I thought it would be nice to give students who are interested in choosing Radiologic Science as their major an opportunity to find out what the program is like from a current student's perspective.    My name is Eve Stasios, and I am a senior in the Radiologic Science program. I entered UNC thinking I would major in Pharmacy, but I decided that was not the place for me. After hearing about the clinical elective, I signed up and toured the radiology department at UNC with a Radiologic Science faculty member. I knew then that Radiologic Science was the place for me. I applied to the program and chose the Medical Imaging curriculum. After my written interview, I was accepted to the program and entered as a rising junior, as I suspect most of you will do.

Eve Stasios email me with questions

     The first summer session after I was accepted to the program was spent in the classroom both learning gross anatomy and the basics of patient care, and in the lab dissecting a cadaver. In the fall semester, my classmates and I began our clinical rotations at various hospitals in the triangle area and we continued our studies in the classroom. We learned proper positioning techniques, anatomy and physiology, and the physics involved with the production of x-rays - all of which we took with us into the clinical sites, and applied on a daily basis. We began performing examinations on patients once we were comfortable, and began completing the necessary exams to count towards our "unassisted" and "comp" totals. Once we completed a comp, we signed up with the clinical coordinator, Mrs. Jennifer Hayden, to do our "film critique." The spring semester of my junior year was very similar to the fall semester. Some of the clinical sites I visited during my first year in the program were:
Alamance Regional - GI, portables, OR, diagnostic x-ray
Duke - GI, GU, orthopedic clinic, ER/trauma, portables
UNC - Weekend ER, ACC orthopedics, mammography, pediatrics
Triangle Orthopedics
 
    I was afforded the opportunity to rotate though many different clinical sites; accordingly, I was able to interact with a wide variety of patients, all of whom had different abilities and needed different levels of patient care. This was a valuable experience.
The summer between my junior and senior year, I was assigned to New Hanover Regional Medical Center to complete an eight-week clinical rotation. I was surprised when I had a conversation with a radiologist there who quizzed me on some pathology. I knew the answer to every single question that he asked me! He too was surprised with the amount of knowledge I had acquired after completing only one year in the program. While in Wilmington, I had the opportunity to rotate through different sites, and by the end of my summer rotation, I was over 95% complete with the exams necessary for graduation.
    Upon returning to UNC following my summer clinical, my fellow classmates and I had to take a comprehensive examination. We were tested in all aspects of Radiologic Science that we had learned thus far and we were expected to pass all sections of the exam in order to proceed into our senior year. We also presented three case studies to our classmates and to our instructors; this experience made me realize how much knowledge I truly had about the field.
     My senior year has been a little different than my junior year with respect to the set up of the program. We continued our classroom learning and our clinical rotations, but we were in more control of the outcome of our final course grades. In the fall semester, we took classes that revolved around communication skills, management skills, and the biologic effects of radiation.      These classes were very interesting and were much more subjective than the classes that we had taken our previous semesters in the program. Courses in the spring semester were focused on projects. Each student is expected to participate in a team project as well as to write a research paper, on a Radiologic Science issue of their choice. In the clinical setting, each student was able to select which clinical rotations they would be involved in for both the fall and spring semesters. I opted to rotate through CT Level 1 and MRI Level 1 my fall semester, and through CT Levels 2 and 3, Management, and Ultrasound during my spring semester. I truly value the opportunity to choose which rotations I wished to be placed in, as it helped me decide what career path I would follow - CT.
     The grading for our "classroom" courses were the same as they had always been; grading for our clinical course was different, however. Each student was given the opportunity to "contract" for their grade. I chose to contract for an A both semesters; thus, I was able to improve my GPA.
     I truly believe that I made the best decision for me in choosing Radiologic Science as my major. I sacrificed "going out" as much as some of my friends and sorority sisters were able to do, but in the long run it is worth it. I am graduating from the UNC with many job offers while many of my peers are struggling to find a job. I think that students who will succeed the most in this program are ones who are dedicated to their school work, know how to manage their time wisely, and who genuinely care about both their education and their abilities to help others.

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