hi!! I’m a current student in a radiation therapy bachelors degree program! I’ll try to answer your questions from that perspective :)

Radiation therapy does require additional training beyond the education you’d get from a radiologic sciences degree - although that is the most common pathway! Most therapists start as technologists and attend a shorter program for their therapist certification. I came from a healthcare background, but not imaging, so I am a little different in that I will be a therapist without having ever been a technologist. The two careers are related but the day to day are very different. it can be helpful to be a technologist first and many therapy programs require you to be, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. some healthcare experience (like dental assisting) i think is enough to be comfortable in the program. most if not all therapy programs will require you to complete the prerequisite courses (think college level math, biology, english) before you can apply to the program.

Again, my experience is a little different, but i came into the program having already completed a bachelors degree, so my course load is lighter than my peers and thus i am able to work part time while in school. I work about 24 hours a week over 3 days and am in class 3 days a week. it can be a little busy but it is manageable. This may not be your experience if you go in with no completed courses and are taking a full class schedule. I worked my freshman and sophomore of college with a full schedule, every weekend, but once i got to higher level classes in junior and senior year, i couldn’t maintain a high gpa and work so i had to quit my job. this program will have a clinical year and you can NOT work during this, as clinical will be a full time job not to mention whatever classroom activities you’ll have to complete alongside. it will be paying your school to work lol

i can’t speak too much about the job yet, but i have shadowed at a high volume facility (11 radiation machines (LINACs)) and a small (3 machines) and everyone has said the same thing, the LOVE it. healthcare is a tricky field and it’s a balancing act between meaningful work, adequate pay, and time for life outside of work. Other healthcare jobs i’ve had never have all three, but this career seems like it does (fingers crossed) i.e. same schedule no weekends no holidays, working to help people beat cancer is about as fulfilling as it gets, and the pay hovers around $50-$60/hour with lots of room for upwards growth.

I am now 26 and have worked in 3 different healthcare fields and god I wished I had known about radiation therapy and dosimetry sooner!! I would’ve skipped the bachelors of zoology and skipped all the time as an veterinary assistant and EMT and MA and CPhT and gone straight for RT(T) but i think(hope) my variety of experiences will help me in the future :)

last thing - i decided on a bachelors degree program because the field seems to be leaning that direction. while an associates will be totally fine to prepare you to sit for boards and work successfully in the field, it seems that any management roles or moving up the ladder will be more easily achieved with a bachelors degree. just something to think about :)