Q. Silver

4.19.2003

Interview with a Radiography Technician

Alisha Hammock, a single parent of three--two daughters and a son--is just twenty-one credits away from a bachelor's degree in radiography. A student at the Riverside Hospital School of Medicine in Newport News, Virginia, Alisha has earned enough credits to work as a radiography technician (an assistant to the radiologist) and plans to specialize in radiation therapy.

"To become a radiation therapist, I 'll need two more years of schooling and two years of work experience, which can be earned at the same time. I plan to continue to work part-time and go to school full-time while I fulfill these requirements."

" Right now I'm learning both hard copy film (which is being phased out) and digital imaging. Riverside Hospital has recently spent $190,000 converting one room to digital imaging. The technology I get to work with is so convenient that I can produce an image, send it out over the Internet and a doctor can receive the results in ten minutes where in the past the wait would have been a week. I find that fascinating!"    According to Alisha, equipment upgrading is not the only way they're keeping up with technology. Riverside Hospital requires it's radiographers to earn 12-24 continuing education credits per year." So even after she graduates she'll keep on learning.

About 80% of her work is a combination of paperwork and data entry. Alisha is accoutable for patient transportation, medical records and the documentation of a patient's visit.

Originaly Alisha chose radiography as a means to become more self sufficient, and it's proven to have done just that. She' s been able to keep her younger daughter in private school while her older daughter studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia; and she has recently moved her family to a better neighborhood.

Yet no career comes without personal challenges. Alisha's top challenge is being a single parent.

"The absentee policy (at my school) has changed from five days per 15 week semester to only two days.  My youngest daughter was out of school for a week with strep throat and I had to sit out to care for her. As a result, I had to face an inquiry board and give an explanation for my absenteeism."

The board meeting went well--Alisha still has her position at Riverside. Going through that process has strengthened Alisha's reserve. In the future when illnesses arise she'll have sick time to fall back on. It also helps to work with the doctors and instructors Alisha gets to work with.

"Suprisingly," she said, "they're nothing like what I expected. I expected people who are out to help themselves, who are really self-centered (like on TV shows). They accept you as good until you prove yourself otherwise. They'er very grounded, career-oriented people.(They're) basically good and noble.They're faithful to God and always encouraging me to stay in school. There is a lot of respect and compassion at my place of employment for both patients and co-workers. Respect is a must have."

This summer Alisha is going to have her schedule full. In adition to her part-time job at Walter Reid Hospital in Gloucester, Virginia, she'll be fulfilling 40 hour per week lab requirements at Riverside, and she plans to take a computer couse to refreshen her skills.

"Next week is our Spring Break (from school), and my children are out, too, so we get to spend time together. I'm looking forward to the break!"

Alisha said she's never worked this hard for anything in her life.

That's what makes the reward even sweeter.

Resource Hammock, Alisha. Personal interview. 29 April 2003.

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