When Dr. Khokhar, AOS MRI Program Director at CNI College, first encountered the Corsmed MRI simulator, he was skeptical.
He had seen other MRI simulators before, but they all had the same limitation:
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"If you change the parameters on most MRI simulators, the image is still the same. My biggest objection was that I'm not getting anything useful if changing the parameters doesn't change the image."
But Corsmed was different.
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"Corsmed's simulator actually changes the image when you change the parameters. That got my attention."
Today, CNI College—one of America’s largest AOS MRI programs with hundreds of students—has fully integrated Corsmed's MRI simulator into its curriculum. It has transformed how they prepare future MRI technologists and set a new standard for MRI education nationwide.
Thanks to implementing Corsmed, CNI College has been able to:
- Bridge the Theory-Practice Gap in Teaching MRI Physics
- Prepare Job-Ready Graduates Who Perform from Day One
- Boost Graduate Job Placement and Salaries
1. Bridge the Theory-Practice Gap in Teaching MRI Physics
For MRI educators, teaching complex MRI physics concepts is a significant challenge.
How do you help students visualize abstract concepts like TR (repetition time) and TE (echo time)? Without real-time visualization, these concepts remain theoretical and difficult for students to grasp.
Program Specialist Zohreh, affectionately called "Mrs. Z" by students, explains:
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"Before Corsmed, one of our biggest challenges was teaching MRI physics. Students just heard about abstract concepts like TR and TE but couldn't feel what these parameters do.
With Corsmed, we solved this problem. Now they can actually see and feel the effects."
This visualization capability bridges the gap between theory and practice. Students can immediately see how changing parameters affects image quality—something previously impossible without access to an actual scanner.
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"When teaching MRI physics, I don’t have to rely on imaginary scenarios. I can show students the exact result when they apply quantum physics concepts in a medical practice. This visualization is the main part of Corsmed that helps me teach physics."
So teachers really enjoy Corsmed.
But do the students enjoy the simulator too?
What CNI’s Students Say about Corsmed for Learning Theory and Lab
CNI students consistently praise how the simulator prepared them for clinical practice by providing a safe environment to learn before facing real patients:
Michael Bishop, a CNI student, shares:
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"When we were first reading our textbooks, before we ever touched an MRI machine, it was very nerve-wracking. How are we going to see these different planes of the body? And how are we going to apply physics to the MRI machine?
But once we went into term three and got to use Corsmed, it was like a beacon of light! We could actually play around with parameters and see how the body will appear on the console. It was very helpful preparation for our externships."
For Michael, the simulator's ability to add pathologies to otherwise normal anatomy was particularly valuable, giving him exposure to abnormal findings before encountering them in clinical practice:
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"I really enjoyed adding pathology to the images, which was fun to see early on before externship. When you constantly see perfect anatomy, you don't really know what pathology looks like. Adding pathology through Corsmed was very helpful."
Another student, Clark Barretto, appreciated how the simulator familiarized him with diverse scan types:
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"For me, seeing different anatomies in the scan was awesome. I had never seen a shoulder scan, which we saw a lot on Corsmed.
That was very helpful because when I went to my externship, I was already familiar with how it looks."
Clark adds that the simulator gave him confidence before entering the clinical environment:
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"Corsmed gives you a really good understanding of what to expect.
As somebody who had never been exposed to MRI, the moment you open Corsmed, you see all the anatomies right on your laptop. It gives you confidence before going to externship because you have knowledge and vision of what to expect."
Justin Jorquez, a third student, values the exposure to diverse scans that might be limited in clinical settings:
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"Corsmed is a great tool to see how a lot of different or maybe not as common things are to be scanned.
At my site, there was just a list of routine scans with no deviation. But with Corsmed, you can see long bones, chest, abdomen—scans that aren't super common in many clinical settings."
The visual aspect of Corsmed makes it engaging and intuitive—even for those outside the field.
Program Specialist Zohreh shares a personal story of how its interactive nature captured her son's curiosity, ultimately inspiring him to pursue a career in MRI.
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“The first time that I started using Corsmed, I was practicing at home. And suddenly my 10-year-old son came over and asked me: 'What's that, mom?'
I said: 'That's a new software we're using for our MRI program.'
He was immediately interested, and he has now gone on to become an MRI tech as well. He loves, loves Corsmed!”
2. Prepare Job-Ready Graduates Who Perform from Day One
CNI's comprehensive program includes 746 hours (68 units) of theoretical instruction and 1,000 hours (33 units) of externship experience. What makes their approach unique is the extensive hands-on training students receive before entering clinical settings.
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"When our students began their externships, the imaging centers were amazed at how skilled they were.They had expected our students to do filing for weeks before scanning. But instead, they called us and said:
'We're hiring your students now—because they're ready to scan from day one.'"
Much of this “Day One” job-readiness has been made possible by Corsmed.
Thanks to the simulator, CNI students:
- Get 24/7 Access to Rare and Advanced Scan Practice
- Enjoy Flexible Education That Fits Their Circumstances
- Train to Become Problem-Solvers, Not “Button-Pushers”
24/7 Access to Rare and Advanced Scan Practice
One of the biggest challenges in traditional MRI education is limited hands-on experience and exposure to diverse scan types.
Corsmed solves this by giving CNI students a personal MRI scanner on their laptop—enabling repeated practice and access to rare scans that would take years to encounter in clinical settings.
Program Specialist Zohreh explains three major advantages of Corsmed:
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24/7 Unlimited Practice:
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"With Corsmed, students get hands-on practice before their externship. They arrive prepared, knowing what to expect.
And their training doesn't stop there—when they get home, they can keep refining their skills because it's right there on their laptop."
