Clive Robert Patterson: Educator Extraordinaire
For more than 25 years, Clive Robert Patterson, MS, R.EEG T., RPSGT, FASET, has been committed to ensuring excellence in neurodiagnostic (NDT) programming, with a special interest in serving military students. While at the Naval School of Health Sciences, he led the NDT program through a reaccreditation process that resulted in a 10-year renewal. Since 2016, he has served as the neurodiagnostic program director for the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) at Fort Sam. Last year, Patterson led the development and implementation of EEG board prep that resulted in a 92%, five-year student pass rate. Patterson, who is also an assistant professor at Uniformed Services University’s College of Allied Health Sciences, offers the readers of NeuroCurrents his perspective on what makes NDT education effective and the unique considerations necessary for military students.
1. How have you seen NDT education change over the decades?
I have watched the emphasis shift to a focus on the student needs, toward meeting the students where they are regarding learning styles, levels, and capabilities. I have also seen a growing expansion of the use of technology to diversify training needs for both faculty and students. Additionally, I have noticed how accreditation renews a program’s focus on presenting course content that is compliant with standards and guidelines.
2. Does NDT training for military students have to incorporate different considerations or requirements than training for non-military students?
Absolutely. Both Air Force and Navy have specific standards for admission to training programs. These requirements encompass both academic prerequisites and ensure specific military standards are met before being selected. Unlike our civilian NDT counterparts, classes are all day, every day for eight months.
3. Where do military students who complete NDT courses at METC go on to work?
Military students that graduate go on to serve at Navy and Air Force Military treatment facilities in neurology/NDT clinics and labs. They perform inpatient/outpatient NDT testing for active duty, dependents, and retirees.
4. What tends to attract military students to pursue this course as opposed to other healthcare fields?
Air Force medics and Navy corpsmen are offered the opportunity at varied career stages to apply for advanced medical training. Those that choose NDT training are looking for career opportunities and research different career medical options. In some cases, students are selected by the service based on meeting quota requirements or service needs.
5. Is AI threatening our field, hurting it, helping it? Or some combination of it all?
Artificial intelligence—whether we like it or not, embrace it or don’t—is the current wave of the present and near-term future. As with any technology, harnessing the wrong intent can have negative consequences and effects. There are uses within education that can be embraced with positive educational outcomes. I believe using it in the classroom, case studies, building scenario-based lab application, and assisting with fine tuning of evaluation tools can be of great impact for faculty and students. My biggest takeaway is to not allow AI to take over what we do; instead, embrace it as a tool to assist us with best practices to ensure students meet objectives and competencies.
Combat Veteran Discovers New Purpose in the Neuro Community
Cynthia Meraz, a level III neurodiagnostic technologist with Baylor Scott & White Health, was performing an EEG in the NICU when she realized the lead floor RN was someone she knew—her first boss from a grocery store job she had in Dallas as a teenager. The nurse remembered Meraz and commented, “You did well for yourself.”
“That simple statement meant more than she probably realized,” said Meraz. “Coming from someone who knew where I started, it put everything into perspective. I didn’t grow up in the best neighborhood, and there were plenty of paths that could have led me elsewhere.” Standing there in the NICU, providing specialized care to vulnerable patients, Meraz describes that she felt an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude. She was reminded of just how far she’d come, why this work matters, and how meaningful it is to be in a profession that represents growth, purpose, and service.
Meraz enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school, serving from 2011 to 2015 as a food service specialist with deployments to Kuwait and Bahrain, including security forces responsibilities. After completing her service, Cynthia earned a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in neuroscience, with clinical residency. Today, Cynthia applies her expertise at a Level II trauma hospital, where she conducts brainwave studies for patients experiencing epilepsy and head trauma. The military, she shared, taught her to stay calm under pressure, think critically in highstakes environments, and operate with precision when the margin for error is small—all of which are essential in neurodiagnostics.
“I’ve always been fascinated by how the brain works, and neurodiagnostics turns that curiosity into something tangible for me,” said Meraz. “I get to help decode what is happening in someone’s nervous system by assisting providers with critical information that can change a diagnosis or treatment plan.”
On a more personal level, she continued, it was in the neurodiagnostic field where she first felt a true sense of purpose since leaving the military. “Neurodiagnostic work allows me to continue serving—just in a different way. I understand vulnerability, trauma, and the importance of trust, which helps me connect with patients who are anxious or facing difficult diagnoses.”
In addition to providing quality and compassionate care, Meraz also hopes to raise awareness of what technologists do and why it matters. “Neurodiagnostics plays a critical role in understanding brain health, yet the field is often overlooked. I want to help educate patients, students, and the broader community about the importance of maintaining a healthy brain and protecting it throughout all stages of life,” she said. “I’m interested in working alongside research and academic teams to improve collaboration that supports patients, students, and veterans. By bridging clinical practice, education, and research, I believe we can create better learning opportunities and advance the field.”
