Life mission achieved through medical imaging

Emily Hackenberg has always wanted to help people, and Bloomsburg University’s medical imaging program is getting her a step closer to doing just that for a living.

“My favorite aspect of the program is I take all my required classes with other medical imaging students,” Hackenberg said. “This allowed me to create relationships with other students who have the same interests and goals as me. Everybody encouraged one another to always do their best!”

This fall Hackenberg began her 18-month clinical experience at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, which will complete her requirements for a bachelor’s in medical imaging. The next step will be sitting for the national registry exams.

“Geisinger was my chosen clinical option, because it’s the top hospital site in the area I live and is well known for their School of Radiologic Technologies,” Hackenberg said. “Geisinger has a good learning atmosphere for students and will help me grow in this career!”

Hackenberg added, “I’m most looking forward to being able to learn hands-on and finally being able to apply the information I learned in classes to real-life situations while in my clinical program. Instead of sitting in classes five days a week, I’ll be out in the hospital interacting with patients and other technologists.”

Medical imaging technologists are allied health professionals with expertise in operating imaging equipment and preparing patients for various diagnostic and treatment procedures. Specialties may include radiography, nuclear medicine, sonography, radiation therapy, cardiovascular technology, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, positron emission tomography and mammography.

“Bloomsburg University has prepared me for my clinical by requiring challenging classes and having a great learning atmosphere,” said Hackenberg, adding after her clinical she plans to like to get certified in other concentrations like mammography and MRI/CT. “One specific way BU prepares medical imaging majors is giving us the opportunity to be involved with an internship. Being a part of this showed me what being a radiologic technologist is like and allowed me to apply all the information I learned in classes to real life situations.”