The academic terms are approximately 17 weeks each. The first summer session is approximately 12 weeks and the second one is approximately 6 weeks long. The summer session is mainly devoted to clinical application of the information learned in the classroom.

The first year is spent learning the basics of the profession, both in the classroom and in the clinical area. The students rotate through the several rooms of the department in order to learn how to operate the equipment and perform the examinations done in each room. 

All students rotate through the several North Iowa area hospitals and clinics in addition to their clinical experiences at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa East Campus. They will rotate to:

• Mercy’s West Campus, Mason City
• Mercy’s Forest Park Imaging, Mason City
• Ellsworth Municipal Hospital, Iowa Falls
• Mitchell County Regional Health Center, Osage
• Hancock County Memorial Hospital, Britt
• Mercy Family Clinic - Forest City

Rotations will generally be made 6 weeks in advance, so that the student will have prior knowledge of the times that they will be traveling to an out of town site. The student is responsible for transportation and attendance as scheduled.

Students work under direct supervision until competency is proven.

The second year, the student sharpens his/her skills continuing 1st year rotations. After passing competency, the student is allowed to perform examinations with minimal supervision. This allows the student to perform independently, yet still have a resource immediately available if needed.

In addition, the student will rotate through the speciality areas of Mercy's Imaging Department: Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, Radiation Oncology, CT, MRI, Mammography, Interventional Radiography, and Cardiac Cath Lab. These rotations are observation only and are intended to give the student an overview of the modality.

For questions call 641-422-6079 or email mutschlm@mercyhealth.com

A Career with a Different Perspective