Asa Walden: Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the “Beam the Way” podcast. My name's Asa.

Alexis Juveland: And I'm Alexis.

Asa Walden: And we are here in the beautiful “RAD Position” studio. Our topic today is back to school.

Alexis Juveland: Oh yeah, back to school. Getting back into the groove of things.

Asa Walden: What are you looking forward to?

Alexis Juveland: [sighs] So, I think I'm looking forward to my pathophysiology class.

Asa Walden: Ooh.

Alexis Juveland: And mainly because of that, you know, we're educated so much on protection with lead shielding, ALARA [the “as low as reasonably achievable” principle].

Asa Walden: Correct.

Alexis Juveland: But for me, the pathophysiology gives us the why behind it, because obviously we can't see or feel x-rays, but on a microscopic level, we'll get a better understanding of it and see actually how radiation interacts with our body and has the potential to cause dysfunction. That's what I'm really looking forward to. What about you?

Asa Walden: Are you familiar with the concept of dose creep?

Alexis Juveland: You know, I've heard it before. I heard it a lot —

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: — at the Illinois state conference.

Asa Walden: So, you'll learn a lot about dose creep in that coming course. Dose creep is the tendency to overexpose patients, because we know that if you overexpose an image, that the postprocessing can actually make it look perfect. So, they have a saying, "When in doubt, burn it out," which is the opposite of as low as reasonably achievable.

Alexis Juveland: Yes.

Asa Walden: That's what a button pusher does, and that's not what we are, right?

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely.

Asa Walden: Correct.

Alexis Juveland: The importance of learning your techniques. And I think that's one thing I'm really trying to focus on this year especially, is not having the tendency to go behind the control panel and be like, "OK, let's push a button now."

No. Actually taking the time to look at the patient body habitus, really listening to what their symptoms are and how that can affect the technique and the image quality.

Asa Walden: So, you're excited to gain your x-ray vision?

Alexis Juveland: Exactly.

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: Exactly, at the core. What about you?

Asa Walden: I am —

Alexis Juveland: What are you excited about?

Asa Walden: I think I'm most excited to become a registry taking machine —

Alexis Juveland: Oh, yeah.

Asa Walden: — through my registry review course, because all we're going to do every single day is take a mock registry.

Alexis Juveland: Every day?

Asa Walden: Until it just becomes second nature, and then when you have to walk in and take the registry, it's just another day.

Alexis Juveland: OK.

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: I see. I see. That's awesome. What do you take your mock registry through?

Asa Walden: We're going to be doing RadTechBootCamp, for sure.

Alexis Juveland: Yes.

Asa Walden: But I think that they want us to do multiple, different programs because they just have various, you know, types of questions.

Alexis Juveland: OK.

Asa Walden: So, they want us to be well-rounded. The class before us, they set a new precedent and a new standard because they had 100% pass rate before they walked across the graduation stage. So, they all walked across the graduation stage with R.T.(R) behind their name. So, of course, my program director said, "Well, this is the new standard." I said, "You know what we're going to do? We're going to each take the registry twice, so we'll have a 200% pass rate before we walk across the stage."

Alexis Juveland: There you go. That's awesome. I like the inspiration to do that. Is there anything you're really nervous about?

Asa Walden: Mm. My modality rotation.

Alexis Juveland: Ooh, tell me more.

Asa Walden: Because I'm going to be doing my MR [magnetic resonance] rotation, and that's going to be where I really discover whether it's the right modality for me or not.

Alexis Juveland: Awesome, and I really think it's going to be great for you to get exposed to all those different aspects and see what you like, what you don't like about each modality. So, you're going to be exposed to a lot of different stuff, and I think that's really great. I'm really nervous for surgery.

Asa Walden: Ooh.

Alexis Juveland: Yeah, I had an intro to it one rotation last semester, but this time we're going to actually have to do, start doing competencies and, you know, obviously there's a lot of different surgeons that you're going to be working with, and not knowing what, how they're, how they interact with —

Asa Walden: Surgery's intimidating.

Alexis Juveland: Exactly, yeah. I feel like all your senses are just elevated, like, a hundredfold. Like, it's going to be intriguing. I am excited for it, but there's definitely nerves that come with it. Because again, it's an intense situation that you're going to be in.

Asa Walden: Other than the surgery, I know that we're both really excited to get back to school. Why would you encourage other people to take this particular career path?

