This is “The RAD Position” with ASRT CEO and
Executive Director Melissa Pergola. A podcast for medical imaging and
radiation therapy professionals.
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Melissa Pergola: Hi there, and welcome back to “The RAD
Position” podcast. I’m your host, Melissa Pergola, ASRT CEO and Executive
Director, and I’m with ...
Ray Arambula: Her podcast partner, Ray Arambula.
Melissa Pergola: And tonight, we have ASRT Vice President
Marissa Mangrum joining us. Yay!
Marissa Mangrum: Hello. Thank you for having me.
Melissa Pergola: We’re so excited to have you.
Marissa Mangrum: I’m excited to be here.
Melissa Pergola: Marissa is a radiation therapist who’s an
educator and a leader in many movements for the profession. In particular,
we’re going to talk a little bit about the advanced practice radiation
therapist movement tonight.
Marissa Mangrum: Yes. Yes.
Melissa Pergola: So I want to tell our listeners a little bit
about who you are. Marissa Mangrum is the radiation therapy program director
for the University of Oklahoma. Marissa’s educational background includes a
bachelor’s degree in radiation therapy from the University of Oklahoma and a
Master of Science in Radiologic Sciences from Midwestern State University. She
is registered in radiation therapy and has worked as a staff therapist,
simulation therapist and in education serving as a program director and a
clinical coordinator. Marissa has served on the board of directors for the
American Society of Radiologic Technologists and on numerous other committees
for the ASRT. Some of those are the Practice Standards Council, Radiation
Therapy Curriculum Work Group, Radiation Oncology Safety Stakeholders
Initiative. She has served two terms as a Radiation Therapy Chapter delegate,
serving as both chair and vice chair. So, thank you for joining us tonight.
Marissa Mangrum: Thank you.
Ray Arambula: So, Marissa, we’re going to jump right in.
First, I know that you are passionate about mentoring. Can you tell us why
this is important to you? We’d love to hear a little bit more about that.
Marissa Mangrum: I’ve always been passionate about mentoring.
I think it’s because I had such great mentors. Through my professional journey
from a student to now, I’ve had people help me along the way. They’ve shown me
the different avenues to help the profession at a state level and at a
national level. As you read all those things I’ve been involved in, it’s
because of the mentors I had who paved the way for me. I feel like it’s just
natural for me to want to pay that back. Whether it’s with my students or a
therapist in the clinic, I always tell them about ways that they can be a part
of our profession.
Ray Arambula: What benefits do you see in mentoring?
Marissa Mangrum: All kinds of benefits. As a professional,
it’s just part of what we do. It benefits the whole of our profession. Being
involved in the Practice Standards for Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy,
writing for our profession and doing research. It’s so important to show the
ways you can do that. A lot of people don’t understand that that’s out there,
especially if they’re working in the clinic every day, doing their
eight-to-five, they don’t see that.
I have my students in front of me. They’re a captive audience, and I always
bring them to The Radiation Therapy Conference. Every year my senior students
go to that. It’s such a great thing to see their eyes just wide, to see the
profession they’re entering. It’s such excitement.
I have students who have been involved in the Student to Leadership
Development Program. Students that have been involved really have just loved
it. They come back and do presentations for the other students to tell them
what it’s all about and the excitement of it.
Ray Arambula: You’re seeing the full circle where your
students are now providing mentorship to others as well.
Marissa Mangrum: Yes. It’s so great to see. I’ve let them
know that this is the cycle, and that’s how I learned. My program director was
on several committees, working and doing things for the ASRT and being
involved. I thought, that was great. You have to mirror that so your students
see that you’re doing it, and I feel like they do that. Sometimes you have to
give a little bit of a push for them to see how important it is, but once they
see it, their eyes just like, wow, this is incredible.
Ray Arambula: It gets addicting. You’re thankful for that
opportunity and you want to spur that on to others.
Melissa Pergola: For someone who wants to be a mentor, what
suggestions do you have to help them be a great mentor?
Marissa Mangrum: I think being involved in the profession and
in doing things so they see that you’re doing these things, I think is great.
Bringing them along on the ride. That is one of the thins. Telling them why
you’re doing this, what it means, what this committee means. I think that
people don’t understand who is involved. They think it’s somebody up there
who’s done all these things. You can get involved at any level. I think that’s
important to let people know and to show that it’s every level. If you are a
new therapist, new technologist or you’ve been working for 20 years, there are
all levels of involvement.
