New! Public Forums for each Review Course

Select which review course you are interested in studying for along the left hand side of the screen. At the bottom of the page there is link to the forum. Register for free, and have access to discussions about the review course. Ask others questions about the exam, study techniques, or about our course. 

 Follow our Lead, we Guarantee you will pass your Board Exam!

We guarantee you will pass your board exams!  We still stand by you and make our material accessible to you until you pass.  Our exciting new study buddy program also allows quick access to question and answer sessions with our instructors.    Our virtual course, live course, along with any updated binder material will be available to our students until they pass the exam.  That is our guarantee!

Refer a friend to one of our review courses and receive $100!

When filling out the application, have them enter your name in the field "How did you hear about us?", and we'll send you a check for $100!

Welcome to Advanced Radiotherapy Consulting, or ARC. ARC trains physicians, physicists, dosimetrist, therapists, nurses, and even administrators who want to learn more. When ARC opened, we focused on MDCB and ABR Board Certification. Since 2001, our review courses are recognized as a “must attend” training event. Our intensive, high quality instruction prepares Physicists and Dosimetrists for the ABR and MDCB Board exams. Our pass rates for the Board Review courses are peerless. Each year our students pass the boards at a rate of 80% or better. With ten years under our belt’s we have a proven track record that reflects the quality of our courses. The demands placed on the Medical Physicists, Dosimetrists, and Nurses today are ever increasing, diverse yet specialized at the same time. With the managed health care environment restricting most institutions operating at adequate staffing, the ability to find ample study time becomes more and more challenging. ARC is filling this void by providing a no nonsense, high-yield instruction.

Today ARC is more than just Board Review courses. We now offer multiple training programs centered on the Radiation Oncology Department. Our Remote Dosimetry School (RDS) is a one-year program following guidelines recommended by the AAMD. This school provides didactic and lab instruction along with a clinical rotation at your current employer site or another sponsoring facility. This course is peer recommended as most participants registration is based on word of mouth. This program covers topics such as basic radiation properties, biology and delivery, simulation processes and treatment planning. To date we have trained over eighty medical dosimetrists, with the vast majority of them going on to become Board Certified.

Radiation Oncology Nursing is a very underserved sector. There are very few educational programs unique to the Radiation Oncology Nurse. The ARC nursing course (Virt-RON) fills the gap. Nurses fill a unique and vital role in the radiation oncology department. This course blends many technical and clinical aspects that will aid Nurses in understanding each individual component of the radiation procedure. Upon completion, you will be better informed about the terminologies and processes and be an even more valuable member of the Radiation Oncology team.  We have a sacred obligation to always serve our patients.

ARC’s Symposia and Vendor training are designed to train the Radiation Oncology team in the implementations of new technologies and processes. Our experience in the clinic reveals that many Oncology departments are not maximizing the use of the new equipment nor do they take advantage of new approaches. ARC will train the Oncology staff to utilize these new technologies and implement new processes to serve our patients. Give us a call to enroll now (866) 537-2200.

Virtual Available at Any Time

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Dosimetry Board Review Courses (MDCB)

June 30-July 1, 2012

Come join us for our 2-day intensive  review course in Las Vegas and experience why our students’ first time pass rate is 30% higher than the national average.

 Brent Murphy, MS, DABR, will lead the interactive lecture, open for questions and offering helpful study tips. Attendance also provides access to our online student forum, helpful equations “cheat sheet”, and other notes gathered throughout our12 years of  experience.

The course will be held at Bally's, Las Vegas. When registering under our group block, student's will receive a discounted rate of $99 a night. The ASRT will also be holding their expo at Bally's during the same time.

Guaranteed to Pass!

Now Live or Virtual !