Alexis Juveland: I would encourage people to take this career path because you are on the front lines of treating people. What I like to say is that you are one of the first people who are acting as the solution to the patient's problems.

Asa Walden: I love that.

Alexis Juveland: And that's something I really take to heart. You know, you can start in something like x-ray, and then if you want to advance, you have so many different modalities to go into. MR, CT [computed tomography], radiation therapy. There are just endless opportunities. And not only that, but the environment you work in. You can work in the operating room. You can work in the emergency department for the exam rooms, a clinical setting. You can work as a travel tech.

Asa Walden: So, no joke, this is exactly what my mom told me to sell me on going into this profession. My mother has been a sonographer for over 35 years.

Alexis Juveland: Oh, wow.

Asa Walden: And so, she has been in my ear since I was a child about how awesome radiology was. I tried to do my own thing. I went this way, I went that way, and I came to her one day and I was like, "I still don't think I’ve found the thing that's right for me," and she said, "Just go to x-ray school. It's a couple of years. You get in, you get out. You can choose what pathway you want to take later. You can go to as little or as much school as you'd like to," right? You don't have to stay tied down to a single pathway.

Alexis Juveland: Yes. Mm-hmm.

Asa Walden: You can collect as many credentials as you'd like.

Alexis Juveland: For sure. Yes. So, endless opportunities, and I'm so excited. I don't know officially what I'm interested in going into, and we actually wait until sixth semester for our modality rotation. So, that's really exciting that you get to experience it now. Do your clinical hours change at all?

Asa Walden: My clinical hours change significantly.

Alexis Juveland: OK.

Asa Walden: So, I'm going from Monday, Wednesday, Friday clinicals to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. I'll be doing two —

Alexis Juveland: Wow.

Asa Walden: — two-day rotations at a time.

Alexis Juveland: OK.

Asa Walden: So, I'll just need to be very conscious about where I'm clocking into on Trajecsys.

Alexis Juveland: Exactly.

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: OK. You use Trajecsys, too.

Asa Walden: We do.

Alexis Juveland: Nice. Yeah, for us, we — so, as a first-year student, you have clinicals Tuesday, Thursday, and then you have to do two weekend shifts each semester. But then it flips. So, then you have, as a second-year student, clinicals Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And then same thing, two clinical — or four, four clinical shifts, actually, per semester. A lot of information going to be hitting at us.

And what I have heard from technologists already in the field is how much faster school is going to go by when you have that switch between school and clinical, you know? And it gives you, in my opinion, a better perspective, like, if this is really meant for you. Because you're going to be in the clinical aspect so much more. You're going to be interacting with patients. You're going to be thrown into chaotic situations, but that's what you want. You want to make sure that this is the profession that I can see myself being in for years and years to come.

Asa Walden: Because what they say to our cohort when we joined this program was that it's a 17-month job interview, is your clinicals. Our program director likes to flip that around and say, "It's also a 17-month job interview on your part. You get to see where you would like to work," because we all get to choose where we work at the end of the day, right?

So, if you go to a facility and it's not a positive environment, you know that you don't want to work there. If you go somewhere and they treat you very well as a student, if they treat you with respect, and they're welcoming, and they're encouraging, and when you make a mistake, they point it out with dignity, you know that that's a place where they have a very positive work environment.

So, I've been taking conscious notes of every time I meet a technologist that loves their job, that never complains, that just treats the patients with respect, treats them like a person, right? And talks to them, and shields them correctly, and takes the time to make sure that the exam goes as it should, I put a mental note: "OK, this is a place where I would definitely consider working."

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely. I think it's so important when you are in your clinical setting to see how the technologists interact not only with you, but with each other, because you know you want to have that aspect of respect in the clinical setting. Because that can really change your whole perspective of the profession. And, you know, having it on a day-to-day basis, you want to have that positive environment. So, I'm really — that's awesome that you're looking out for that.

AI Marie: Hey there, it's time for a shoutout.

Asa Walden: That's right. We do have a shoutout to Sara Lesniewski for actually naming the podcast.

Alexis Juveland: Awesome.

Asa Walden: So, Sara Lesniewski is a fellow SLDP [Student to Leadership Development Program] member, and she submitted over 15 student podcast name ideas, and one of them was the winning name of “Beam the Way.” So, Sara, thank you so much.

Alexis Juveland: Quite creative, I got to say. Fifteen different names. Congratulations.

