18 Clinical Course Schedules

The IUI Radiologic Sciences clinical faculty determines appropriate clinical experience assignments for each student radiographer.  Students are assigned to a “base” hospital in their first two semesters (R151, R171). As a second-year student, the assigned base hospital will change each semester (R270, R271, R272).  In addition, all students will rotate to one or two off-site hospitals/clinics for six weeks at some point in the program.

Students receive their first clinical assignment for the program’s first semester during new student orientation. Weekly assignment schedules and future semester schedules will be emailed to the students two to four weeks before the start of the semester and posted in the Canvas Clinical Course.  Clinical schedules are subject to change at any time during the program. The students and preceptors will receive new clinical schedules if a change occurs.

Students are responsible for all clinical areas as assigned by the RISP faculty and are not allowed to alter posted schedules.  A student who wants to request a change in a posted schedule must submit the request in writing, via email, to the Clinical Coordinator at least one week before the date that the change would be effective.  The student will be notified at least two days before the date if the request has been approved or denied.

Student radiographers are expected to participate in all duties within the scope of a practicing radiographer. Students will accompany and assist supervising radiographers on all radiology-related assignments outside the Radiology Department, such as bedside portable work and operating room radiography.

Hours and Rotations

A clinic shift is 7 hours, not including lunch. A half clinic day is 3.5 hours. A 30-minute lunch break is assigned at each hospital to coincide with the flow of patients.  Clinical hours for all hospitals and rotations can be found on the rotation schedule handed out by each clinical preceptor. The specific clinical hours and days vary depending on the students’ enrolled pathway.

The IUI Radiography Program offers two different clinical rotation pathways:

1. Traditional Pathway
2. Non-Traditional Pathway

Traditional Pathway Students

Clinical course hours for traditional students are typically scheduled during weekday hours. However, all students in their 1st year of the traditional pathway will complete 2 Saturday clinical rotations and 1-3 weeks of evenings per semester.

Clinical course hours for weekday assignments are typically 8:00 am-3:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and include rotations in Orthopedics, Fluoroscopy, Surgery, and Portables. Depending on the clinical site’s preferences, arrival times for the various rotations could be as early as 6:00 a.m. Students must adhere to the clinical site’s posted schedule for arrival times in each rotation area.

At some point during the student’s first-year in the program, students will be assigned half-day observation rotations in Nuclear Medicine (NM), Radiation Therapy (RT), Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound (US), Mammography (M), Cardiac Interventional/Cardiac Vascular Catheterization Lab (CI/CV), or Vascular Interventional Radiology (VI). 

Near the end of their first year, students will select two modalities that they would like as rotations during their 2nd year in the program. In addition to the two selected modalities, all students will do a minimum of a one week rotation in CT during some point in their 2nd year.

Students in the second year of the IUI Radiography Program’s Traditional Pathway attend clinic on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semesters.  During the full 12 week summer session, second-year students attend clinic Monday through Thursday with Friday off.  Second-year students will rotate through all areas of the radiology department and will also complete 1-3 weeks of evening rotations.                   

Saturdays: Students should check the Saturday rotation hours listed on their clinical schedule; not all are 8 am-3:30 pm. Students will do their normal Tuesday / Thursday rotations followed by the special Saturday rotation for a total of three full days in clinic on such weeks.

Evenings: Clinic hours for the evening rotation are typically 3:00 pm-10:00 pm but may vary depending on the clinical site’s preferences. If a hospital or clinic requires different evening hours, the preceptor will inform the students at the start of the semester.

Non-Traditional Pathway Students

Clinical course hours for non-traditional students are scheduled during the weekend and evening hours.

Students in the first year of the IUI Radiography Non-Traditional Pathway Program attend clinic on Saturday and Sunday from 3:30-11:00 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters and will have opportunities in the following areas: Orthopedics, Surgery, Portables, and Fluoroscopy departments.

Students in the second year of the IUI Radiography Program’s Non-Traditional Pathway, will rotate through all areas of the radiography department and attend clinic on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 3:30-11:00 p.m. During the full 12 week summer session, second year students will attend clinic Thursday-Sunday from 3:30-11:00 p.m.

Since evening hours can be slower in the surgery and fluoroscopy departments, all students in the non-traditional pathway will complete a 6 week, dayshift rotation at some point in their 2nd year. This will ensure adequate experience in these departments.

At some point during the student’s first-year in the program, students will be assigned half-day observation rotations in Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound (US). In addition, students will have the option to rotate to Nuclear Medicine (NM), Radiation Therapy (RT), , Mammography (M), Cardiac Interventional/Cardiac Vascular Catheterization Lab (CI/CV), or Vascular Interventional Radiology (VI) during day shift hours. 

During some point in the 2nd year of the program, students will do a minimum of a one week rotation in CT.

Due to the varied workdays and shifts required in the A.S. Radiography Program, there are no opportunities for changes to published course schedules.  For 22 months, students will be assigned day shifts, evening shifts and/or Saturday hours.  Students who have not completed courses to satisfy A.S. Radiography graduation requirements or prerequisite courses for Nuclear Medicine, Medical Imaging Technology or Radiation Therapy B.S. degrees may need to take online courses or wait until they have completed the Radiography program in order to satisfy those requirements.