Stacy Tauke, a student in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging program, is leveraging her expertise in the radiology field to get her four-year degree, and so far, she’s thriving.
“My plan, when I’m done, is to do something with the degree part time and scan part time. So that way, I keep my skills up with ultrasound. But I can start to develop other skills that would make me more marketable for a job outside of just doing ultrasound,” she says.
Stacy has been working as a sonographer for the past 14 years.
“I specifically do high risk obstetrics, so those with unexpected fetal diagnoses or patients with health conditions that complicate pregnancy,” she says. “It’s very rewarding.”
Her interest in radiology grew initially from her mom, who worked in x-ray.
“When I observed ultrasound, I fell in love with it right away,” she says. “Instead of just taking a picture of something, I have to find the pathology and then tailor the exam to that. Unlike other modalities, I have to present my findings to the radiologist. They highly rely on sonographers to show them what’s going on. And I really, really like that.”
While Stacy loves scanning, she has experienced pain from an overuse injury in her arm.
“A lot of people get hurt in our job,” she says. “Some of them are career-ending. You’re doing tiny, small movements constantly. It’s a lot of fine movements, and a lot of pushing. It’s all on your arm to your hand. The musculoskeletal injury risk is very, very high.”
Sonographers face an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders because of the physical demands of the profession, according to the Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography. The journal notes a 2022 survey by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography in which more than half of sonographers (66 percent) reported scanning in pain. The publication also notes that a majority (57 percent) of sonographers may not report pain or injury to management.
Given the potential for further injury, Stacy wanted to get her bachelor’s degree to open up more opportunities. She began searching for programs, applied to the UW Flexible Option Diagnostic Imaging program, and enrolled a month later.
The UW Flexible Option program was attractive to Stacy because of the credits she was awarded for her experience. Stacy and other sonographers like her with an active registry from ARDMS (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography) or other organizations are automatically awarded a minimum of 60 credits toward the bachelor’s degree. It was also more affordable than she thought. And she’s in good company—another colleague did the same.
“I found out my coworker applied at the same program and got in at the exact same time. And we did not tell each other that we were doing it. So I announced to everyone: ‘Hey, I’m going back to school.’ And she’s like, ‘So am I.’”
So far, Stacy has benefited from learning more about management, budgeting, and how to communicate through writing. While she’s always enjoyed writing, she hasn’t done it recently and would like to start again.
The biggest challenge Stacy faces in the program is teaching herself. “And that is still a hard part for me—guiding your own learning. But I’m doing very well. I’m also learning how to do healthcare-related research and write at an academic level.”
Stacy was also able to pause her studies to participate in events like the RAGBRAI, a bike trek across Iowa that requires significant training.
UW Flexible Option courses are offered in 12-week subscription periods. Students have the choice to pay a single course or All-you-can-learn tuition rate for each period.
“I was done [with courses] in the beginning of May,” she said. “So then I just started biking. But even if people aren’t as crazy as me in trying to get through the 12 weeks, they could still do the subscription, and bike in the morning or train in the morning, and then do their schoolwork in the afternoon.
“I tend to hit it hard so I can get as many classes done as I can. I work and just blast through the courses. But people don’t have to. They could just do a couple. They could only do one. My goal is always to do at least three because if you pay for the two-plus subscription—I feel like I’m getting a free class. So my goal is always three. The most I’ve done is four in a subscription.”
Stacy’s employer offers tuition reimbursement, so she adjusts her course schedule based on how much money she receives. She feels very fortunate that her employer offers this benefit so she can continue her education. She recalls a conversation she had with her Success Coach, Jenna Swartz, about her schedule a while back.
“I messaged Jenna and said, ‘OK, well, my tuition reimbursement’s up. I’m taking a break until next year when my tuition reimbursement will kick back in again.’ So that’s something too, you can plan it around what your work will provide you for your resources.”
Stacy spends 24 hours a week studying, but “I hit it way harder than maybe some other people,” she says. She’s hoping to finish the program next year, with another planned pause in January so that she can take a trip to Mexico.
Stacy is not completely sure where her career will take her, though she will most definitely have many opportunities to choose from. She plans to send her resume out to a variety of places once she receives her degree. Many sonographers choose teaching or management, and Stacy may go that route, but plans to continue scanning if she can.
“It’s hard to ask a sonographer because we plan on scanning our whole career. And we all love scanning. And people are always like, so what are you going to do with your degree? I have no idea because an ultrasound program is so specific. When I graduated, I knew, I’m going to do ultrasounds. I do want to keep scanning part time, no matter what.”
Are you a sonographer or x-ray technician looking to make a career change? Call an enrollment adviser at 608-800-6762 or email at flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to get more information.