The purpose of this section is to provide a complete program guideline to the clinical and classroom structure of the ASR Program. The program is based on the premise of providing the best combination of didactic and clinical training for the student. All program effectiveness data can be found on the Cox College website (coxcollege.edu) or at www.jrcert.org, or collected from one of the ASR program faculty members.
The Cox College ASR student will be required to purchase at least two pairs of Cox College issued scrubs for clinical and lab classes. The average cost of the scrubs can range based on style, fabric, embroidery charges, and other items beyond the control of the ASR program, but the student should expect to pay between $60-100 per pair of scrubs ordered. The scrub tops must be embroidered with the Cox College logo. Scrubs ordered through the school may be billed through the student fees.
Through additional student fees, students will purchase (allowing financial aid to cover the costs) a software for clinicals called Trajecsys. This is usually a one-time fee of $150 for the duration of the program. This software is used to keep record of the student’s clock-ins and clock-outs, clinical feedback on their performance, the individual dosimeter reports, and their competencies.
The student will have a fee for MyClinicalExchange which the financial office adds to the student account. The fee is generally $25.00 each semester. This software houses the documentation for clinical access, such as vaccinations, drug test results, etc.
Students will have note packets to purchase each semester for their courses, which are charged as fees to their student account. The note packets range from $5-50 each depending on the number of pages and printed of the required material in the note packets.
Textbooks are kept to a bare minimum to help defray costs to the students. The faculty try to use the same textbook in multiple courses and provide the remaining content in the note packets provided. E-Books are generally okay, but check with the professor before ordering to ensure that is acceptable.
- Some textbooks will require an online companion access, which is non-transferrable when buying used books often.
- We encourage students not to rent textbooks as they will be used multiple times throughout the program.
The Cox College courses are hybrid in nature, with testing and assignments done virtually. This requires the purchase of an additional external webcam to use on remote testing. This allows for full scanning of the student’s testing environment. The webcam built into a laptop will notsuffice for this requirement. There are additional software and hardware requirements for the student to consider when purchasing or using a device. Computer recommendations can be found at this link: https://coxcollege.edu/academics/technology/online-technical-requirements/
The program begins with an introductory session during the cohort’s first semester. This semester includes didactic instruction in the courses of RAD 100, RAD 110, RAD 120, and RAD 141, with additional clinical instruction and simulations for RAD 100, RAD 121, and RAD 141. Classes and labs are held two to three days per week during the first semester for the cohort. Some class days for the cohort may be held virtually.
RAD 101 is an introduction to clinicals, with clinicals typically one to two days a week, with approximately 10 hours per week of clinicals. The student may be required to do up to 10 hours of a clinical rotation in one day in this course. This course is held in the semester before the student begins full clinical rotations. This course is also where students do tours, policy review, orientations, and other preparations for the full clinical experience.
After the RAD 101 course is complete, the student will begin clinical rotations at minimum for two to three days a week for RAD 191 and RAD 192. There is a required minimum number of clinical hours per week to complete and by the end of the semester. The minimum clinical hours per course is based on the number of credit hours for the practicum course.
- The student should expect that they may have class day(s) when not in clinicals. Some class days for the cohort may be held virtually.
- At this point in the program, the student should expect to spend at least thirty hours per week performing clinicals or being in the classroom, excluding time spent studying. This is why it is suggested students try to avoid working more than 20 hours per week if possible.
Clinical shifts are typically scheduled for 7.0 hours per day, but can go up to 10 hours per day, including a meal break. Weekend rotations or individualized schedule plans maybe different than the typical schedule. Per JRCERT accreditation policy, the student may perform up to ten-hour clinical days maximum. The clinical times vary based on the location’s peak volume times and providing the student with the most opportunity for experience.
The day shift can begin as early as 6:30 a.m. or as late as 9:00 a.m. The day shift can end from 1:30 p.m. up to 4:00 p.m. The evening shift begins at the earliest at 2:30 p.m. and the latest at 8:00 p.m. and can end at 9:30 p.m. up to 2:00 a.m. The students are allowed at least a 30-minute lunch break on each shift. The shift times are based on the locations ability to have a Clinical Preceptor scheduled. “Most” clinical rotations start at 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. for the day shift.
Clinical rotations include CoxHealth and non-CoxHealth facilities. Non-CoxHealth facilities may have different requirements of students.
Students will rotate on a minimum amount of evening and weekend rotationsto gain a full experience of the career field. These rotations are invaluable, and our Clinical Coordinator will work with you on scheduling them for the best time possible for your personal schedule.
There are overnight shifts available to students, when there are clinical preceptors on site. Once again, these cannot be the students’ primary rotation, but a rotation to experience.
Some of the clinical sites are located outside of Springfield and require the students to be responsible for their own reliable transportation to those locations. Students should be aware of the travel time from their residence in planning for the clinical days that require travel to outlying clinical sites.
The outside of Springfield locations used for clinical rotations may be:
- Cox Monett (Monett, MO)
- Cox Branson (Branson, MO)
- Citizens Memorial Hospital (Bolivar, MO)
- Ozarks HealthCare (West Pains, MO) *for those who live near this location
Starting and ending hours may be adjusted for the student due to childcare or other reasonable circumstances arranged through the Clinical Coordinator. There are instances where we cannot adjust the clinical schedule due to the clinical site’s operating hours. The clinical coordinator will work with the students to meet the time requirements in these situations.
Any additional time that the student accrues for clinical experience that is past the regular end of a shift, they may use it to reduce their time on another shift.
The students are limited to no more than a total of forty (40) hours of combined clinical and classroom time per week and no more than 10 clinical hours in a single day in accordance with the JRCERT Standards of Accreditation.
The clinical coordinator sets the remaining clinical schedule for courses RAD 291, 293, 294, and 295 in each 8-week block. A set of minimum hours will be required for each clinical practicum course. *The Class of 2024 and 2025 are on 16-week semester blocks and their schedule is assigned accordingly. The RAD 294 course is held in the intersession before spring for the classes of 2024 and 2025.
Class days can begin as early as 8:00 a.m. and go until as late as 4:30 p.m. based on the number of credit hours per semester. Some class days for both cohorts may be held virtually. When not in clinical rotations the student should expect to be in the classroom setting or have virtual days, which could consist of scheduled lecture, exams, etc.
RAD 297 and 298 Radiography Capstone course at the end of the second year will consist of a structured content review. Some content may be held virtually. *For the classes of 2024 and 2025, the course is RAD 299.
For the radiography capstone courses (RAD 297 and 298 after January 2024 start cohort), the student will be charged a fee for the use of a third-party registry review program. The last few years the fee has been around $150.00 for this software. *Refers to course RAD 299 for Class of 2024 and Class of 2025.
Beginning in 2024, Cox College will cover the initial payment to the ARRT for the student’s first attempt on the ARRT registry. This will be charged to the student through a student fee on their bill, thus allowing financial aid, or other grant money to be used for it. This helps students not have to come up with the $225.00 registry fee on their own in their last semester of the program.
In the spring semester, the second-year students and the ASR faculty attend the MoSRT Annual Conference over a three-day span. The students fundraise for the event to cover the costs of hotels, conference fees, and memberships to the state association. This event typically is held in early April.
- The last few years the conference has been held in Columbia, Missouri. In 2024, the conference is moving to the Lake of the Ozarks.
- The event features a student bowl between several radiologic technology programs from across the state, professional speakers, networking, and other learning activities. Students are strongly encouraged to attend.
- If the student elects not to attend, there are learning alternatives they can perform during that time.