Asa Walden: Sara earned her certification in late 2025 and was hired as a full-time radiation therapist at Froedtert Hospital. Prior to that, as an intern at the hospital, she studied therapists with decades of experience, which has shaped how she approaches every patient interaction. The experience reinforced that technical skill and human connection go hand in hand, she said.

Alexis Juveland: "That's when I started growing my own vocabulary for patient interactions," she said. "I want to be at my best for my patients, and finding the correct words in each situation is important."

Asa Walden: For example, because she works in a treatment unit that specializes in head and neck cancer, Sara often discusses how a patient's thermoplastic radiation therapy mask fits.

Alexis Juveland: The mask should be tight, because its job is to hold patients in the same position for each treatment and limit their movement, but the therapist needs to know if it's too tight in the area or another, as that can cause unnecessary discomfort. Explaining the difference clearly and successfully was tricky at first.

Asa Walden: Thank you so much, Sara. We love the name.

Alexis Juveland: And we're so excited to see what you do for the SLDP program.

Asa Walden: The attention to detail and out-of-the-box thinking is what makes Sara a valuable part of this profession. Plus, she has great taste in podcast titles.

Alexis Juveland: [laughs] Absolutely, and I really think this small snippet just described about her just shows the impact she's made on the profession in just a small amount of time, because, you know, she's just graduated recently —

Asa Walden: '25.

Alexis Juveland: — in late 2025. And I think, like you said, attention to detail and really putting in that effort to understand the dynamics of patients in one of the hardest moments of their life is just a real testament to the dedication she puts in to just wanting to treat her patients best as possible.

Asa Walden: Yep. Thanks again, Sara.

[music]

Bianca Strong: Welcome to Starting Out Strong With Bianca. Today, I'm going to talk to you about SLDP and advocating for the profession. SLDP participants are provided with the Online Advocacy Academy modules. The modules give participants the opportunity to learn how to effect positive changes in the standards and regulations guiding the profession, as well as the skills they will need to protect the profession against future perils.

Participants are also assigned to groups and are provided with a simulated project to learn about state and federal issues affecting R.T.s and how to communicate with lawmakers and regulatory agencies. Upon completion of the modules and the project, participants have a better grasp of the policy process, strategic advocacy, and volunteer succession planning, and how to work with lobbyists.

So, let's finish out strong. Learn more by visiting our website at asrt.org/SLDP.

Asa Walden: You know, this is what I always say, is that you get from this profession what you put into it, and the national Society investing into our future as leaders in this profession while we're still students, it's among the highest honors you can get.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely, and I think just these learning modules themselves, alone, really just shows how much the ASRT cares about us and wants to set us up for a successful future.

Asa Walden: Well, we share that common goal, so that's great. [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: I really think also that in our role, being able to collaborate with fellow SLDP students, we can learn again about different states and how, if there's any possible encroachment within possible bills that are being introduced, and just seeing what their perspective of advocacy looks like and how we can learn from each other, and just seeing how important our roles are in protecting and defending the profession.

Asa Walden: Yeah, for example, I had never heard the term encroachment before hearing what your state is going through. But I also hope to just meet a lot of friends in the SLDP program. I think that people that share high ambitions and passion for their field just have these personality types that I just want to get to know more of, so.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely. I think being a part of the SLDP program, we're all really motivated, and we want to see the future of medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals have a really bright future. And so, I think that's a common goal we all have, and that it's going to be really exciting to interact with people.

Asa Walden: All right, so next we're going to go ahead and check in with Check.

Meredith Check: Welcome back to Checking In With Check. So, what does a government relations professional do for ASRT? Well, most of the work that our team does is educate lawmakers and decision-makers on the role of medical imaging and radiation therapy. We also help our ASRT affiliate societies on strategic guidance for state efforts. We also collaborate with partner organizations to make sure that our mutual goals are more successful. So, it's a lot of fun. Today, I'm up on the Capitol meeting with lawmakers. So, until next time.

Asa Walden: OK, I genuinely think this sounds like one of the coolest jobs out there.

Alexis Juveland: [laughs]

Asa Walden: You just go in and you meet and you advocate for the profession that you're passionate about. I mean, what's cooler than that?

Alexis Juveland: I think there has to be an emphasis on the importance of educating lawmakers and uniting with like-minded groups and organizations, because the more people we have who understand about the importance of our profession, the greater the — the bigger the community that we have and the stronger our voice is going to be to be reckoned with.

