Meet Leigha Stewart, BS, RCDS, RVT 
Tell us about your background: I graduated with my bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa sonography program, cardiac/vascular track, in 2018. I currently work in the Vascular Lab at UIHC and have been here for a little over 3 years now. During my time at the University, I also received a bachelor's degree in health and human physiology.
Why did you pick sonography as a career field? I have always wanted to work in healthcare, but I picked sonography as a career field because of how much we get to interact with and help our patients. We can spend anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes with a patient during their appointment and that allows us to develop relationships, especially with the clinic patients that come back frequently for follow ups. Many patients come to us experiencing pain, especially while walking, and the tests we do can determine the cause and help the surgeons address the problem, which can lead to a better quality of life. It is really rewarding to feel like I am making a difference in the patients’ lives, while also working in a field that is exciting and I am truly passionate about.
What’s your favorite exam? My favorite exam would probably be lower extremity venous studies that we perform 24 hours after a venous procedure. These venous procedures are performed in the OR on varicose veins in the leg and we are scrubbed in to run the ultrasound machine. The next day we perform the venous study to make sure the varicose veins are clotted off and there is not a blood clot in any of the deep veins. It is very interesting to be a part of both aspects and see how quickly the procedure works.
Advice for anyone interested in the sonography field? My advice for anyone interested in sonography would be to get into the clinics and job shadow as much as you can. During a job shadow, you get the chance to interact with different sonographers and departments to get a deeper understanding of each type of sonography. Being in the clinic, you can see first-hand the variety of different exams we perform and how we interact with other hospital staff. It is an extremely valuable experience.