Something else that I’ve seen recently is that departments have started
mentoring programs. They hire the newer grads and put them with another
therapist or another technologist for at least six months, and they work
through the whole process. I think that’s going to help us retain more people
in the workforce because we’re not just throwing them in.
It used to be like they’d just throw you in and you’d have to figure it out.
Now there’s so much more help. I’ve seen it at the university level with
faculty being instituted. You have a mentor above who can help you with
things. Hopefully that will keep people in our profession and make it more
satisfying, to feel like you have somebody there to guide you along the way.
Ray Arambula: These are more formal structures in addition to
the individual guidance that you would provide.
Melissa Pergola: I was going to ask you a little bit about
that because you’re talking about the formal structure. Do you have
suggestions for department managers, heads of faculty or anyone who would want
to start a mentor program?
Marissa Mangrum: There are some good programs at ASRT with
the SLDP. There are some programs in place, and a lot of research going on
right now for mentors. I’m more on the organic mentoring where I’ve found it’s
natural for me to help those students individually because my journey has been
with professional service. That’s been my mentoring, to bring people along on
that journey. In the clinic, it’s going to be more of a technical journey, so
I think it’s going to be different. Wherever you’re at, there could be a
different path.
Ray Arambula: Makes sense.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah, that does make perfect sense. So we’ve
talked about mentoring, but I want to change topics a little bit. I know that
you are seen as a significant leader in our profession and that you’ve also
been helping lead the work toward the advanced practice radiation therapist.
Tell us about that movement.
Marissa Mangrum: Oh, that movement is so exciting. I’ve been
in the profession for a while, and this has been something that has always
been a great dream. It was looked at years ago, and it just wasn’t the right
time.
A grassroots group from Mount Sinai — so ASRT members — came together and
initiated a work group. I think it was in 2021 that it became a formalized
committee that is co-led with the ASRT. It has all our other major stakeholder
organizations within therapy involved to do research, to make it come to
fruition. I think it’s time, and I think it’s really important, the work
that’s going on. There are a lot of people doing a lot of work on that, so
it’s a really exciting time right now.
Ray Arambula: This is obviously an important role that you’re
playing in this. What is to come to fruition out of this? What is evolving out
of this movement?
Marissa Mangrum: The ultimate goal is better care for our
patients. I think that’s where the APRT (advanced practice radiation
therapist) is going to be so valuable. It is a therapist who has additional
responsibilities. They work under a radiation oncologist and have task-sharing
that helps with these different things that are needed, so they’re filling a
gap that’s missing for patient care. In the end, what matters is that we
provide better care and better outcomes for our patients. I think that the
need is there, and that’s what we’re focusing on looking at. The work group
has an educational work group, they have a clinical work group and a large
work group, just to see that we have everything right for this. It’s very
important to get it right. It will come to fruition.
Ray Arambula: It sounds like it’s more than just a movement.
There’s a structure in place around this. How can people get more involved in
this and be part of the structure?
Marissa Mangrum: Yeah, that’s a great question. The ASRT has
designed a website, it’s ASRT.org/APRT,
that has everything. It has all the research that’s being performed, it has
answers for any questions you have about what an APRT is, it has an
infographic that can be shared, it has information and research, and it tells
you what’s happening with the group. There’s also going to be a special
journal edition of Radiation Therapist just devoted to APRT. I know that’s
being planned to answer a lot of questions people may have.
Ray Arambula: Yeah, that’s exciting.
Melissa Pergola: To me, it’s awe-inspiring. When I was in
that department, when I saw how much the patients feel for the therapist and
understand that the therapist is there trying to cure them. I also saw that
sometimes patients just stop coming. We need compassionate, caring health care
professionals who can do this and be what those patients need.
Because we have you here, sitting here as the vice president, and you’re a
therapist, can you talk to prospective students who might be listening about
your passion for the profession and how you got into it? I would just love for
you to speak to those who would be perfect for it, so we can get them into
this critical part of the profession.
