The online Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging is divided into two distinct phases: pre-advanced medical imaging and a modality year. The modality year typically takes place during your final year in the program and includes modality-specific courses and clinical experiences.
Clinical experiences prepare you for licensure exams and allow you to gain real-world, hands-on experience with patients in your community. During these experiences, you will apply what you have learned in class and practice providing patient care, assessment and medical imaging in a real clinical setting while building your professional network — all while being supervised by established medical imaging providers.
Clinical experiences are required for each modality in the advanced medical imaging program. To learn more about finding and securing an appropriate clinical experience for your modality, visit the program resource site in Canvas.
Note: The Canvas program resource site is only accessible to students who have been admitted to the pre-advanced medical imaging phase.
Setting Up an Approved Clinical Experience
To participate in clinical experiences, you must complete the following steps:
- Find a clinical location within reasonable driving distance of where you live.
- Obtain a verbal agreement for clinical placement. If your site does not have a current clinical affiliation agreement, our clinical affiliation coordinator will work with your site to create one. This process can take from six to 12 months.
- Finalize your clinical placement by providing the clinical site’s contact information and a site survey filled out by the department manager with your AMI Application Packet.
Application Deadlines
To be eligible for clinical experiences, the department must receive your application materials by March 1 for fall semester clinical experiences.
Time Commitment
Once you begin your modality year, you are required to shift to a full-time schedule. Clinical experiences range from 24 to 40 hours per week in addition to the time allotted for online coursework.
Each modality in the advanced medical imaging program requires clinical experience; however, your time commitment will vary depending on which modality you choose to pursue.
We understand that shifting to a full-time schedule may impact your financial situation. Some clinical sites offer compensation for clinical hours and/or tuition assistance; contact your clinical site directly for more information about additional funding opportunities.
Note: Diagnostic medical sonography sites do not offer compensation for clinical time.
Finding a Clinical Location
Clinical experiences must be performed in the United States and in your local area.
If you live within the Treasure Valley, modality program directors will only accept the number of students for which clinical placement is available. Clinical placements in the Treasure Valley are being utilized and reserved for students within our on-campus program. You must submit the on-campus program application prior to the deadline to be considered for one of these clinical placements. Learn more about the on-campus program application process for each modality on our Radiologic Sciences website.
If you live outside the Treasure Valley, you are responsible for finding your own clinical sites within a reasonable driving distance from where you live.
Securing Clinical Placement
This content only applies to students who plan to complete their clinical outside of the Treasure Valley.
After identifying your clinical location, you are responsible for contacting the clinical site and achieving a verbal agreement to host you. The department’s recruitment coordinator can help you make contact and script a conversation to achieve a verbal agreement. AMI 234 Introduction to Clinical Experience will also walk you through this process.
Clinical sites must have a clinical affiliation with Boise State University. Boise State has hundreds of clinical affiliation agreements across the United States. If the clinical site you prefer is not affiliated with Boise State, our clinical affiliation coordinator will work to create one. This process can take from six to 12 months.
To learn more about finding and securing an appropriate clinical experience for your modality, visit the program resource site in Canvas.
Note: The Canvas program resource site is only accessible to students who have been admitted to the pre-advanced medical imaging phase.
Finalizing Clinical Placement
This content only applies to students who plan to complete their clinical outside of the Treasure Valley.
To finalize your clinical placement, you will provide the department with the clinical site’s contact information and a site survey filled out by the department manager within your advanced medical imaging application packet.
Clinical Site Requirements
The College of Health Sciences requires a background check, proof of vaccination/titers, drug tests and current CPR certification for health care professional certification. Requirements by clinical site may vary, and it is your responsibility to understand and follow the requirements of the clinical site.
Information from the background check or drug and alcohol testing deemed to be detrimental to the care of patients will result in revocation of admission status. Visit the Department of Radiologic Science website for more information about the criminal background check, drug and alcohol testing and health status verification policies.
To participate in clinical experiences, you must also meet physical and sensory standards to perform the essential functions of the profession. These standards are also criteria for your success in the Department of Radiologic Sciences at Boise State University, including the advanced medical imaging program. Learn more about physical and sensory standards.
Criminal convictions may prevent applicants from taking national certification examinations and/or gaining employment after graduation. Refer to the ARRT website or your credentialing body for more information.
Requirements by Modality
Computed Tomography
The computed tomography modality requires one semester of clinical experience to satisfy your clinical experience in computed tomography.
Clinicals must be completed in the fall semester and consist of three eight-hour shifts per week.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
The diagnostic medical sonography modality requires three semesters of clinical experience to satisfy your clinical experience in diagnostic medical sonography.
Clinicals must begin in the fall semester and continue through the spring and summer semesters. For the fall and spring semesters, clinicals consist of three eight-hour shifts per week. For the summer semester, clinicals consist of five eight-hour shifts or four ten-hour shifts per week.
Interventional Cardiology
The interventional cardiology modality requires two semesters of clinical experience to satisfy your clinical experiences in interventional cardiology.
