MRI Technologist Training Program

Program Description

The Johns Hopkins Department of Radiology MRI Technologist Training Program is a paid, post-primary program for ARRT-registered technologists who are interested in furthering their careers in magnetic resonance imaging. Upon graduation, a two-year work commitment at any Johns Hopkins location is required.

To learn more about the responsibilities and opportunities for MRI techs at Johns Hopkins, click here.

This 6-month full-time program leads to advanced certification in the field of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging.) The Johns Hopkins Hospital and its outpatient imaging centers offer unique and unparalleled resources to ensure you learn with the latest technology and software advancements in this field.

Your time will be tailored to offer diverse and comprehensive training for success in ARRT board registry and future clinical career. Classroom courses include Anatomy, MRI physics, MRI protocols, MRI safety, and IV insertion. Clinical experiences offer interaction with a variety of patient populations including Oncology, Pediatric, In/Out-patient, Critical Care, and Trauma.

At Johns Hopkins and nationwide, MRI technologists are in increasing demand as the field continues to grow.

Learn More

For more information about the program, watch our webinar where we discuss the program and answer questions.

For additional MRI program information, click here. For any further questions, contact [email protected].

Program Accreditation and Outcomes

The MRI Program is pending American Society of Radiologic Technologist approval for the upcoming year.

We are proud to have provided this opportunity to approximately a hundred students over the past fifteen years. Graduates currently average a 99% “PASS” rate of advanced certification in MRI by the ARRT.

To Apply

 

Meet the Program Leaders

The MRI Program is co-directed by Eileen Day and Nicole Seward. Alyson Van Meter also serves as a program instructor through her role as MRI Technical Educator at Johns Hopkins Medical Imaging. Learn more about our Program Leaders by reading their bios at the Faculty page.

 

Meet a 2025 Graduate – Jasmin

For Jasmin, now an MRI technologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, medical imaging is a family affair.

She began to consider a career in imaging after her mom suggested she talk to her cousin, a mammography technologist. After shadowing her cousin and volunteering at a hospital near her southern Maryland home, she knew medical imaging was right for her.

“I really like helping people a lot,” she said of her drive to work in healthcare, adding, “I really feel like that is why I was put here.”

Driven by her passion for service, Jasmin attended community college, graduating with an associate’s degree before completing a Radiography program close to her home.

Fresh out of school, Jasmin began her X-ray career as a traveling technologist. She traveled to states across the U.S., including California, Florida and Louisiana, before ending up near home in Baltimore.

It was then, while researching career opportunities online, that she discovered Johns Hopkins’ MRI Technologist Training Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The MRI Technologist Training Program is a paid, six-month, full-time post-primary program offering comprehensive classroom and clinical training (both inpatient and outpatient) for X-ray technologists. Completion of the program leads to advanced certification in MRI. Participants earn full-time pay and employee benefits, including health insurance, during their training.

Learning about the program, Jasmin jumped at the chance. She started the program in February 2025, graduating in August.

According to Jasmin, it was the people – first and foremost – who drew her to Johns Hopkins.

“I met some of the staff,” she explained. “They were lovely to talk to and be around.”

She was also impressed by the fact that Johns Hopkins’ MRI Technologist Program is paid and offers a guaranteed job, allowing her to advance her career while meeting her financial needs.

Today, Jasmin is an MRI technologist in the Interventional Radiology Operating Room at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She loves the opportunity to work directly with radiologists on a wide range of cases, providing support as they place leads to control a patients’ Parkinson’s tremors or remove a brain tumor.

While her work now is fast-paced and critically important, Jasmin feels up to any challenge thanks to her training with the MRI Tech Training Program.

“The program was wonderful,” she said, adding, “Nikki and Eileen, the program directors, are very organized, and everything is set out clearly with what you are doing, organized by date.”

“The technologist educators are approachable and the veteran technologists I learned from were super helpful and friendly. There were many techs there with more than 20 years of experience.”

Now, Jasmin is seeking to help recruit the next generation of techs. She urges anyone thinking about advancing their career in medical imaging to consider the MRI Tech Training Program.

“Take the opportunity,” she said, adding, “If it’s there for you, and you’re qualified, take the opportunity.”

