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Want to know if a career in Medical Assisting is right for you? Watch Chandra Hurt, Program Director of the Medical Assisting Department, discuss the Medical Assistant Program at Northwestern College in this short clip! Take the next step in your career and learn why you should choose Northwestern College today!
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a vision for the future of Chicago. It’s big, it’s bold, and it could be a game-changer in terms of career opportunities for healthcare professionals, including medical assistants.
There’s a movement happening across the country, related to advances in medical technology and medical technology startup companies, which is similar to the tech startup boom that has come to define northern California’s Silicon Valley.
For most people, visiting the dentist’s office isn’t something to look forward to. Whether for a routine checkup or a curative procedure like getting a filling for a cavity or a root canal, it’s usually among the last places people would prefer to spend their time.
Every day across America, countless people walk into dental offices feeling a little nervous, apprehensive, and hopeful that everything will go okay. Also, much of the time, the main individual they experience who’s ready to welcome them and set their nerves calm is the dental assistant.
Even though there’s a lot of uncertainty in healthcare these days with what’s going on in Washington, D.C., one thing is undeniable—many of the specialty fields within the industry are poised for serious growth.
A position that is well positioned as any other is that of the medical assistant.
In today’s healthcare landscape, there’s a lot of uncertainty. Will the Affordable Care Act remain as the law of the land? If it does, for how long? Or will Congress repeal and replace it with a new policy?
However, even with all of this uncertainty, there are still some things that can be counted on when it comes to healthcare today in the U.S.—one of which is the growth and high demand of certain related career fields.
One of the more impressive cases in point on that front is the medical assistant.
When most people hear the words “radiologic technologist” or “rad tech,” one common misconception is that technologists are simply “button pushers.” However, radiologic technologists do far more than make exposures on patients. They are imaging professionals who play an integral role in surgery, assist radiologists in special procedures, operate mobile radiography units, and assist in cardiac catheterization procedures.
The following are skills that are important for radiologic technologists to have in order to succeed in the field.
Gary Gruenewald is the Associate Professor and Clinical Coordinator for Northwestern College’s Radiologic 
Technology program. Gary has been working at Northwestern College for nine years, with a total of 27 years in higher education overall. Gary actually began his own education at the University of Illinois for pre-dentistry.
Have you ever heard the cliché “you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot”? Sure it’s a little hokey and obvious. But many times, a cliché becomes a cliché because it’s true.
Such is the case with this one. Especially when the issue at hand is your career, and your future. You’ve got to be aware of what’s happening on the landscape of possible career fields, recognize when an amazing opportunity presents itself, and act on it.
Which leads us to the field of radiologic technology.
In June 2014, Felix Davila graduated from Northwestern College with an associate’s in business administration in just under two years. Prior to enrolling at Northwestern College, Felix enlisted in the military right out of high school and served our country proudly for four years.