Are certificate programs in radiation safety any good?

[guswg]

Estrallia Mountain Community College in Phoenix has a 23 credit program in Radiation Protection Technology.  It is comprised of the following 23 credits: Radiation Fundamentals, Radiation Monitoring, Radiation Dosimetry, Radioactive Materials Handling, Radiological Safety and Response, Radiation Protection, Radiation Protection Internship.

If I complete this and get a certificate of completion, and I pass the DOE Core Test do you think I could hire on at a DOE site as a Junior Helath Physics Technician?

Has anybody heard of Estrallia Mountain Community College and is it a good community college?

[shaynek]

 I took a class similiar to that is wasnt at a college it was four month class i paid over 4000 to take it that was five year ago i got certified but never got a job.  Last month i got recertifiied they were giving a test and an interview i passed the test and still didnt get the job so what im trying to say is that even if you take a course i dont think it improves your chances that is my experince.  I would study nukeworker.com or hptech.org most of the questions on those web sites you will find them on the test

[guswg]

Thanks for the advice on the certificate program in Health Physics.  I guess my odds of landing a job as a Junior go up if I complete an Associates Degree.  My problem is I don't do that well in school and I'm a little afraid of the calculus and analytical geometry, physics, and chemistry, ect. that I would have to take in addition to the radiation protection courses.  I guess I could take the RP courses and see it that worked and if not, try to make it through the Associates Degree program.

Anybody that is responsible for hiring or recruiting ever heard of Estralia Mountain CC?

[UncaBuffalo]

Estrallia Mountain Community College in Phoenix has a 23 credit program in Radiation Protection Technology.  It is comprised of the following 23 credits: Radiation Fundamentals, Radiation Monitoring, Radiation Dosimetry, Radioactive Materials Handling, Radiological Safety and Response, Radiation Protection, Radiation Protection Internship.

If I complete this and get a certificate of completion, and I pass the DOE Core Test do you think I could hire on at a DOE site as a Junior Helath Physics Technician?

Has anybody heard of Estrallia Mountain Community College and is it a good community college?

A certificate is plenty of education to get a job...IF the site you are interested in is short of techs... Heck, they are still hiring off the street in Idaho, last I heard.

If I were you, I'd go talk to the advisors at the school.  Find out where the internships are & what other sites the school has placed graduates at.  Then you will be able to make a semi-educated guess whether there will still be slots available when YOU graduate...or whether the school will have saturated the market.

No college is just going to randomly say, "Gee...I think I'll set up a Radiation Safety program."  Some local nuclear utility or DOE contractor has approached them and asked the school to help train potential workers.  (In Estrella's case, I would assume it is whoever they have the intern program with...?)   The problem with all these little shake-and-bake certificate programs is that the school always has great placement at first...then they get over-excited and flood the market with qualified people.  If Estrella has already reached the saturation point at your site of interest, then you won't get a job...whether you have the certificate OR the associate OR...


Here's my take on it:  Jump into the certificate program...stay focused & do good on the classes...and then REALLY step up when it comes time for the internship.  Show the company that you are reliable, hardworking, pleasant, and an all-around wonderful technician & human being.  You will:
1.  Have made a good impression on the people doing the hiring.
and
2.  Be available a year sooner than the people getting the associates.


Good luck!