If you’re a radiologic technologist with a two-year degree and some work experience, you may be wondering whether a bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Imaging is worth it, and if so, when you should pursue one.
If you have an active registry, you can enroll in a bachelor’s degree program in diagnostic imaging to help you advance your career into other areas of medical imaging and healthcare-related industries. If you’re interested in a leadership role in a hospital or clinic, such as a quality-assurance manager, healthcare administrator, or want to become a diagnostic imaging educator, a four-year degree can give you the skills, knowledge, and credentials you need. Or, you can earn your bachelor’s degree to prepare for graduate school.
Regardless of your motivation, earning a four-year degree can help you in a variety of ways – the same way it has helped countless other UW Flexible Option students.
Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree and a Leadership Role
Kara Winzenreid, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging, used her degree for a new job as a Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACs) administrator – a role she started even before finishing the program.
Kara says a PACs administrator “is the marriage of being in x-ray technology and the IT aspect.” After working in direct patient care for years, she was in need of a change and liked the idea of working on the backend of the x-ray process.
“People who have a background in x-ray are usually the best candidates to maintain that system because of that radiology background,” she adds.
Before earning her degree, Kara had a combined 15 years of experience in x-ray and ultrasound.
“At that time, not having a bachelor’s degree was perfectly acceptable,” Kara says. She notes in the past decade, she’s found that a bachelor’s degree is required to leave the direct patient care route.
Learn New Skills and Expand Your Job Opportunities Outside of Scanning
Stacy Tauke, who also had 14 years of ultrasound experience when she decided to earn her bachelor’s degree through UW Flexible Option, wanted to develop new skills to help her find a job outside of sonography. Though she wants to continue scanning, she hopes to do so on a part-time basis. 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. Earning a bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Imaging gives Stacy the tools and knowledge she needs to qualify for other jobs outside of scanning.
Become a Diagnostic Imaging Educator
Christina Lozanzo decided to earn her bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Imaging through UW Flexible Option because she fell in love with teaching and needed her degree to qualify for a tenure-track position at her college.
Christina enjoyed helping students learn how to use diagnostic equipment in previous positions, but she didn’t decide to pursue teaching until after she faced her own illness.
“I had some really great medical help, and I had some not-so-great medical help,” Christina said. “These inconsistencies inspired me to want to teach patient care. I want to show technologists how they’re supposed to be, and why it makes a difference to patients.”
Reach New Heights While Building Confidence and Skills
Alleah Travis, who also graduated from UW Flexible Option with her bachelor’s degree in Diagnostic Imaging, works as a travel sonographer who is always pushing herself to be better. Aside from helping patients in rural Alaska, Alleah is a seasoned mountain climber who plans to complete a major expedition in Ecuador this fall.
Though having her bachelor’s degree hasn’t necessarily changed what she does on the job, it fulfilled a personal goal while giving her a sense of achievement and preparation for future opportunities.
“If I decide to move into teaching, leadership, or an administrative role someday, having my bachelor’s degree has opened those doors and given me more options for my career.”
Start Your Education Anytime and Pursue Your Diagnostic Imaging Degree While Working Full-Time With UW Flexible Option
The 100 percent online UW Flexible Option format allows students to work full-time while getting their degrees with the ability to take breaks between subscription periods. Our competency-based education programs allow you to start any month – whenever it’s best for you.
Alleah says UW Flexible Option is designed for working professionals – something she says was “a great fit for me.”
“I was able to complete coursework on my own schedule and customize my course load based on what worked best for me,” she says. “Some subscription periods I completed multiple courses, while others I focused on just one. For example, I knew statistics would be more challenging, so I took that course by itself. Having that flexibility made it much easier to balance school with working full time, and I really appreciated that throughout the program.”
UW Flexible Option students also receive guidance from Success Coaches, who can help you manage your time and priorities, ensure you have access to the resources you need to succeed, and answer any questions you may have along the way. If you’ve been away from school for some time and are nervous about coming back, your Success Coach will be there to guide you through.
Whether you’re ready to pursue continuing education in Diagnostic Imaging for a change of pace or to open up more job opportunities, UW Flexible Option can help. Call one of our enrollment advisers at 608-800-6762, or email flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu, to learn more.