Meet Natalie Parizek, BS, RT(T)

Tell us about your background: I graduated the Rad Sci Therapy Program in May of 2019, upon graduation I started working PRN here at U of I and transitioned into full time staff shortly after! 

Why did you pick RT/CT as your career field: I originally started at Mount Mercy University and wasn't quite sure what I wanted to go into, after a couple of job shadows I knew this is where I wanted to be. I loved the idea of being able to incorporate compassion for a patient throughout their treatment. Getting to see a patient every day and be a part of their treatment team along this part of their journey is pretty special. The other great part is getting to know a patient's family, their likes/dislikes, and anyone else that gets to tag along with them.

What’s your favorite exam?  The more simple, straightforward treatments are definitely the best ones. Every now and then a complex treatment technique is kind of fun to take part in, just can be a little stressful at times. Patients bell ringing at the end of their treatment though is by far my favorite part of their treatment course! 

Advice for anyone interested in the RT career field? Anyone interested in Radiation Therapy should most definitely job shadow to get an idea of the daily workflow of what a day in the life as a Radiation Therapist would be! And just getting in the habit of asking people how their day is, because we do that a lot in Radiation Oncology