LivingCare has a wealth of knowledge in its imaging team, including experience treating athletes at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and recently expanded its numbers, welcoming Kerrie to the Thorpe Park clinic in Leeds.
Kerrie has more than 13 years’ experience as a radiographer and shares more about her background and what she loves about her profession.
1. What made you decide to become a radiographer?
“The variety of the role was part of what attracted me to becoming a radiographer. I originally studied Environmental Science at university and it wasn’t until my mid-twenties, after travelling for a while, that I decided I would like a change in career and wanted to work in healthcare.
“Radiography appealed to me as it is such a varied career and there are so many specialities you can go in to. I liked the idea of caring for people and also thought the combination of learning anatomy, physics and technology sounded interesting.
“After studying diagnostic radiography at The University of Portsmouth I worked at a number of hospitals including, St Georges Hospital, Tooting, and The Royal Marsden, London. After time in the south I decided to return home to Yorkshire, and have been at the Leeds University Teaching Hospitals for the past four years.
“I’ve been a diagnostic radiographer for nearly 13 years now and have had the opportunity to work in quite a few specialities including, x-ray, interventional radiography, mammography, CT and MRI. My time working at St James’ Hospital, Leeds, also gave me the opportunity to undertake a wide variety of MRI scans, such as, oncology, neurology, vascular and musculoskeletal imaging. I also recently obtained my postgraduate certificate in MRI from The University of Bradford.”
2. Tell us a bit about your role at LivingCare?
“I joined LivingCare in February 2018 as a radiographer and perform a variety of MRI scans and x-rays at the clinic. What’s great about my role is that I get to work with a wide range of patients, so I could be scanning anyone from a professional sports person to an NHS patient, or a private patient.
“The technology we use also changes all the time and I enjoy learning new techniques and ways of imaging. For example, our MRI scanner at LivingCare is a 3T Siemens scanner – the only purely private 3T scanner specialising in musculoskeletal imaging in Yorkshire – which allows us to use specialist applications to obtain the best images possible. Being a good radiographer means that you never stop learning and developing your skills.”
3. What do you enjoy most about being a radiographer?
“Imaging is integral to modern healthcare and I like the fact that the images I produce will help provide answers for patients and aid them in their treatment and recovery. No two patients are the same, so no two scans are the same. Being a radiographer means being able to use your knowledge of anatomy and imaging technology to think quickly and adapt each scan, so that it answers the medical question for a particular patient. It’s this constant challenge which adds to the variety and excitement of the job.
“Radiography is a caring profession and you have to be a confident communicator in order to get the best out of the scan for your patient. Ensuring good care is probably one of the most important aspects of what I do as some patients feel a bit anxious when they come in for an MRI. It’s my job to put them at ease and ensure they have a positive experience. I really enjoy this part of my job.”
4. What advice would you give to anyone thinking of joining the profession?
“The best advice I could give to someone thinking about becoming a radiographer is to contact your local hospital and ask to spend time in the imaging department. Getting some first-hand insight into what the job entails is really important as there are so many aspects to it, but it’s this variety which makes it such an interesting career.”
At LivingCare we offer a host of healthcare services, including a range of imaging clinics. To find out more, or to book an appointment with one of our specialists, please call 0113 397 0981 and a member of our team will be happy to help.
For our private services, you don’t need to be referred by another consultant, you can contact us directly.