Sonographer provides ultra sound advice
It is the first form of imaging traditionally done to detect possible cancers, foetus health and injuries – and sonographers are the people on the frontline dealing with patients who are incredibly anxious about what might be found.
“It’s our job to make this process as easy as possible and as calm as possible, even though we can’t share our findings,” CQUniversity Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography alumnus Madeline White explained.
Tomorrow (Friday, 27 October) marks Australasian Sonographers Day and Madeline hopes that the day of recognition will help highlight the importance of sonographers.
“The job requires the ability to stay calm under pressure and to always be alert for what you might find during a scan without alerting the patient,” she said.
“We contribute to the community by making that first check as easy and accurate as possible.”
Currently living in Brisbane but on her way back to Rockhampton where she grew up, Madeline is a proud Kunja woman and has been working as a sonographer since graduating from CQUniversity.
“I grew up in Rocky and went to school there, but I studied from a distance in Rocky and did the practical components of my degree in Mackay which was only a few hours away, so I was home most weekends,” Madeline explained.
“I’m currently in Brisbane working with a private practice in order to broaden my horizons with ultrasounds however I plan on returning to Rockhampton to work there in the next month.”
When studying, Madeline was supported by an Eldon & Anne Foote Trust Scholarship.
“Without the support of the CQU scholarships I would not have been able to do the practical components of the degree without leaving my family completely and moving full-time to Mackay,” she said.
Madeline joins just six other First Nations alumni to have completed a Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography at CQUniversity and said she was proud of her achievement.
“Honestly, it was one of the hardest things I ever did (to complete the degree) but receiving that testamur at the end was the biggest relief. There were many times I almost walked out but I’m so glad I didn’t,” she recalled.
As we lead into Australasian Sonographers Day tomorrow, Madeline provided some 'ultra sound' advice to aspiring sonographers.
“Most of ultrasound is knowing your anatomy and knowing what looks normal so you can tell when something isn’t normal. At its core that’s all sonography is, so when you get overwhelmed by all the possible pathologies, start by just making a list of what looks abnormal and normal in a scan and work from there,” she said.
“Work as a team, your cohort isn’t your competition; the cohort that works together and supports each other gets through the degree.
“While it is extremely hard, it is just as rewarding. Nothing truly good ever comes easy and it taught me to be resilient, and showed me what I can do when I set my mind to it.”