The demands placed on the medical dosimetrists today are ever increasing; diverse yet specialized at the same time. With the managed health care environment not allowing most institutions to operate at adequate staffing, the ability to find ample study time becomes more and more challenging.  ARC is filling this void by providing a no-nonsense intense instruction with accompanying study guides. In a sense, ARC will do the homework for you.  Several schools have put on review board courses and have failed to provide the necessary focus to ensure students are adequately prepared to PASS their boards. Our philosophy for preparing students adequately is based on:

• Organized Study Notes
• Connecting the Physics to the Clinical Application
• Thoroughness
• Test Rehearsals
• Study Buddy-post questions and receive video responses

The distinction of certification is definitely a discriminator. The American College of Radiology recognizes competent dosimetrists or physicists as those who are Board Certified. We both know that experience is equally if not more important, however, certification does have several advantages.  Dosimetrists that are board certified are paid on the average in order of $5,000 to $10,000 more annually. Although some may view the ARC courses are premium priced, the payback could be less than one year. Why take the exam more than once or attend several other review courses that have not worked for you in the past? Time is money. Let us do the work for you. In many cases, your institute would pay for the course or a portion thereof. Administrators and Physicians need to be aware of the importance of certification. If you would like me to write or talk to these individuals for you, do not hesitate to call me. I look forward to working with you in the future. In the last ten years, we have never fallen below an eighty percent pass rate. Our work speaks for itself!

Give us a call to enroll now (574)232-2305.

Register for our free forum to talk with past and present students of the exam.

Gain insight on helpful areas to study. Ask each other questions about the exam or our course. Register by selecting the link at the bottom of the page.

Brent D. Murphy, MS, DABR
Certified Medical Physicist
President of Education & Training
 ARC

Click here to access the Members Area.

Click here to access the MDCB Review Forum

Remote Dosimetry School

 Thank you for showing an interest in Advanced Radiotherapy Consulting,(Remote) Medical Dosimetry School (RDS).   ARC recognizes the need for an intensive Medical Dosimetry School in the U.S.  This Satellite Program is one-year in duration and follows the training guidelines recommended by the AAMD. We will accept 20 students and three alternates from each one-year session.

 ARC is a clinically based medical physics company that specializes in training, physics program implementation, and specialty services implementation:  IMRT, CT Sim, 3D Treatment Planning, HDR Brachytherapy, LDR Brachytherapy, Vascular Brachytherapy, Stereotactic Radiosurgery, and Oncology Imaging.

I look forward to receiving your application.

Brent D. Murphy, MS, DABR,
Certified Medical Physicist
President, Education & Training
 ARC
 

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The RDS training program includes didactic and lab instruction along with clinical rotation at the Sponsoring Facility and/or Affiliating Training Agency covering topics such as Basic Radiation properties, Biology and Delivery, Simulation Processes and Treatment Planning.

ARC RDS training program consists of two stages:
Stage 1:        Didactic/Lab Training                        Weeks 1-4    

Stage 2:        Clinical Rotation 11 months              Weeks 5-52   

                     Didactic Training (On-Line)               Weeks 6-52   

                     Oral Planning Review

Stage 1:        
Stage 1 is an intensive Medical Dosimetry “Boot Camp” that includes didactic and lab instruction.

Location:        The didactic portion of the program will be held at:

ARC
Training Facility
100 E. Wayne St. Suite 140
South Bend, IN 46601

Hours:  Minimum of 200 didactic / lab / module hours.

Curriculum:

• Basic Radiation Properties / Radiation Biology & Radiation Delivery
• Tissue Tolerances / Prescription Doses / DVHs
• Conventional Simulation & CT Simulation Basic
• Photon Dosimetry / Hand Calculations / Electron Dosimetry
• Treatment Planning / Plan Review / Hand Calcs
• Electron Treatments
• CT Sim & Immobilization
• CT Simulation & Treatment of: Prostate, Brain, Head and Neck, Breast, Abdomen, GYN and Extremity Cancers

Terms: Failure to pass Stage 1 will result in immediate removal from the program.

Stage 2:
Stage 2 is an 11-month on-site clinical rotation.

Location: Sponsoring Facility and/or Affiliating Training Agency location.

Hours:  3,640 or 5,460 hours of clinical medical dosimetry experience, depending on degree held. See requirements below.

Terms:
Clinical Rotation. The student will be responsible for completing case studies, clinical and technical module assignments, plan reviews, labs and monthly performance logs that will fulfill the requirements of the AAMD guidelines. In addition, it is required that the student adhere to the course schedule. Failure to do so will result in notification of the Sponsoring Facility and/or ARC RDS Program Director.