Clinicals must begin in the spring semester, continue through the summer semester and consist of five eight-hour shifts or four ten-hour shifts per week.
Interventional Radiology
The interventional radiology modality requires two semesters of clinical experience to satisfy your clinical experiences in interventional radiology.
Clinicals must begin in the spring semester, continue through the summer semester and consist of five eight-hour shifts or four ten-hour shifts per week.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
The magnetic resonance imaging modality requires two semesters of clinical experience to satisfy your clinical experiences in magnetic resonance imaging.
Clinicals must begin in the fall semester, continue through the spring semester and consist of three eight-hour shifts per week.
Clinical Experience Process Overview
Where do you live?
If you live in the Treasure Valley area surrounding Boise, apply to the campus-based version of this program. If you are accepted, you will be placed for clinicals.
If you don’t live in the Treasure Valley, you will secure an approved clinical experience. These panels will guide you through that process.
Begin early!
- Securing a clinical site may take a lot of time.
- Begin the process at least a year in advance.
Know the clinical experience requirements for your modality
Clinical experience requirements differ by modality.: Here is a break down of what the requirements look like:
Computed Tomography – One semester of clinical experience, (3) 8-hour shifts per week
Diagnostic Medical Sonography – 3 semesters of clinical experience to be performed:
- Fall & Spring semesters, (3) 8-hour shifts per week
- Summer semester, (5) 8-hour shifts or (4) 10-hour shifts per week
Interventional Cardiology (Cath Lab) – 2 semesters of clinical experience to be performed:
- Spring & Summer semesters, (5) 8-hour shifts or (4) 10-hour shifts per week
Interventional Radiology – 2 semesters of clinical experience to be performed:
- Spring & Summer semesters, (5) 8-hour shifts or (4) 10-hour shifts per week
Magnetic Resonance Imaging – 2 semesters of clinical experience to be performed:
- Fall & Spring semesters, (3) 8-hour shifts
Research the profession and our program
Clinical sites will be more willing to accept you if you have a good understanding of the field. Consult online resources, obtain shadow experience and speak with working technologists to deepen your knowledge and present yourself as a prepared candidate.
Research clinical sites
Not all facilities are suitable for every modality. You need a clinical site that performs the required exams in volumes that meet certification and credentialing needs. For Boise State AMI programs, large hospitals and dedicated imaging centers are ideal. Some large clinics may be suitable, but this must be confirmed with a site survey. Use your connections, including family, friends or coworkers, to help locate an appropriate site.
Cast a wide net
Search every hospital system, imaging center, large clinic, etc., within reasonable driving distance, and begin contacting them. This process may take time and persistence, as you might receive rejections before getting a positive response. Cast a wide net to increase your options.
Contact potential site
- Start by calling the imaging department. (Emails are less effective and a secondary option.)
- Ask to speak to the department manager for your modality. Expect to be put on hold and passed amongst personnel.
- Introduce yourself as a Boise State University student preparing to pursue a degree in Advanced Medical Imaging.
- Tell them you’re looking for a host facility for your clinical experience in your modality.
- Be prepared to tell them why you want to work in this modality, which semester(s) you are performing clinicals and information about the Boise State program.
- Set in-person appointments or scheduled Zoom/phone calls with the department leads or managers if possible.
- If you live in an area with other local medical imaging schools, clinical sites may already be in use by those programs. This doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t complete your clinical hours there. Remind sites that you’re available to complete hours on days and times that work for them.
Meet With Them
- Go to this meeting prepared!
- Dress professionally and appropriately.
- Bring a cover letter, resume, clinical facility letter and clinical site survey that we provided to you.
- If they agree to host you, ensure they fill out the clinical site survey completely.
- Let them know that they can contact the Boise State modality program director if they have further questions that you are unable to answer. Provide them with your program director’s email address.
- We are happy to talk to the staff at the sites you are interested in if they would like to speak to us directly.
Use your connections
Leverage any clinical connections to help get your foot in the door. If you lack experience in healthcare, consider getting a clinically based job or volunteer role that allows access to the medical imaging department, such as a transporter, lab tech, registration desk attendant or patient aide. This can provide you with direct access to potential clinical instructors.
Deadline
You must have a verbal agreement from a potential site and a completed clinical site survey as part of your AMI program application. The deadline is March 1 for a fall start.
Keep in touch with the potential site
Reach out to your potential site regularly to show that you’re serious. If they’re unsure of your commitment, they may take on another student. Once they’ve agreed and completed the clinical site survey, submit your AMI program application. This process may take several weeks or even months, so submit early.
Congratulations
Now you can relax and let us handle the final steps of securing a clinical affiliation agreement on your behalf.
These steps are outlined in more detail in the subsequent sections on this page. Please continue reading to learn more.
More Program Details
Modality and Certificate Options
Didn’t find what you’re looking for?
Contact our enrollment and student success team for support by emailing us at AMIonline@boisestate.edu or calling (208) 426-5921.