Asa Walden: Right.

Alexis Juveland: And I really think it's going to get in the ears of lawmakers and be more open to, you know, and really want to understand, you know, why we're pushing or why we're opposing a bill —

Asa Walden: Right.

Alexis Juveland: — so much.

Asa Walden: I went into the — my program went into the Day of the Capitol as it just being a, quote-unquote, "extracurricular activity," like, this was just something for us to get educated on the process, but when I saw that the bill actually got passed, I started to believe in myself a little bit more. Wow, I can actually effect positive change. So, I'm super grateful that the SLDP program and the ASRT in turn is investing into my future and giving me the tools that I need in order to actually do that.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely, and I think there's so many different aspects of doing it. I think technology can be a great aspect. You know, you don't always have to — I feel like people, when they think of advocacy, it's going to the Capitol and being in person talking with lawmakers. It doesn't always have to be like that. It can start out with filling out witness slips, reaching out to your family and friends, sharing a social media post, as simple as that. And I think just the importance of that, it can really spread our message and create a voice for us.

Asa Walden: Oh, I learn more from you every day.

Asa Walden and Alexis Juveland: [laugh]

Alexis Juveland: And what I really think is awesome right now that the ASRT is doing is having the Be Seen commercials.

Asa Walden: Oh, those commercials.

Alexis Juveland: Exactly, on TV and social media as well. I think it's really important to share them, to follow the ASRT, and to also talk about them and the impact they have.

Asa Walden: That is advocacy. It doesn't necessarily feel like advocacy, but it is.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely. I think just having those small video clips can really intrigue people wanting to learn more.

Asa Walden: People don't know what they don't know.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely.

Asa Walden: Yeah.

Alexis Juveland: And speaking of things we don't know, let's move on to our next segment, Museum Moments With Bill.

Asa Walden: Ah, Bill.

Alexis Juveland: [laughs]

Bill Brennan: Thank you for joining us on this episode of Museum Moments. Do you know here at the ASRT Museum and Archives in Albuquerque [New Mexico], we have over 2,000 artifacts spanning from 1897 actually all the way up until today. We're hoping someday you can come out and visit us in person, and if you do, we'll be happy to give you this book on the history of our affiliate societies. But in the meantime, remember that history can be radical.

Asa Walden: I love that close-up of the book that he did. That's awesome.

Alexis Juveland: Yeah.

Asa Walden: So, 2,000 artifacts? Did I hear that correctly?

Alexis Juveland: 2,000.

Asa Walden: 1897 is two years after x-rays were invented.

Alexis Juveland: Mm-hmm.

Asa Walden: So, that's pretty early on. I don't even know how they got their hands on that stuff.

Alexis Juveland: [laughs] I want to send a shoutout to Kimberly, our amazing director, for sending us the book, and to Bill for writing and signing the book for us. That was pretty awesome. I think I got a little celebrity now in my —

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: — room with my books, so I'm going to have that on a shelf so I can look at it.

Asa Walden: And maybe one day there will be a museum for the museum, and we'll have the signed book, and we can put it —

Alexis Juveland: Yes.

Asa Walden: — in that museum.

Alexis Juveland: There you go.

Asa Walden: So, I learned through that book that my SLDP mentor was actually a president of the Georgia society once upon a time.

Alexis Juveland: Huh, no way.

Asa Walden: And so, I came to her and I said, "You didn't tell me you were famous."

Alexis Juveland: [laughs] You know, actually, my clinical coordinator is the current president of the ISSRT [Illinois State Society of Radiologic Technologists], and my program director was the former president, and now she's actually the northern region adviser. So, they've had a lot of experience within the field and with the state affiliate, and it just gives me a comfort knowing that I'm learning from the best of the best.

Asa Walden: Yeah, no pressure, right?

Alexis Juveland: Exactly.

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: I know. Oh! You know, one story that I really enjoyed reading, and I'm going to try to remember it to the best of my ability, was from the Kansas affiliate, and how at the time, the chairman of the committee wanted technologists to be at the front lines to really help with patients who may have been exposed to radiation in the case of a nuclear bomb attack after World War II.

Asa Walden: Oh.

Alexis Juveland: I thought that was really cool, just seeing the different ways our job has evolved, and especially being in those types of situations.

