Elizabeth Garn, Owens Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Student
What made you decide to attend Owens?
I decided to attend Owens because of the affordable tuition and the fact that it is one of the few colleges in the area that offer a program dedicated strictly to MRI. The small amount of students assigned to a class also swayed my decision because of the availability of a one-on-one education.
What made you decide to major in the MRI program?
When I toured Owens magnetic imaging department I was able to see various modalities. MRI really stuck out to me as the clear choice due to the quality of images produced and the continual advancements being made every day. To me, MRI is a modality that will continue to improve and grow, which makes for a great field to work in.
How has your Owens experience helped you with your career goals?
Owens has helped me immensely with my career goals even before I was accepted into the MRI program. My grades in high school were subpar, but once I started attending Owens, I could tell the professors actually cared about my success, and my GPA increased with their support. I am only a few months away from graduating, and will be able to use the skills I have been taught in the workplace.
What are the biggest advantages of attending Owens?
I personally think the biggest advantage of attending Owens are the connections you can make. In the second year of the MRI program, students are assigned to two clinical sites throughout the year. During this time, we are able to showcase what we have been taught and learn so much from technologists who have been scanning for years. These rotations are equivalent to a six-month job interview, and it is amazing to me that students attending a small community college are even given the opportunity to obtain a job at a hospital like the University of Michigan. Currently, many of the techs scanning at U of M are graduates of the Owens MRI program, which is extremely encouraging.
What are your future plans after graduating from Owens?
My options are open right now. There is a huge need for MRI technologists in states that lack an MRI program like Owens, because the only option is for radiographers to cross-train into MRI. This is costly and not as efficient as hiring someone who is specifically trained and knows the physics behind MRI. It is exciting to think I will have an actual job scanning at the age of twenty-one because of my education at Owens.
Learn more about Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) >>
Published January 2020