Meet Cory Sickler, RCDS, RVT

Tell us about your background: I took the long road to sonography.  I first got a bachelor’s degree in music from Iowa State University.  Not content with that degree, I chose to enroll in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Echo) program at Mercy College of Health Sciences.  Following graduation, I worked as a cardiovascular sonographer at McFarland Clinic in Ames for 16.5 years before joining the HVC echo lab in January 2021. 

Why did you pick sonography as a career field? I sort of fell into sonography.  After deciding that I didn’t want to teach music I had to come up with an alternate plan.  The medical field had always interested me, particularly cardiology.  My dad had had a heart valve replaced when I was 16 and I was fascinated by everything I saw when I visited him in the hospital.  When I visited Mercy College, they had just started they’re inaugural cardiac sonography program and were filling spots in the second group of students.  I listened to their pitch and did my hours of observation.  Sonography seemed pretty interesting so I enrolled in the program immediately.  However, as soon as I started scanning, I was instantly hooked.  I loved it from the start.  I’ve been a cardiac sonographer for over twenty years and I still love what I do. 

What’s your favorite exam? As I only do Echo here at UIHC, I’m going to have to go with Echo.  However, I did really like doing carotid duplex exams at my former place of employment.

Advice for anyone interested in the sonography field?  Go for it!  For those who are in the sonography programs, try to have your first job out of school be at a larger institution where you can get the experience with the more complicated pathologies and procedures.  I went straight from school to and outpatient setting.  And although a wonderful clinic and we did fine work, I did miss out on some valuable experience.  Fortunately, I ‘m getting those experiences now but wish I would have had them earlier.  Second piece of advice…never stop learning!