Clinical Policies

John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of Radiation Oncology and Medical Imaging that require a clinical internship component for successful program completion.  The student should be aware of the following information for any academic program that requires a clinical internship.

Clinical Clearance Screening

JPU has clinical clearance screening requirements for all students prior to the start of their clinical internship.  This documentation includes, but is not limited to a background check, drug screen, and immunization records.  The accumulation of the required documentation is performed at the student’s expense.  Some Clinics may require different and/or additional screening requirements.  The student is required to comply with all screening requirements mandated by their assigned clinical site.  Any fees associated with procuring items required in the clinical clearance screening process are at the student’s expense.  Clinics that prefer to do their own testing and verification may do so directly with the student.  JPU may be asked to perform these services and provide the results to the clinic upon their request.

Clinical Site Placement

JPU is responsible for assigning a clinical site to each student enrolled in the Radiation Therapy programs.  Radiation Therapy program leadership will grant acceptance into the program to qualified applicants after both the student and clinical site agree to the clinical site assignment.  

If a student is not granted admission into the Radiation Therapy program but wishes to enroll in Radiation Therapy courses as a non-degree seeking student, they may enroll in selected Radiation Therapy courses approved by JPU at a part-time status for no more than three consecutive semesters if their ultimate goal is to gain acceptance into the Radiation Therapy program.  Students who do not gain admittance into the Radiation Therapy program after attending as a non-degree seeking student for three consecutive semesters must repeat the admissions interview process.

JPU resolves to make every effort to place student in a location that is within a reasonable distance from their place of residence.  Due to availability of clinical sites and student schedules, temporary relocation may be necessary to secure an appropriate clinical site.

Compensation and Hours Requirement

Students entering the clinical setting for their internship are required to participate no more than ten (10) hours per day.  A minimum of 728 hours is required for the clinical internship. Students are not eligible to begin the clinical internship hours until after successful completion of their second semester.

Any hours spent beyond the 10-hour maximum per day will not count toward the 728-hour requirement.  The student is not entitled to compensation or extra credit of any kind.

Evening/weekend clinical assignments are not required or encouraged. If measures must be taken in order to ensure adequate clinical time, proposals will be considered and must be agreeable to the student, University and clinical site.

Clinical Internship Completion Policy

Medical Physics, Medical Health Physics, Medical Dosimetry, and Radiation Therapy degree programs require prompt completion of the clinical internship concurrently with didactic instruction along with the submission of an internship journal.

Students are required to submit their internship journal including all required paperwork outlined in the Clinical Guidance for Students document for the applicable degree program no later than thirty (30) days after completion of their required competencies and hours.  If the student has not submitted the required journal documentation within the stated time frame,  they are considered non-compliant with Clinical Obligations required for the program and will be placed on Administrative Hold.  Refer to the Administrative Hold Policy in the ACADEMIC POLICIES section of the Academic Catalog. 

Failure to complete the internship hours or submit the clinical journal within the timeframe outlined in this policy will result in tuition for the clinical internship being charged to the student’s account each semester the student is enrolled in the clinical internship after didactic instruction is complete.

Students who are unable to start their internship during the third semester of the program or maintain minimum hours per week outlined by this policy due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of student will not automatically be subject to tuition being charged for each semester the student is enrolled in the clinical internship after didactic instruction is complete.  The President and Program Director will address unforeseen circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Loss of an Assigned Clinical Site or Failure to Accept a Site Assignment

There are various reasons why a student may lose an assigned clinical site either before or after they begin their clinical internship.  Some reasons may be unpredictable and/or unpreventable by the University.  Any student who loses their assigned clinical site must accept the next clinical site assignment they are offered, even if it means temporary relocation is required.  Program leadership makes every effort to consider the student’s current location when working on clinical site assignments.  If the student chooses not to accept the subsequent clinical site they are offered, they are considered non-compliant with Clinical Obligations required for the program and will be placed on Administrative Hold.  Refer to the Administrative Hold Policy in the ACADEMIC POLICIES section of the Academic Catalog. 

Clinical Requirements Per Program

In general, the above policies apply to all degree and certificate programs that have a clinical internship or clinical practice component that is required for graduation. Students are directed to adhere to all program-specific guidelines for their enrolled program.