During the 2nd stage, the student is expected to participate at the training level established by the Sponsoring Facility and/or Affiliating Training Agency. The student is also required to be supervised by the Sponsoring Facilities Medical Physicist and Radiation Oncologist or the RDS Clinical Instructor depending on the clinical rotation placement.

Didactic Training.Student should allow 5-10 hours per week in addition to the on-site clinical instruction to complete the on-line didactic training. Failure to do so will jeopardize program completion and may result in notification of the Sponsoring Facility and/or ARC RDS Program Director.

Oral Planning Review.The Clinical Instructor will continue throughout Month 11 to provide medical Dosimetry daily planning activities for student. In addition, the student will review the Q&A which will be provided by the Program Director and continue as assigned by Clinical Instructor. At program completion, the student will be able to demonstrate planning competencies and prepare to take the oral planning review guided by the Program Director.

Program Content:     This program is very clinically oriented.  Students will be trained to meet the criteria necessary to sit for the CMD boards as according to the MDCB guidelines which can be found on the AAMD webpage www.mdcb.org/. There you will find clearly outlined, the job responsibilities for a medical dosimetrist. (Adstream note: John Continued on next Page)

Classes Begin:

Tuition:          $ 11,500

Tuition Schedule:

• A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 is required to reserve a seat once the applicant has been accepted. 
• If a student fails Stage 1, a 50% re-imbursement will be granted.
• When students enter Stage 2, there is no re-imbursement.
• Tuition includes:
  • the training course
  • 1 course manual
  • 1 physics book (Khann)
  • 1 dosimetry book (Bentel).

Requirements before 2013:

Applicants are required to have an associate’s degree and have completed 5,460 hours of clinical medical dosimetry experience by 2013. Applicants with a bachelor’s degree must complete 3,640 hours of clinical medical dosimetry experience by 2013. Both must complete 12 CEUs approved by the MDCB. Any clinical medical dosimetry experience gained before attending the 1 month remote dosimetry school will count towards the total 3,640 or 5,460 hours needed.

Requirements for 2013:

 Applicants will be required to have a bachelor’s degree in conjunction with 5,460 hours of clinical medical dosimetry experience as well as 12 CEUs approved by the MDCB. Clinical medical dosimetry experience gained before attending the 1 month remote dosimetry school will count towards the total 5,460 hours needed. 

Give us a call to enroll now (574)232-2305.

Click here to access the Members Area.

Written Physics Board Review

Now live or Virtual!

Since 2001, our Written Physics review course has been recognized as a “must attend” training event. This intensive and comprehensive high-quality review course will prepare physicists appearing before the American Board of Radiology. Our course is Peer recommended. Most participants’ registration is based on word of mouth. We have a proven record of accomplishment and our students have a greater then eighty percent pass rate each year for the past decade. Our philosophy for preparing students adequately is based on:

Organized Study guide

Connecting the Physics to the clinical application

Thoroughness

The distinction of certification is definitely a discriminator. The American College of Radiology recognizes competent physicists as those who are Board Certified. Certification has several advantages. Physicists that are Board Certified are paid on average of $5000 to $10000 more annually. Time is money. Let us do the work for you. Prepare yourself for the board certification examination with the most comprehensive review programs available for the ABR; ARC is the proven leader in board review curricula for more than 10 years.

In many cases, your institution will pay for the course or a portion thereof. Administrators and Physicians need to be aware of the importance of certification. If you would like me to write or talk to these individual for you, give me a call. I look forward to working with you in the future. Give us a call to enroll now (866) 537-2200.

Brent D. Murphy, MS, DABR

Certified Medical Physicist
President of Education & Training
ARC

Click here to access the Members Area.

Register for our free forum to talk with past and present students of the exam.

Gain helpful insight on areas to study. Ask each other questions about the exam or about our course. Register by selecting the link below!

Oral Physics

Now live or Virtual!

