Smith Chason College | WCUI School of Medical Imaging and Smith Chason School of Nursing — Local services in Ontario

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Do Your Research Before Committing

I deeply regret my decision to attend this school. Not only did I accumulate around $40,000 in debt, but my overall experience was frustrating and demoralizing. It became clear over time that the institution's focus is on making money rather than genuinely supporting students.

The first few months of classes were relatively easy, thanks to the hybrid format, but things quickly changed once I entered the lab portion of the program. Lab sessions require a significant time investment, around 10 hours a week, but with uneven class sizes, there were many times when I spent most of my time waiting for an opportunity to practice. The lab instructors, who typically have only 1-2 years of experience in the field, were not the best at providing guidance or teaching effectively.

The final class, EPL, felt unnecessarily difficult and seemed designed to set students up for failure. While the goal is to finish strong and secure a good externship position, the process was extremely challenging. The school expects you to take around 80 images in 50 minutes, but when you get to your externship site, they want you to complete the same task in just 30 minutes all with different anatomy every time. This mismatch in expectations only adds to the stress and confusion.

Externships were another major issue, not only do you have to do it full time for 6 months making it impossible to work to pay for school and other bills. The school pressures students to travel long distances for externship placements, with some being 1-2 hours away, and I even know someone who was pressured into a 3-hour commute to Las Vegas. On top of that, the work environment at many externship sites can be toxic. At times, techs at these clinics treated students poorly, and there was little opportunity to practice scanning on patients, which is essential for building proficiency. As a student you just have to be quiet and accept the bullying of your techs if not they will kick you out and you will fail the program.

Ultimately, I left feeling unprepared and unsupported. I never truly felt like I was becoming good at the profession due to the lack of quality teaching and real-world practice. In hindsight, I strongly advise considering a community college or a program that values its students and offers comprehensive, supportive education. Avoid making the same mistake I did—do your research and make sure you're choosing the right school for...

My name is Coral Garcia, I am a 2025 Academic Associate Diagnostic Medical Sonography pm week day alumni. I had a great experience completing the DMS program at Smith Chason College in Ontario! This is an accelerated program that teaches you the foundational skills, procedures, and techniques needed to start your career in ultrasound. While the program can definitely be stressful at times, you’re not alone—you’ll meet amazing classmates who are going through the same journey, and the staff is incredibly supportive every step of the way. The support I received from all the departments, especially during my stressful senior quarter, truly made a difference. Everyone was always ready to help and made things so much easier. The externship department was amazing and worked hard to place me at a hospital close to my home, allowing me to move back during my 6-month externship. The registry department guided me through registering for my SPI and ARDMS exams, which was a huge help. Career Services also helped me build a professional resume and offered ongoing support with job applications after graduation. Student Services regularly checked in with us at the start of each semester and planned fun social events to help us connect with classmates, which made the experience even better. Although the associate program may seem expensive, it includes textbooks, the first SPI exam fee, access to campus ultrasound machines, and great student events. What really made a difference for me was staying proactive—communicating with these different departments, asking questions when I needed clarification, and taking full advantage of tutoring sessions. Every department and teachers truly want to see you succeed not just while you're in the program, but even after you graduate and they’re always willing to help if you reach out. If you're a student who takes initiative, stays focus, stays in communication with the departments, and makes the most of the resources available, you’ll find a strong support system here and you will succeed in becoming a DMS. I'm thankful for my experience at Smith Chason and proud to have completed my...

I can honestly say my experience with the school has been amazing. I can only speak on the cardiovascular program as this is the one I’m currently in. I’m also currently doing my 6 month externship.

At the beginning yes it was a little rocky trying to get into the school and get in contact with someone from admissions. However, once I went through that, it has been smooth sailing. All instructors I’ve had were always willing to help whenever asked. A couple of them even went to the extent as doing a letter of recommendation for my externship placements.

With that in mind, I do have to thank the externship department for doing an amazing job throughout this process. As an echo student, I informed the externship team that I would be moving with my family out of state and asked if placement could be done for me out of state. Sure enough, Kristin immediately got back to me and let me know that there are no guarantees but they would do their best in finding me placement in a new state. Throughout the entire process, Kristin emailed me with constant updates even when there wasn’t one to give. Due to their dedication, I was placed at a site with a wonderful echo team in the new state I live now. Even now that I’m on my own completing my hours, they still check to see how it’s going. I gotta say I’m so thankful for Kristin and the externship team for helping get to...