Mammography Initial Training

Are you interested in cross-training into Mammography? Now is the time to start your journey into such a rewarding career. With over 30 years of experience teaching mammography, Advanced Health Education Center has developed curriculum to help you meet the requirements and become a successful mammographer.

Why AHEC?

AHEC has provided mammography initial training since 1989. The current training required through federal and state regulations from the Mammography Quality Standard Act (MQSA) is composed of classroom hours, lab demonstrations, and supervised clinical procedures. Our program is perfectly designed to meet the requirements and provide the student with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to perform mammographic procedures.

Demonstrating Competency in Mammography

A portion of our course is dedicated to hands-on positioning and Quality Control training at our affiliate hospital.  Participants are divided into small groups with a qualified mammography instructor, and using clinical mammography equipment for demonstration, each student must practice what they learned in the classroom without the actual application of radiation. This hands-on approach enables you to jump right in when it’s time for you to start your 25 hands-on procedures on patients.  Student evaluations confirm this is a “must have” for positioning training.

What’s included:

The curriculum for our “Mammography Initial Training” will provide the technologist with all of the required components of training as outlined by MQSA. The course includes: 24 hours of training on core competencies as outlined by MQSA, 8 hours of Digital Mammography Modality Specific Training, and 8 hours of Tomosynthesis Modality Specific Training.  

AHEC hosts 4 initial training courses annually. Training courses are scheduled from Thursday through Monday. Enrollment in our course requires advance registration with completion of the required documentation for credentials, supervision, and sponsorship. AHEC offers two options for our initial training program:

Option 1: Employer/Facility Sponsorship
The technologist completes the 40 hours of classroom lectures with AHEC. Upon completion of the classroom training, the technologist returns to her employer sponsor to complete her 25 clinical mammograms under the supervision of a registered mammographer.
  • The supervising mammographer must submit credentials, proof of continuing experience, and current CE compliance. Supervisors must be approved by AHEC to participate in the education of the mammographer. They will utilize AHEC competency forms which identify the criteria for a satisfactory mark of completion
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Option 2: Self-Sponsored

The technologist who sponsors themselves requires AHEC’s assistance in providing a facility and a credentialed mammographer to teach, evaluate, and assist in completion of their 25 clinical procedures.

  • Our office will coordinate with our clinical partners to allow you to complete your clinical procedures under the supervision of one of their qualified mammographers.  
  • Student liability insurance is provided for you as part of your tuition while you are enrolled in the AHEC program performing clinical procedures. Participants from other states who are not licensed in Texas have a 2-week window to perform patient procedures as part of an education program before a Texas license is required to administer ionizing radiation to patients.

Clinical procedures must be completed within a 6–month window upon completion of the coursework or the positioning lectures and the positioning labs must be repeated before clinical procedures can be performed.

To learn more about our Mammography Initial Training program please give us a call at 1-800-239-1361 or visit the course offering  to register.