A patient imaging system includes a patient support table and an MRI system including a cylindrical magnet. The magnet defines a cylindrical bore for receiving the patient on the table where the magnet is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis on a slew ring carried on rails allowing longitudinal movement. The magnet is arranged in a two or three room diagnostic configuration in which a holding bay houses the magnet and the diagnostic patients are organized in the three rooms each cooperating with the magnet bay. A control system is provided for inputting data defining different locations or conditions of the magnet relative to its environment and for each of the different conditions data is stored defining a respective set of shimming parameters so that the control system automatically inputs the shimming parameters and adjusts the shimming as the magnet is moved or a secondary imaging system is brought up to the magnet.