Marissa Mangrum: Oh, definitely. You brought tears to my eyes
because I feel that still. I still feel the same thing as when I became a
student in my program and went into the clinic. It changed my life. It really
did. I knew this is the exact spot I’m supposed to be in. Caring for patients
is perfect because you build a bond with your patients. We see them every day,
up to six weeks, and provide treatment. It’s not only about what we’re doing
technically. It’s about building that relationship with the patient.
I have students say they can’t do this because it just would be the saddest
thing they’ve ever done. When my students start, I ask what they think and
they say it’s really not a sad place when you’re in there, because there’s so
much hope.
You’re doing something daily — and the patient is coming in and doing
something — about their cancer, so you’re giving them that hope. It’s
incredible. I love it. I miss being in the clinic every day to treat patients,
but teaching students and letting them see that … I don’t know, it’s just so
fulfilling.
Another side of it is the technology is incredible. It evolves. You’re
learning something so quickly, so new, constantly.
If people are not going into radiation therapy because they think it would be
too sad or they may not be able to do it, I say go, observe, try it out. It’s
a place full of hope.”
Ray Arambula: In terms of providing hope, that’s a big role
to play. That’s a great role to play. I’ve never heard it put that way. Thank
you for sharing that.
Melissa Pergola: No, I haven’t either, and it makes me sad
now. If you were my mentor when I went through that rotation, maybe I would
have been a radiation therapist.
Marissa Mangrum: We have open house at my college and we have
all the different modalities. We try to explain the different aspects of each
one. Everything is great. I think everything is great, but we try to point out
different things. For some people, radiation therapy is something they’re
drawn to more than other things.
Melissa Pergola: That’s what’s so cool about our profession,
right? There are so many different opportunities, and they’re all different.
If you like an operating room environment, maybe you need to go into the
cardiac catheterization lab and vascular interventional, or radiation therapy
with the amazing hope now that you told us about. The technology and in all of
the different modalities that we have within our profession. There’s no reason
to ever not have a new door open in our profession. Just start the pathway and
there are so many opportunities.
Marissa Mangrum: In our department I work with sonography,
radiography, nuclear medicine. It’s so amazing for us all to share these
different things and how great they are. It’s so exciting that I’m in the role
I am with the ASRT. It’s just important for me to be able to see and hear the
different aspects from all the different modalities. Working on the practice
standards and sharing the practice standards was such a major thing for me.
That opened my eyes to all of the practice issues and things to be involved
in. I just love it all so much.
Melissa Pergola: You mentioned something that makes me so
proud to have you as ASRT’s incoming president-elect. We were saying vice
president, but you were recently elected as president-elect. What I hear you
saying is that you’re excited to represent the entire profession.
Marissa Mangrum: Oh, yes. I am very excited to learn
everything I can about all of the profession. You know, I don’t know
everything there is. I love to learn and promote everybody within our
profession.
Ray Arambula: So, we talked about mentorship and the benefits
of finding the right mentor. I thought we’d play a fun game called Mentor
Tinder.
Melissa Pergola: What?
Ray Arambula: Mentor Tinder.
Melissa Pergola: I’m going to show my age. Tinder’s an app,
right?
Ray Arambula: It works just like the dating app, except
instead of choosing your next date, you’re going to be choosing your next
mentor.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, how cool. OK.
Ray Arambula: I’m going to give you a potential mentor who is
either real, fictional or historical, and then you both must decide to either
swipe right, you’re going to accept them as a mentor —
Melissa Pergola: It worries me a little bit that you know
that.
Ray Arambula: I had to look it up. Or swipe left to reject.
Melissa Pergola: OK.
Ray Arambula: Our audience would like to know why you made
that decision.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, they would? Are you sure?
Ray Arambula: They will.
Melissa Pergola: So, you’re telling us we have to tell the
audience why?
Ray Arambula: Yes. Inquiring minds want to know.
Melissa Pergola: OK.
Ray Arambula: Here is the first one. I’ll let you look at it
first, Melissa.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, OK.
Ray Arambula: The first one is Marie Curie, known for her
pioneering research into radioactivity, the first person to win Nobel Prizes
in two scientific fields.
Melissa Pergola: She’s impressive.
Ray Arambula: So, Melissa, are you swiping right or left?
Melissa Pergola: I mean, she’s incredible. The work that she
did in a time as a woman to become that scientist and leader in her field, how
would I not swipe right? Marissa, are you swiping right or left?
