Feb 26, 2026
Radiography program welcomes largest cohort yet
Growing demand and social media drive enrollment for Fall 2025
The Radiography concentration within VCU’s Department of Radiation Sciences recently welcomed its largest cohort to date, signaling both rising student interest and a critical workforce need across the industry.
The fall cohort included 25 students, nearly double the number admitted when Radiography Program Director Cherish Parham, PhD, RT(R)(M), joined the faculty in 2016. The growth reflects a national surge in demand for radiologic technologists, driven by workforce shortages, an aging population and the expanding role of medical imaging in patient care.
At the same time, Parham cites more members of Generation Z being drawn to the radiography field, and – perhaps unsurprisingly – social media seems to be a factor. Users like Diego Diaz of Staten Island, New York, have racked up tens of millions of views on TikTok with videos sharing the satisfaction and financial freedom their work brings. Increased outreach to high schools has also driven interest.
“Students research the profession and are like, ‘OK, the likelihood of my getting a job is about 100 percent when I graduate,’” Parham said. “That makes it really attractive to them and their parents.”
Students entering the program today come from a wide range of academic, professional and geographic backgrounds. Some are traditional undergraduates discovering radiography early in their college careers, while others are second-career students, including veterans transitioning from military service.
Radiographers play a foundational role in medicine, producing diagnostic images that guide physicians across nearly every specialty, from emergency medicine and orthopedics to surgery and outpatient care. As Parham often explains to prospective students, radiography is the backbone of the radiation sciences, supporting diagnosis and treatment throughout the health care system.
“There aren’t many cases where a patient comes to the hospital or the ER where they don’t have some type of imaging study,” she said. “We are a big factor in helping clinicians figure out what’s wrong with patients and what needs to be done.”
Health systems across the country are struggling to fill permanent imaging positions, often relying on costly traveling technologists to meet patient needs. Graduates of VCU’s Radiography program routinely receive multiple job offers before completing the program, an outcome reflected in the program’s 99% five-year average job placement rate. Parham said this reality “would have been unheard of 30 years ago or even 15 years ago.”
Since relocating to the College of Health Professions Building on VCU’s medical campus in 2019, the Department of Radiation Sciences has gained greater visibility among students exploring alternatives to nursing or medical school. The program also benefits from access to VCU Health, a Level I trauma center that provides students with intensive, real-world clinical experience.
Such clinical education is a defining strength of the program. Students rotate through a wide range of settings – from large academic hospitals to smaller community clinics – allowing them to experience the full spectrum of patient care environments. Exposure to trauma imaging, operating rooms, emergency departments and outpatient facilities ensures graduates are prepared to enter the workforce with confidence.
“We have the best clinical sites,” Parham said. “Not all the programs get to send their students to a Level 1 trauma center.”
As enrollment continues to rise, program leaders are strategically evaluating opportunities for expansion, knowing that success requires balancing student demand with clinical placement capacity, faculty resources and laboratory space. Regardless of growth, Parham said maintaining educational quality will remain paramount: “We’re not willing to compromise that.”