Asa Walden: So, sort of utilizing the radiation, biological effects of radiation knowledge and expertise that we have as radiologic technologists, utilizing that knowledge in order to assess possible radiation damage?

Alexis Juveland: Exactly.

Asa Walden: Oh.

Alexis Juveland: Yep.

Asa Walden: That's really cool.

Alexis Juveland: Yeah.

[music]

Alexis Juveland: By the way, guys, we got another poll we're going to share with you. Our question for this episode is, will going into this profession be your first career or a career change from another? And the winner was — I'll let you introduce it.

Asa Walden: It was first career with 55% of the votes. Now, although first career won, I think that 45% being a career change, being a new professional, I think that is significant.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely.

Asa Walden: Were you surprised at all by those results?

Alexis Juveland: Especially only the 10% difference, and I really think it goes to show how awesome of a profession this truly is, considering that you don't have to be in school that long. You only need a minimal, an associate's degree, but you always have the option to advance if you wanted to. And plus the different modalities that you can go into and advance into. And so, it's just a real great career choice in my opinion.

Asa Walden: Yeah. When I started meeting my classmates, I was surprised at first to learn that a lot of them had bachelor's degrees in other sciences —

Alexis Juveland: Huh!

Asa Walden: — which was, it was fascinating to me, and it's easy to assume that everyone is in the same boat as you when you don't know anything, right? So, when you really get to learn people's stories, I mean, there's people that had full-fledged careers that just decide to choose this profession over their current one, you know?

Alexis Juveland: Because normally when you're in, I guess, for a regular experience, some might say that most people are the same age as you. But when you're in a profession like this, you have people of all different ages, all different career paths, so it really makes the field more exciting because you have more to talk about.

Asa Walden: What would you say the average age of a student in your particular cohort is?

Alexis Juveland: Hmm. I would say about, mm, 26.

Asa Walden: 26?

Alexis Juveland: Mm-hmm, what about you?

Asa Walden: My class, I think, skews a little bit younger than that, even. We have a lot of people that are early 20s, like 20, 21, 22. I'm one of the oldest in my class at 28, so —

Alexis Juveland: Wow.

Asa Walden: Yes, so I get teased about that a little bit, but, you know.

Alexis Juveland: [laughs] And it just goes to show that, you know, anyone can do this profession if you have the dedication, if you have the time. If you're willing to put in the work, you can make it happen.

Asa Walden: Well, this has been such a great episode. I love learning about the differences between our programs and what we're both looking forward to.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely, and I always love hearing the different segments that we have from Meredith and Bill and Bianca, and just continuing to provide us with different tips on how we can be involved within the profession, and all the opportunities that await us.

Asa Walden: You know, and talking about going back to school, it really made me introspective about the big picture. It's so easy to get tunnel vision when you're in the middle of your program, right?

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely.

Asa Walden: And you have so many assignments, and it seems like the light at the end of the tunnel is never coming, but if you really zoom out, this program is not that long. We're so close to having R.T.(R) behind our name. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Alexis Juveland: Exactly, and I would like to refer it as a marathon. You know, it's just learning how to pace yourself, learning how to provide self-care, that's so important for me, and just being able to understand that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and being able to persevere within those moments of what you feel is burnout. And, you know, those hard and tough moments where you really doubt yourself, being able to push through those. Because one day you're going to look back at it and be like, "I got through that. Look at me go. I was able to handle that. I could probably handle anything that comes at me going forward."

Asa Walden: And everything's going to be OK is, I think, a good thing to remind myself, even if you get a B.

Alexis Juveland: Absolutely, yes.

Asa Walden: [laughs]

Alexis Juveland: I think that's Marie pinging us.

AI Marie: I have a joke for you.

Asa Walden: Uh-oh, what's the joke, Marie?

Alexis Juveland: Oh, man.

AI Marie: Why did the skeleton go alone to the party?

Asa Walden: I don't know. Why did he?

Marie: He had no body to go with.

Asa Walden: Oh, my goodness.

Alexis Juveland: Oh. Never fails. Never fails with the jokes.

Asa Walden: Well, that is a great note to end on, so, we would like to invite everybody to follow and subscribe. It was a pleasure having you. We hope that you'll join us for our next episode.

Alexis Juveland: And remember, we're all in this together —

Asa Walden: — one beam at a time.

[applause and cheering]