Radiation Therapy: Where science meets love and care

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated two million lives lost in 2025. With these daunting statistics, finding the cure for cancer has remained an important healthcare issue for decades. While this has not been achieved yet there, is an effective treatment for it that students can major in here at the University of St. Francis (USF): Radiation Therapy. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, radiation therapy is a common cancer treatment that uses radiation, usually high powered X-rays, to kill cancer cells. The organizers of this treatment are radiation oncologists who determine the most effective radiation treatment plan with a tailored dosage meant to destroy cancer cells while protecting healthy tissue. Then the radiation therapists administer the daily treatments to patients. 

Major programs like the one offered at USF is a crucial step in getting into these roles. These programs are not light workloads, with alternating clinical and class weeks, as noted by senior radiation therapy major Alexis Fragoso.

”You have 40 hour clinical weeks one week, and every week you're not in the clinic you have a pretty heavy workload, having class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for at least 4 hours everyday,” Fragoso said. 

Before even getting in the radiation therapy program, students must go through a rigorous application process, as explained by the program director Leia Levy. 

 “We call it a two plus two program…you do upfront two years of general education, and it's heavy in science and math," said Levy.  “Then after the first two years, you actually have to make an application to be admitted into the last two years because there's limited spots.”

This professional curriculum requires things such as a minimum GPA, science grades, math grades and recommendation letters. Once in the program, students must find balance between the clinical weeks and school work such as exams, presentations and book work for 24 months straight, as they get no breaks once admitted to the program. The coursework within the program is no light work either. 

“It's physics, it’s math, it's biology, it's oncology, you're learning things that you probably have never had to peek into ever in your life, right? And you have to learn it and retain it like nothing you've ever done before,” said Levy. 

Depending on where a graduate lands a job after school, this heavy workload does not end. For those who work in hospitals, like Levy did at the beginning of her career, the amount of patients treated everyday is large. 

 “My first job at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. It was a very high paced environment, we were treating 50-60 patients a day… the first patient was at 8 a.m., and the last one at 8 p.m.,” said Levy. 

A work life balance can be found in the position, as small clinics treat about 15 patients a day. These slower paced environments allow for radiation therapists to live a life beyond their job, which can be hard in the healthcare field. This is a reason why Fragoso looked into the major in the first place. 

“Being able to have a Monday through Friday job, and being able to have holidays and weekends off, but as well as being able to know your patients for a really long time, and following them through that whole journey is very nice,” Fragoso said. 

The patient connection is an aspect of the job that was highlighted by both Fragoso and Levy. It is something that made them want to stay in the field. 

“It’s special, because even when you are a student who is there every other week, the patients ask where you were,… it adds a lot of quality to the job,” said Fragoso. 

“When you are working with people who are in that scary part of their lives, their focus is often on family, faith and love,” said Levy. “I get that from them... I learn from my patients, they kept me going.” 

Now being on the professor's side of the field, Levy works to spread the word about radiation therapy at USF. An example of this is the alumni features that can be seen in Tower Hall. 

“I thought it would be good to show what graduates are out there doing, so they can see what we are doing is helping people beyond the doors of the university,” said Levy. “Us professors, we are teaching you and hoping that you are going to do something great… those alumni highlights are evidence.”

From the students to professors, radiation therapy is a hidden program filled with unsung heroes fighting the United States’ biggest healthcare issue. For students who would like more information on the major or any of the other imaging programs, the doors are always open to shadow.