Why would you select our Review Course for the ABR Oral Physics board examination? The first reason is experience. We have a ten year proven history. The second reason is that our pass rates throughout the decade for both the ABMP exam and the ABR exam exceeded 80%. Third, we have some of the best instructors in the Medical Physics field.  Our instruction is both dynamic and fun. We take the didactic training and apply it clinically. That is what is nice about the oral exam to be honest, if you are in the clinic the majority of the questions focus on the clinical responsibilities and clinical expertise that the medical physicists need to know. If you are in the clinic, we are going to take the didactic component and tie it to the clinic. We will take the fundamentals, build off of that, and talk about how we use it in a clinic. The way we prepare you, you will be able to answer just about any question the examiner throws at you.

We are proud to announce that our oral classroom instruction will now be offered on-line in addition to our classroom instruction.  Student requests for an on-line course to ease the burden of travel, family, and work obligations is now resolved. Study when you like and at the pace you feel most comfortable with. Review concepts multiple times making sure the information is retrievable during the exam. This is a no non-sense, stripped down course that focuses on efficiency. This course will save you weeks of preparation and will highlight key points to study. Give us a call to enroll now (866) 537-2200.

Click here to access the Members Area.

Register for our free forum to talk with past and present students of the exam.

Gain helpful insight on areas to study. Ask each other questions about the exam or our course. Register by selecting the link below!

Virt-RON - On-line Radiation Oncology Nurse Training Programs

for Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology Nurses

RADIATION ONCOLOGY NURSING

Merging Technology and Nursing - 12.5 CEUs

The technical field of radiation oncology has dramatically changed over the last five to ten years with the assimilation of computer technology, necessitating changes in patient management. The Virt-RON course:

• Incorporates techniques on imaging, simulation, immobilization, treatment planning in language that is easy to understand from a nursing perspective
• Describes dose distribution with diagrams of dose volume histograms.
• Demonstrates the method for plan evaluation that dosimetrists, physicists and radiation oncologists perform for every treatment plan
• Connects the latest technology with the nursing assessment and management in everyday clinical practice.
• Highlights the rationale for developing many symptoms and management strategies.
• Taught by nationally recognized radiation oncology nurse practitioners as well as experienced medical physicists and dosimetrists.

Today, the demands on the radiation oncology nurses are ever increasing in daily practices and they experience diverse patients with treatment plans that require specialized nursing care. The managed healthcare environment is also creating more restrictions on adequate staffing levels that in turn produce greater difficulty for radiation oncology nurses to find time and resources for training in the radiation oncology discipline. VirtRON is the solution!

We, at Virt-RON, believe that radiation oncology nurses are an integral member of the interdisciplinary team and seek formal training to assist in positively impacting patient care. VirtRON provides the fundamentals of radiation therapy principles, treatment planning and simulation that are supported with clinical examples that are easily understood and connected with the technical component in nursing care.

Radiation patients often encounter nurses as their first contact within the treatment process, thereby looking towards nurses as an informational resource. We want to empower oncology nurses to confidently communicate with patients, caregivers and the technical professionals in the radiation oncology department.

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY NURSES

Foundations of Radiation Oncology - 6.5 CEUs

Medical Oncology Nurses… VirtRON is for YOU too!

Medical oncology is often the medical home for oncology patients, so the medical oncology nurse addresses a multitude of questions as the patient moves through various treatments.  VirtRON will help you prepare to answer such question thus positively impacting the patient experience and care they receive.

Radiation Oncology is somewhat isolated; which can lead to some intrigue as well as confusion. VirtRON will provide information associated with radiation therapy such as:

• Highlights the members and qualifications of the radiation oncology team.
• Common radiation oncology definitions and radiobiology.
• Why radiation therapy is used and how radiation therapy works?
• Pathophysiology of common side effects associated with radiation and evidence based rationale to manage the side effects. 

Radiation patients often encounter nurses as their first contact within the treatment process, thereby looking towards nurses as an informational resource. Our mission is to empower oncology nurses to confidently communicate with patients, caregivers and the technical professionals in the radiation oncology department.

Click here to access the VirtRON review forum.

Give us a call to enroll now (574) 232-2305.