“You never know where it will take you,” she said, concluding, “Once you get here you’ll see – it’s endless opportunity.”

 

Meet a 2024 Graduate – Lauren

Lauren was working as a radiology clinical assistant with another employer when she learned about Johns Hopkins’ robust tuition assistance and employee advancement resources. Eager to continue growing her skills, she applied to Johns Hopkins Medical Imaging in Bethesda. This decision would kick her career into high gear.

Radiology clinical assistants provide aid to patients and technologists, including assisting patients with getting positioned on imaging equipment. Clinical assistant candidates must have a high school diploma or GED and two years of work experience.

As a radiology clinical assistant, Lauren gained first-hand experience with patient care and found that she loved it. She relished the chance to make what may be a tough time just a bit easier for anxious patients.

“I like doing something to try to make a difference,” Lauren said, noting, “Patients are often scared. I can make them laugh; I can help brighten a scary experience.”

Eventually, she wanted to go even further in her career. She began studying to become a certified radiographer.

For Lauren, the support of her managers was crucial. She worked full-time while attending school and her supervisors at JHMI Bethesda allowed her to switch her hours so she could attend classes during the day while working in the evening. She graduated from the two-year program last June.

But Lauren was not done yet. Just months later, in February, she enrolled in Johns Hopkins’ MRI technologist training program. She will complete the full-time, paid internship program in July. “The MRI training program has been wonderful. I’ve felt very supported,” Lauren said.

“The educators are passionate,” she explained, adding, “You get the sense they really want you to succeed. It is a great learning environment.” Lauren encourages others interested in a healthcare career to consider becoming a clinical assistant at Johns Hopkins. She took the leap and found the support she needed to advance in a career she loves.

“Johns Hopkins is a place that helps you to grow,” she said, noting, “It provides the support that allows you to move upward very quickly.”

 

Meet a 2023 Graduate – Joseph

“When Joseph first arrived in the United States from Ghana, he was determined to provide a better life for his family. He found that opportunity, and many more, as an MRI technologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

In 2018, Joseph graduated from the Radiologic Technology Program at Montgomery College. He worked as an X-ray technologist for five years before enrolling in the MRI Technologist Training Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Joseph could not have asked for more supportive mentors. “The educators are open, dedicated and welcoming,” he said, adding, “They give us all the tools we need to be successful in MRI.”

He continued, “Things are somewhat different when you move from the world of X-ray to MRI. But the educators understand where you are coming from. They start at the bottom and are open to answering any questions.”

Joseph graduated from the program in August 2023, though he still works closely with his MRI technical educators. “Even after graduating, the educators are still available,” he said. “You can reach out to them, and they are always there to support you.”

“I have grown to love Johns Hopkins,” he said, concluding, “I have seen this place as a grounds for growth. It is a place of diversity, a place where you can come from any part of the world and succeed.”

 

Meet a 2023 Graduate – Brooke

From an early age, Brooke felt drawn toward patient care. At Johns Hopkins, she turned that passion into a thriving career.

Brooke graduated from the Radiography program at Howard Community College in 2019, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was testing healthcare facilities across the globe. As the pandemic began to stabilize, Brooke was ready to continue developing her skills. She learned about the MRI Technologist Training Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and decided to enroll.

As Brooke started the program, she had one specific fear that was almost immediately relieved. “My biggest worry going into the MRI program was that, after all the work I had done to become a radiographer, I would feel like a student again and not a tech,” she recalled. “But I never felt like that. Everyone was my coworker.”

The MRI Tech Training Program includes clinical and classroom experiences, where students learn on state-of-the-art equipment under the supervision of skilled experts. “The program was amazing,” Brooke said, calling the full-time, five-month program “intensive and well-prepared.”

Brooke graduated from the program in August 2023. She is currently an MRI tech at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She loves what she does – and where she does it. “I love Johns Hopkins because it offers a great quality of life for employees,” she said. “Managers and coworkers work together; there is community and camaraderie.”

For Brooke, it always comes back to her patients. “I try to make sure my patients leave with a smile,” she said. With a laugh, she added, “Nobody likes getting in a giant tin can.”

“I love what I do, “she said. “I work hard to ensure patients have a great experience.”