Since the introduction of x-ray imaging so many years ago, radiography has evolved rapidly into a more complicated practice with a great deal of responsibilities and duties [1]. Radiography has thus, undergone many transformations with a diversification in the role of radiographers. Over the years, there has been a significant change in radiography education and practice [2]. Radiography education in Nigeria started in the 1940s in the South-West region via a diploma training program [3]. The diploma training program was anchored by the Federal School of Radiography Lagos which was then the only school that produced radiographers in the country. The duration of training for the program was four years [4]. Graduates from the Federal School of Radiography, Lagos were awarded Diploma College of Radiographers (DCR), London in the 1970s while as from 1993 the graduates were awarded Diploma Institute of Radiography (DIR), Nigeria.
In 1982 and 1983, the University of Calabar and University of Nigeria, Nsukka, started the 5-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) program in radiography respectively [3]. Twenty-two years after the start of the BSc program, there were calls to stop the diploma program. Hence, the program was finally stopped in 2004 [4]. The radiography profession finally settled for full-fledged first degree in university as a minimum qualification for practice [3]. Currently, there are many imaging modalities within the purview of radiographers as contained in the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) Act [5]. The modalities include Conventional Radiography, Ultrasonography, Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Mammography, Radiation Therapy, and Nuclear Medicine [3], and there is a need for radiography students to master skills in these areas. In the 5-year Bachelor of Science program run currently by Nigerian universities, conventional radiography receives a great emphasis at the expense of the new imaging modalities.
The doctor of radiography (D-Rad) program started in Pakistan in 2013. The program is equal to professional and clinical masters’ degree like doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) [6]. There are marked differences between the doctor of radiography program and the bachelor’s program. In terms of duration, the doctor of radiography program is expected to last for 6 years or twelve semesters while the bachelor’s program lasts for 5 years or ten semesters. This is in order to keep in pace academically with other health professional groups like Pharmacy and Medical Rehabilitation. In terms of curriculum, the doctor of radiography program will have a more robust and comprehensive curriculum which will cover all imaging modalities in radiography unlike the bachelor’s program that concentrates on conventional x-ray imaging. The doctor of radiography program will introduce new courses like advanced ultrasound, advanced computed tomography, advanced magnetic resonance imaging, advanced nuclear medicine, radiotherapy treatment setup and patient management, echocardiography, basics of Doppler ultrasound, forensic radiography, and film reporting. This will help to produce radiographers who will be very versatile in all aspects of radiography and beyond and also have an in-depth knowledge of the basic and emerging trends in the field of imaging [7]. The doctor of radiography program and the bachelor’s program are two separate programs; they are not complementary to each other. As at the moment, the bachelor of radiography program is currently run in the country of study. But there is an intention to replace the bachelor of radiography program with the doctor of radiography program as obtained in sister professions.
The expanded curriculum of the doctor of radiography program in line with modern technology worldwide will help to train radiographers who can adapt to practice in a variety of clinical settings without regional update training and examinations. Hence, there is the need for the 6-year doctor of radiography program to replace the 5-year Bachelor of Science Radiography program in Nigeria. The objective of this study is to ascertain the perception of radiography lecturers towards the proposed doctor of radiography program.