We Are IH: Sonographer finds career humbling but never boring

Brooke struggled with sciences in high school because she was a bit too focused on the outdoor activities she loved so much, particularly sports. Despite an academic advisor telling her she “didn't stand a chance at a career in sonography” after looking at her high school transcripts, her love of human physiology and human connection encouraged her to persevere and pursue a career in health care anyways.

After job shadowing in the ultrasound department at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH), Brooke knew this was the career for her.

“When I was growing up, I loved those Where’s Waldo search and find books, and the pages in my mom’s magazines where you had to spot the differences,” says Brooke. “Ultrasound sometimes feels like an adult version of that, but with an added heavy responsibility.

“I found it fascinating how sonographers are trained to interpret different shades of grey to reach their conclusions, as well as the level of involvement a sonographer plays in diagnosis.”

Ultrasound can be a humbling career, which inspires her to continue learning, leave no stone unturned and always think outside the box, connecting dots between symptoms and findings.

“You will never feel like you've ‘seen it all’ in this career,” she shares. “It keeps you on your toes. If you ever get a little too confident, a rare or challenging case will come along and serves you a nice piece of humble pie. That's why it never gets boring!”

Brooke understands that the first step to healing is finding the source of a problem. Finding a disease or condition that was challenging to detect is incredibly rewarding for her. And being able to provide answers, comfort and support through listening and being there for patients, makes the challenges even more worthwhile.

Brooke loves her job, not only because of what she gets to do, but because of who she works with at RIH.

Have you thought about a career in sonography at IH?

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