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Experience with Rare Scans:
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"Corsmed gives our students rare exposure to cardiac MRI. Even working MRI techs only get to see cardiac scans maybe once a year.
Most MRI scans, like lumbar spine, are also just static images. But cardiac? It's like watching a live movie! Students love seeing the heart's chambers contract in real-time.
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Superior (And More Fun!) Learning By Experimenting:
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"I tell my students, 'Mess up the images. Do the wrong scan. Let's see how you can create mistakes.' That's how you learn.
Normally, it takes years in the field to see these mistakes, but with Corsmed, they experience it first hand."
The simulator becomes particularly valuable for students during their clinical externships, as Zohreh notes:
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"I always tell my students: ‘Use this chance. When you're doing a C-spine at your clinical site, go home and open Corsmed. Make your own protocol and practice.’
They may only see an MRCP scan once or twice during their clinical practice—but they can practice it with Corsmed a thousand times. That's a main differentiator for us."
Flexible Education That Fits Student Circumstances
The simulator also provides valuable flexibility for students who may face challenges attending in-person labs or externships. As Dr. Khokhar shares:
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"Many times, due to circumstances, students aren't able to attend externship. With Corsmed, they can continue their learning without taking a leave of absence. This helps both the students and our institution."
This flexibility has become increasingly important in modern education settings, where students often juggle multiple responsibilities alongside their studies.
Students Become Problem-Solvers, Not “Button-Pushers”
Perhaps most importantly, Corsmed helps CNI create MRI technologists who truly understand the technology they're working with, moving beyond simply following protocols to actually understanding the principles behind them.
As Program Specialist Zohreh shares:
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"The key difference with our students is their knowledge. They truly understand what they're doing. Many MRI techs see that their image has artifacts but don't know their cause or how to fix them.
Our students do. We train them to be problem-solvers, not just button-pushers."
This deep understanding of MRI physics makes CNI graduates particularly valuable to employers, who recognize the simulator training on their resumes and see the difference in their clinical performance.
Dr. Khokhar adds that this problem-solving ability is essential for optimizing patient care:
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"Our students know how to troubleshoot and remedy artifacts. This directly impacts image quality and ultimately patient diagnosis and treatment."
3. Boost Graduate Job Placement and Salaries
The comprehensive training with Corsmed gives CNI graduates a competitive edge in the job market, translating directly into better job placements and higher salaries:
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"One of our graduates was hired by a prestigious hospital that focuses solely on cardiac imaging. Most MRI centers don't perform these scans. But thanks to Corsmed, he was fully prepared."
Another student success story highlights the simulator's user-friendly design—and how Corsmed helps students get jobs.
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"One of our students wasn't very tech-savvy. She needed IT support just to upload her coursework. But she mastered Corsmed, which shows how user-friendly the simulator is.
Before graduating, she got an out-of-state job offer with a relocation bonus—even before passing her registry exam. That's real proof of how our practical training prepares students for the job market."
These aren't isolated success stories. Dr. Khokhar points out that employers recognize the value of Corsmed training.
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"We've seen that students can list their Corsmed simulation experience on their resumes, and employers recognize its value.
Corsmed helps our students get jobs."
How CNI Maximizes Corsmed’s Impact
For educational institutions considering implementing simulation technology, understanding how it fits into an existing curriculum is crucial.
Dr. Khokhar explains how CNI has seamlessly integrated Corsmed across multiple quarters of their program:
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"Using Corsmed, our students complete 71 cases with different body parts per week during weeks 1–5, 72 cases during week 6, and 73 cases during week 7.
By the time they finish, they've done 500 cases across a wide range of anatomies and pathologies."
This approach means students aren't just building skills—they're simultaneously fulfilling the official MRI certification requirements:
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"ARMRIT allows students to count two simulation cases as one hour of externship, up to 250 hours. This means students can complete 50 cases on the Corsmed simulator and receive 250 hours of externship credit—a tremendous benefit for both students and our program."
What If We Run Into Problems with Corsmed—Can We Count on Them for Help?
For education leaders considering simulation technology, implementation support is a critical concern.
CNI praises Corsmed's customer service, highlighting how responsive and helpful the team has been.
Says Program Specialist Zohreh:
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"Every enhancement we requested, we worked like a team. The Corsmed staff were there whenever we needed them, despite the time difference between Europe and the U.S. You send one email and get a response right away. Without this customer relationship, it wouldn't have been possible."
Zohreh continues to add:
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"Sometimes I contact Corsmed 20-30 times a day, and they respond right away. Any question, any problem—it doesn't matter. They solve problems fast and help us a lot."
This level of support has been crucial for ensuring the technology works seamlessly within CNI's program, allowing instructors to focus on teaching rather than troubleshooting technical issues.
Experience the "Day and Night" Difference in Your MRI Program
When asked about the overall impact of implementing Corsmed's simulator, Dr. Khokhar doesn't hesitate:
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"It's the difference of day and night.
Corsmed has enhanced our students' experience and brought them skills which were very difficult or rare to learn. It's made a difference in their lives."
With graduates securing premium positions, often with job offers before graduation, CNI College's implementation of Corsmed demonstrates how simulation technology can transform MRI education—creating confident, skilled technologists ready to make a difference in healthcare from day one.
For other MRI education programs and healthcare facilities looking to enhance their training, the message from CNI is clear:
Corsmed's simulator doesn't just supplement traditional education—it fundamentally transforms it, creating fully trained professionals who provide superior patient care.
As Zohreh summarizes:
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"We've solved our biggest challenges in teaching MRI through this simulation technology. Our students don't just learn—they understand. And that makes all the difference for their careers and for their future patients."
Want to Enhance Your MRI Training Program?
Book a free consultation with us today, and discover how Corsmed can take your MRI training to the next level.
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