In addition to graduate programs in medicine and health science, the UI Carver College of Medicine offers undergraduate-level degrees in radiation sciences and nuclear medicine technology. These programs prepare students for work in high-demand medical imaging careers like magnetic resonance imaging, radiation therapy, and radiologic technology.
As a student in the University of Iowa's diagnostic medical sonography cardiovascular track, Gracie Hinerichsen is preparing for a career in cardiac and vascular ultrasound. Through hands-on learning, critical thinking, and Doppler imaging, she's excited to make a difference in patient care.
What drew you to this career path?
I always knew I wanted to go into medical imaging, and I just fell in love with sonography. In cardiac ultrasound, we see the heart in real time. We obtain so much information about the heart and how it is functioning. We also learn vascular ultrasound, where we do many studies, mainly assessing blood perfusion and hemodynamics throughout the extremities.
I wanted a career where every day is different. This couldn’t be truer for ultrasound, as no patient or pathology are the same. As sonographers, it’s up to us to use our skill set to find what we need to help diagnose the patient.
What have you found most surprising about studying diagnostic medical sonography so far?
The biggest things that surprised me were the challenges that come with such a hands-on career. When first starting out scanning, you have to develop fine motor skills and know how to move and adapt to fully optimize your images. As I progress through the program, everything starts to click, and the progress I make is so rewarding.
How do you hope to make a difference through this work?
In ultrasound, we help to diagnose the patient and provide doctors with essential information for surgical and treatment plans. I hope to have a positive impact on people’s health journeys and provide the best diagnostic information that will assist in lifesaving care.
Learn more about radiation sciences
The Radiation Sciences and Nuclear Medicine Technology Bachelor of Science degrees are undergraduate majors offered by the Carver College of Medicine. Pursuing these on-campus degrees as an undergraduate at Iowa allows students the opportunity to complete the mandatory competencies and courses to apply to take the national board exams required to practice professionally.