance training may appear to be expensive at first blush, but the truth is, hospitals and third parties recoup their costs within the first six months," says Dale Cover, Jr., VP of Training & Logistics at RSTI.

Radiologic Educational Services (RES), located in Austin, TX provides continuing education programs to radiologic, mammography and ultrasound technologists. The programs are American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) approved and meet the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and/or American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) license renewal requirements and all state licensing renewal requirements. They range from 5 to 28.5 credits and are approved by the ASRT Department of Continuing Education. The programs offered at Radiologic Educational Services are correspondence courses and come with textbook and post-tests mailed to the participants to complete in their home or office. Sixteen programs are offered including mammography, general radiography and sonography. A score of 75% or greater must be achieved on the post-test answer sheet in order to pass. "If anything, more technologists are looking for inexpensive ways to meet their continuing education requirements, and we fit that bill," says President of RES, Caron Colvett, RT.

Similar training goes on at Advanced Education Center (AHEC) located in Houston, TX - offering training and continuing education for technical providers of services in imaging. AHEC is accredited to sponsor physician CME and approved for continuing education for radiologic technologists. AHEC provides the training/CME required to meet accreditation and, combined with the experience gained in the sponsoring health care facility, meets the qualification to perform certain duties or to take an advanced standing exam. AHEC has 40 Internet-based educational activities that satisfy the requirements to gain renewal of license, and a post-test is given with each activity. Some of AHEC's sponsors and partners include Sonosite, Philips Ultrasound, GE Healthcare, Beekley Markers, Siemens Ultrasound and Cardiovascular Healthcare Evaluation Systems, Inc. "We train customers, present special courses for them, train their salespeople, and they help us with equipment for training that matches the customer's purchase. It's really a win-win for everyone," says AHEC President, Marilyn Sackett. AHEC training comes in two forms: teaching new imaging skills like ultrasound, MRI, CT, mammography and bone density for career advancement; and continuing education for performance improvement.