Survey of Consciousness Regarding the Acquisition of a Higher Degree and Accreditation/Professional Qualifi cations among Radiological Technologists and Students

Abstract

In recent years, many institutions have adopted 4-year programs for the education of radiological technologists. We conducted a questionnaire survey of these professionals regarding their perceptions of a higher degree and accreditation/professional qualifications. Our results indicated that 18.9% of participants wanted to obtain a higher degree. On average, 3.9 ± 2.3 years (median: 2 years) and 166.7 ± 143.4 million yen (median: 500,000 yen) were required to obtain a degree. In the questionnaire, we asked whether the participants “would like to emphasize either a degree or certification/professional qualifications.” Notably, 21.6%, 1.4%, and 58.1% responded that they would like to emphasize both, the acquisition of an upper-level degree, and the acquisition of certification/professional qualifications, respectively. We conclude that radiological technologists place greater emphasis on obtaining certification/professional qualifications than on acquiring a higher degree.