On March 6, the Health Career Investigations Club, and Applied Med class hosted a presentation to inform interested students about working in radiology. This presentation addressed the fact that radiology is not as well-known as other medical fields, but doesn’t require medical schooling and is an immersive experience. This special HCIC experience gave students a chance to hear about the many opportunities and requirements of pursuing this career path.
As someone who initially didn’t know this job was an option, radiologic technologist Alexandra Buraconak wanted to inform students at North about this career while they were still in high school. She presented different healthcare options in the field, focusing on becoming an X-ray technician.
“My goal was to spread the word about X-rays as an option after high school. Buraconak said. “When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to go into the medical field. We had a program that allowed us to shadow different professions at the hospital. I didn’t even know that X-ray was an option. I found out about X-rays from an ultrasound tech at my job after school and was immediately hooked.”
This was a special presentation for the HCIC club, but it is not the only experience members will have the opportunity to be a part of this year. Club advisor Sue Speirs has many different activities planned to spark students’ interests and allow them to interact with real medical professionals.
“The HCIC began before the Applied Med course was developed,” Speirs said. “The club allows all grade levels to interact with various medical careers, complete a research project, and set up a lecture series for any interested student to attend.”
Students of all grades attended this presentation including freshman Megan Huizodos who gained a detailed understanding of what it is like to be involved in different medical programs, specifically radiology.
“I learned about the difficulty of the medical field,” Huizodos said. “I realized how much work it is but in the end, it is very rewarding. During the presentation about radiology, I learned that it is a much shorter program, and you don’t need to go to med school for it. In both presentations, I learned that although having a career in medicine is hard, there is fun along the way.”
The main goal for Buraconak was to teach students about career choices for their future because of how intimidating it can be to decide on a career path so young. She hopes her efforts will lead to students finding their way in the radiology world.
“What I really want students to take away from my presentation is that there are more options for healthcare than becoming a nurse, PA or doctor,” Buraconak said. “There are so many hidden gems in the healthcare world that make a huge impact in patient care.”
