Many students don't have any clue where they're going or what they're doing after high school, and that's ok. But what's it like to know what you want to do and have that path laid out? Or better yet, already be successful in the field? Found out what that look like here: Krista Pride is a senior with aspirations to become a radiologist, and Parke Thrush, MD, is a WI graduate of the class of '78.
Krista: My dream job is to be a radiologist. Radiologists are medical doctors who specialize in using X-rays and radioactive substances to diagnose and treat illnesses. Many years of schooling a lot of dedication are required for success. I wanting to be this is because I really want to help people, and I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. I’m taking chemistry and anatomy now to prepare myself. I think this will help me through college, because this is what I will basically be studying, so it’s good to know these things now. This year I will also be visiting the hospital to do a tour so I can get more hands-on experience. When I graduate high school the first thing I will do is enter a three month program to get my phlebotomy certification, so I'll be able to take blood. I'll then start college and become a radiologist tech, which can take up to three years. Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging examinations and administer radiation therapy treatments. I'll become this first to know if radiology is really something I want to do. Then, I'll finish my last year in college and go to medical school for four years. After medical school, I'll do four to five years in residency. At this time I'll be getting paid for my studies. The last thing I have to do to become a radiologist is to get my radiology certification through the American Board of Radiologists. Even though this will be a lot of schooling and time, I believe if you set your goals and know what you want in life, then you can go for it, and it will be worth it.
Dr. Thrush: When I was in high school, I took all the upper level math and science classes I could. I didn't take physics, which I regret. My first semsester at WVU, I was an engineering major. I didn't like it, so I switched to a pre-med track second semester, majoring in chemistry. In addition to chemistry, I took biology, chemistry courses up to Chem16, orgainic chemistry, physics, and other premed requirements. In my junior year, I took my MCATS and got into WVU's medical school. My first and second years were classroom oriented, and we worked with cadavers. Third and fourth year, clinical rotations started, where I worked in all medical fields under other doctors.The point of the rotations were to give students expirience in all fields. In my fourth year, I applied for radiology residency. I was accepted and spent one year as a general intern in all medical fields and four years of dedicated radiology. During my residency, I started making money. I became a board certified radiologist after those years of residency. Now I work at UHC in a private group of 20 other radiologists.
Picture: Radiological imaging of a brain from different views.