Medical Imaging

Screening Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Medical Imaging Program, students must complete the following screening requirements prior to the screening deadline.

Students must have submitted the following documents to the Welcome and One-Stop Center:

• Student Information Form
• Official high school transcript with graduation date OR Official GED test scores OR Official college transcripts with graduation date and degree awarded OR Official foreign high school or college transcript evaluated by a NACES-approved agency
• Medical Imaging Program Request for Screening Form (PDF)
• If using courses from another college to meet prerequisites or degree requirements, submit an official transcript and a “Request for Evaluation of Prior College Transcripts” form to the Office of Registrar and Records

Minimum Selection Criteria

Student records must indicate the following:

1. High school graduate or equivalent or high school senior in the last term
2. College Reading and Writing Readiness and Basic Algebra Readiness
3. CLC Cumulative GPA is 2.0 or above
4. High school chemistry or physics with a lab (1-year, C or better) OR CHM 120 or CHM 121 or PHY 121 or an equivalent course (C or better)
5. BIO 123, BIO 161, or BIO 244 or an equivalent course (C or better)
6. One of the following Math options:
   • High School Algebra (2-years, C or better) OR
   • TM02 C or better (within 18 months of completion) OR
   • CLC ALEKS Math Placement Test 30+ OR
   • Math ACT score 20+ OR
   • Math SAT score 510+ OR
   • MTH 102 C or better OR
   • MTH 105 C or better OR
   • Completion of a higher level math course than 102 or 105 (C or better) OR
   • Equivalent course from another college or university
7. MIM110: Introduction to Medical Imaging (C or better)
8. Applicants may take the NLN PAX exam once every 90 days (approximately three months). NLN PAX exam results that are less than 90 days between exams will not be considered. Scores used for screening into limited enrollment programs will be valid for only 3 years prior to a screening deadline. Scores older than 3 years will not be considered for screening. An applicant must obtain a minimum RN composite percentile score of 40 and a minimum score of 30 in math, reading, and science. Visit the Student Guide to Taking NLN Exams (PDF) for more information.
9. Must be eighteen (18) years of age by the fall semester following the screening deadline to enroll in the first clinical course (MIM114).
10. BIO244: Anatomy and Physiology I - currently enrolled and will complete at end of the fall semester of the screening year (C or better) OR completed course (C or better)
11. Students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in each Imaging course to continue in and graduate from the program.

Screening Deadline

The deadline is the third Monday in October. If space is available in the program after the initial screening deadline, qualified students will be accepted in an order based on academic qualifications. All required materials must be submitted to the Records Office by the screening deadline. The number of students that can be admitted to any clinical education course is limited for any given session. Therefore, a screening procedure is used to select the academically best qualified from those who request consideration.

• Preference is given to residents of CLC’s district, or a community college district that does not offer a Medical Imaging program and is a member of the CAREER consortium. Students who live outside of CLC’s district but are eligible for in-district tuition because they are employed by a district employer are NOT considered residents of the district for purposes of selection into the program.
• Students who are selected for the program are required to undergo a background check and a urine drug screen. The results of the background check and drug screen may result in the student losing his/her seat in the program. The costs are borne by the student.

Read this program application handbook for more information.

During the first semester in the medical imaging program, all students will be taught basic radiation protection procedures. These instructions will include enough background so that female students will be able to understand the possible biological risks of ionizing radiation to the embryo and fetus. Female students shall read the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) guide #8.13 on possible biological risks to the fetus and embryo and sign an acknowledgment form stating that they understand these risks. NRC guide #8.13 and the acknowledgment form are found in the appendices of the MIM handbook. The signed forms will be placed in the female student’s CLC files.

1. Students may voluntarily inform the department chair and the radiation safety officer in writing should a pregnancy occur during the educational period. The pregnancy then becomes declared. Students may rescind pregnancy declarations at any time in writing to the department chair.
2. The possible risks to the embryo and fetus shall be reviewed and the review documented and signed by the radiation safety officer and the student. The student will then be referred to the department chair for discussion and documentation of pregnancy options.
3. The student will decide and the program director document one of the following options:

A. A leave of absence may be taken until the birth of the child. All medical imaging grades will be recorded as withdrawn (W) if the student's grades are acceptable at the time. This will permit the student to return with no penalty. Student acceptance to clinical facilities depends upon the availability of sites.

B. The student may continue in the program upon the written recommendation of the student’s obstetrician or prenatal agency which has the student under its care. In this case, two badges will be used, one worn at the collar and on top of the apron during fluoroscopy and one worn on the belt and under the apron during fluoroscopy to record the student exposure and the fetal exposure respectively. Should recorded fetal exposure increase to 500 mrem or be received at a rate greater than 50 mrem per month at any time during pregnancy, the student will be required to take a leave of absence. All course objectives and rotations shall be equivalent to any and all students enrolled in this particular course. Adherence to policies 1-4 should eliminate almost all fetal exposure. Other counseling on radiation protection procedures shall be done as needed.

C. The student may terminate the program. The college medical imaging program will counsel students but has no responsibility for the decisions made by students regarding educational choices if they become pregnant during the educational period.