Meet Kathy Martensen, MA, RT(R)

Last but not least to celebrate our Rad Tech week is Kathy Martensen!

Kathy attended the Radiologic Technology Certificate Program at Mercy Iowa City. After graduation she worked at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids for a short time before deciding that she wanted to continue her education. While working on her BS and MA degrees at the University of Iowa, Kathy worked at Steindler Orthopedic Clinic and Mercy Iowa City as a technologist. In 1989, Kathy took a position as an Imaging Educator at UIHC and after 10 years in this position became the RT, CT, CVI, and MRI Program Director. While in this position the educators worked to redesign the Radiation Sciences BS degree Program to include the online aspects that it currently uses and increase UI’s radiology educational outreach. In 2014, Kathy stepped down as the director and returned to the Imaging Education position. In this position she teaches the Radiographic Procedure and Radiologic and Digital Imaging courses.

When asked why Kathy picked RT as a career field, her response was: “In a high school career class, I was asked to complete a form of possible careers I was interested in.  Radiologic technology was on the list. I knew that I wanted to do something in healthcare, as I loved working with people and my family has a history of healthcare workers, though I had not heard or thought of x-ray until I seen it on this form. After researching Radiologic Technology, I knew I would like the work. I always felt that I was blessed to have chosen a career that I have been able to grow with over the years and that I have found to be challenging and interesting even after more than 40 years in the profession.”

Kathy’s favorite exam? “This question is easy to answer. To start with I enjoy general radiography the best. Especially when the exam requires an unusual or trauma type setup. I have always been challenged to create an optimal image regardless of the patient’s ability to cooperate.”

Kathy’s advice for anyone interested in the RT career field, “When you are researching the field, make certain to look at all the different options that a Radiology background can afford you.  The field offers many ways you can grow and keep yourself motivated and loving what you do.”