Marissa Mangrum: I am definitely swiping right because we
share a birthday. Me and Marie Curie have the same birthday, so I have to.
That’s always, whenever I have a little blurb in something with a fact, I
always say me and Marie Curie share a birthday. It’s November 7th, so also
during [National] Radiologic Technology Week®.
Melissa Pergola: You win with your answer.
Ray Arambula: She gets to keep that mentor. OK, so Marissa,
here’s the next one. We’re talking about Gandalf, a wise and powerful wizard
known for his leadership, knowledge and ability to inspire others to fight
against evil. So, Marissa, are you swiping right or are you swiping left?
Marissa Mangrum: I’m swiping left.
Ray Arambula: You’re going to pass on Gandalf?
Marissa Mangrum: Yeah.
Melissa Pergola: It’s hard.
Ray Arambula: You don’t even know the guy.
Melissa Pergola: I don’t know. I’m just going to swipe left.
We’re swiping left. Go ahead. Moving on.
Ray Arambula: Moving on. This one should be an easier one, I
think. Especially for you.
Melissa Pergola: OK.
Ray Arambula: OK, so we’re talking about Dolly Parton,
singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist. Described as a symbol of
resilience, creativity and authenticity.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, I’m swiping right. She’s phenomenal. I
remember when my kids were younger, one of the things she does is provides
free books. So 100 percent, I’m swiping right.
Ray Arambula: Marissa?
Marissa Mangrum: I’ll swipe right as well. I mean, she’s
looked the same since I’ve been alive, so I have to.
Ray Arambula: She’s doing something right. OK, last one.
We’re talking about Simon Cowell, best known as the judge of American Idol and
America’s Got Talent. Someone who doesn’t sugarcoat his opinions. He says
exactly what he thinks. What do you think, Marissa?
Marissa Mangrum: I’d probably swipe left.
Melissa Pergola: I think this one I’m going to go right only
because watching him on Idol was one thing, but then watching him on America’s
Got Talent and seeing the humanity of him.
Marissa Mangrum: Yeah, he did soften.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah, he did soften. And he’s brilliant in
the shows that he has created and been on as a creative and as a producer. I
think I would actually like to talk to him.
Ray Arambula: That’s surprising. Interesting.
Melissa Pergola: Because mentors can be lots of things to us,
right? It’s not just our professional mentor. Mentors can help us through many
things in our lives.
Ray Arambula: OK, so if you had to pick just one out of all
these, who would you pick?
Marissa Mangrum: Marie Curie, definitely. Definitely.
Melissa Pergola: I think we’d have to. I agree.
Ray Arambula: Good answer. Well, thank you for playing along,
and we all now know who your next mentor is.
Melissa Pergola: OK, so now we’re going to move to our We See
You segment.
Ray Arambula: This comes from Gilberto Padilla. And he says,
“Hi, Melissa. I know you just started the podcast, but in my eyes, you and Ray
are already rock stars.”
Melissa Pergola: Well, thank you.
Ray Arambula: “Thanks for advocating for our profession. I am
registered in radiography, [magnetic resonance], [computed tomography],
[magnetic resonance] safety officer, and just in November, I received my
[certified radiology administrator] credential.”
Melissa Pergola: That’s amazing.
Ray Arambula: Congratulations.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah.
Ray Arambula: “I am also a traveling technologist, and I
advocate for our profession by informing every new radiology department about
our societies, podcast and the [radiologist assistant Medicare Access to
Radiology Care Act] subject. My question is: Do you think science will
discover new modalities in the future?”
Melissa Pergola: I started x-ray school when I was 18 years
old and I think about the advancements and the changes in technology that
science has brought about just since I was that wide eyed 18 year old. I have
to believe that we will continue to advance that science. I’m so impressed,
Gilberto, with all of the different credentials that you have. I’m thinking
maybe you’re going to be able to get additional credentials in the future.
Ray Arambula: I don’t even know what we can predict anymore.
Things are happening so fast. It evolves so quickly. All I can say is that,
just given the rapid pace of innovation, there will definitely be new ways of
imaging or new methods of scanning.
Marissa Mangrum: Yeah, I think, like you, going through the
[profession from] when I started, and then now we have proton therapy, and
we’re looking at carbon ion therapy, and there’s flash therapy. All of these
things are happening so quickly, I really don’t know. I think that’s a great
question. Definitely there will be additional ways to treat and image
patients. There are so many things still to be evaluated and discovered.
