Your Responsibilities and Resources

Cardiovascular technology clinical externships have grown much more competitive in recent years. While USC’s program gives you a strong foundation, admission to these externships is determined solely by the training provider. USC cannot guarantee your admission into any program.

To help you succeed in becoming a cardiovascular technologist, please be mindful of your responsibilities as well as USC’s resources to support you.

Keys to a Successful CVT Clinical Externship

• Stay on track to complete the required 100 credit hours before your clinical externship. You cannot take academic courses during the externship.
• Apply to as many clinical externships as possible and be open to training in both tracks. There are far fewer seats available for invasive than for non-invasive.
• Achieve a GPA of at least 3.0, particularly in classes that are pre-requisites for training programs. USC’s Student Success Center offers academic support.
• Get experience shadowing, volunteering, or doing research in the healthcare sector. The Office of Pre-Professional and Graduate Advising can help you find opportunities.
• Attend CVT open houses and information sessions on campus, where you can network with the directors and faculty from local training programs.
• Connect with Career Center coaches to learn how to prepare for interviews.
• Regularly check and read your university emails from your advisor to keep abreast of application deadlines and any policy changes.
• Once admitted, read your training provider’s handbook of policies and procedures. Violating those policies can result in dismissal from the training program and the CVT major.
• If you do not gain admission to a training program or you are dismissed from a program, we will help you transition into an allied major to prepare for graduation.

We look forward to working with you over the next few years to help you enter the exciting and rewarding healthcare industry.