Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring Certificate

CU Degree Requirements*Degree Works

*Please see the CU degree requirements effective Fall 2023. All enrolled students can also review their degree program requirements and track progress to degree completion in Degree Works.

• A bachelor's degree is required for admission to the certificate program. This graduate certificate program will review and consider applications from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.
• However, to help ensure success in this certificate training, priority applicants should have had previous academic coursework in at least three of the following areas of study: anatomy, physiology, human biology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, psychology, medical terminology, personal health, medical ethics, and applied physics for the health sciences, or similar courses.
• This one-year certificate program (12 credit hours per semester, total 36 credit hours) will be promoted to students from undergraduate academic programs such as speech pathology and audiology, exercise science, biological and allied health sciences, nursing, psychology and medical physics..
• Applicants who do not have the expected foundational coursework may be accepted provisionally pending completion of a program of prerequisite study incorporating three of the aforementioned areas of study.

Practicum Track Degree Requirements (Effective Fall 2023) 

• CMSD 650 Introduction to IONM 
• CMSD 651 IONM Functional Human Neuroanatomy 
• CMSD 652 Clinical Neurophysiology: Evoked Potential/Electromyography 
• CMSD 654 Clinical Neurophysiology: Electroencephalography/Biophysics 
• CMSD 656 IONM Cranial and Vascular Surgery 
• CMSD 657 IONM Spine Surgery 
• CMSD 659 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application I 
• CMSD 660 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application II 
• CMSD 661 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application III 

Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders is committed to preparing clinicians for the workplace. The process of learning the necessary skills for this outcome may vary student by student. The purpose of remediation is to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills in academic and clinical areas. Remediation is intended to facilitate student success and assist with progress toward meeting degree requirements. Both summative (final, at the conclusion of a course/program) and formative (during, periodically throughout a course/program) assessments are used in evaluating students’ progress. Students whose academic or clinical performance falls below graduate expectations will receive remediation opportunities as part of formative assessment. Students are encouraged to take advantage of remediation opportunities to avoid academic consequences such as course repeats or recommendations for dismissal from the program. Remediation may include but is not limited to a clinical skills development plan, revision or completion of equivalent academic coursework, re-examination, or other methods as stipulated by instructional faculty and, where necessary, in conjunction with clinical staff. Students requiring remediation will complete and sign a remediation plan form, which will be retained in their academic file. Remediation plans may be developed by faculty and/or clinical supervisors together with students. 

• Q: What is IONM?
  A: Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring (IONM) encompasses the application of a wide variety of electrophysiological methods to monitor the functional integrity of neural structures during surgery. This certification prepares you to monitor the state of a patient's nervous system in “real-time” during surgery to improve patient safety and surgical outcomes.
• Q: What subjects are covered in the IONM program?
  A: IONM training disciplines Include human functional neuroanatomy, neurodiagnostic technology, electrophysiology, pathophysiology, biology base of human disease, neurosurgery, spinal Surgery, ENT surgery, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, and neuroanesthesia.
• Q: Is there a required undergraduate major needed for admission?
  A: No - But priority consideration is given to students from health sciences, communication disorders, exercise science, and biology.
• Q: What is the career outlook for IONM professionals?
  A: The nationwide demand for qualified IONM professionals is very high. The average salary range is between $72,000 and $99,000 per year (ZipRecruiter). IONM professionals are employed by major hospitals as well as private companies.
• Q: How is the program delivered?
  A: Offered both in-person and online.

Upon graduation, students are eligible to work as surgical neurophysiologist as IONM technologist.