Ray Arambula: It’s exciting for a profession, lots of
opportunities.
Melissa Pergola: It’s very exciting. I have to say that I got
emotional a couple of times on this episode. What a pleasure it has been to
have you here. I’ll say again, I think I’ve already said twice, that I wish
you were my mentor because, again, maybe I would have been in radiation
therapy.
Marissa Mangrum: I think it turned out very well for what
happened.
Melissa Pergola: It’s one pathway I didn’t take, though. But
it’s been such a wonderful time having you here, and we’re so inspired by your
passion for mentoring and for the radiation therapy profession, from
entry-level all the way through the advanced practice. I’m super excited that
you’re our president-elect.
Ray Arambula: Yes. I very much look forward to that, and for
your continued service. Thank you for just being an inspiration.
Marissa Mangrum: Thank you so much.
Ray Arambula: And thank you for sharing and giving us more
insight into your role and your involvement and all the ways that you give
back to this profession.
Marissa Mangrum: Thank you so much for having me and asking
me about the profession. I was tearing up as well because I do love everything
about it. I just appreciate you having me here to speak on that and I’m
excited to be president-elect.
Melissa Pergola: It’s going to be a great ride.
Marissa Mangrum: Yeah.
Melissa Pergola: We’ll be right back after this short
message.
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in your imaging workflow. With access to advanced connected software and
service features through Cortenic™ Connectivity, the MEDRAD® Stellant FLEX and
Centargo CT Injection Systems power workflows to help you optimize operations
and patient care. Find the right CT injector for your suite’s needs at
go.bayer.com/CTSolutions.
Ray Arambula: Well that was a lot of fun. I loved hearing
from Marissa.
Melissa Pergola: Oh, I did too.
Ray Arambula: That was so good. Now we’re going to transition
into our updates. We want to remind everybody, don’t put yourself in a bad
position.
Melissa Pergola: Stay up to date with “The RAD Position.”
Ray Arambula: That’s right. What have we got?
Melissa Pergola: ASRT launched the Be Seen campaign in
February, 2024, with the goal of raising awareness about medical imaging and
radiation therapy professionals among the public, other health care
professionals and elected officials. We did many things. Through
advertisements, commercials, social media posts, earned media and other
avenues, millions of people saw the Be Seen campaign. Pretty cool.
Ray Arambula: Yeah. It’s very exciting. So much work went
into that.
Melissa Pergola: And we received amazing feedback. Feedback
from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. We want you to know that
the Be Seen campaign wasn’t just a commercial. It’s just the beginning and
we’re going to keep the momentum going, and we are getting ready to launch the
second phase of the Be Seen campaign. We want to tell our listeners that over
the next year, you’re going to start seeing videos highlighting each and every
medical imaging and radiation therapy practice area. That’s so exciting. There
was one commercial with the hero image at the end, but now everyone is going
to get their own individual attention to Be Seen.
Ray Arambula: That’s so cool.
Melissa Pergola: And we’re going to feature those on social
media, streaming television, websites and other platforms. In addition, our
listeners will see Be Seen advertisements and stories in our ASRT
communication vehicles, radiologic science publications and at meetings and
conferences. So I think the most important thing I want to say, Ray, is that
we want people to share the campaign.
Ray Arambula: Yes.
Melissa Pergola: Share it with your friends, colleagues and
family. You can visit
www.asrt.org/BeSeen to learn more
about the campaign, advocate for the profession, and get involved. Because,
truly, it is time for us to be seen.
Ray Arambula: It really is.
Melissa Pergola: Thank you, everyone, for listening and
watching. We can’t wait to see you all next time.
Ray Arambula: That’s right. And don’t forget to write in at
[email protected] or fill out the
form at asrt.org/RadPosition.
Melissa Pergola: Yeah. And be sure to subscribe because if
you subscribe, you’ll get updates when new episodes drop. We want you to watch
our podcast as well. If you’re listening, go watch us on YouTube, and tell
your friends and family and colleagues to subscribe and to watch us on
YouTube, too. And you can share.
Ray Arambula: That’s right. To all our medical imaging and
radiation therapy professionals: Remember to be seen ...
Melissa Pergola: And stay rad!