Meet Marci Tucker, RDMS, RVT 
Tell us about your background: I started here at UIHC as Staff in 1997. Hard to believe that I have been here for almost 25 years! I feel grateful to have been able to do what I love at an academic medical center where I have been able to continue to learn! UIHC has presented me with so many great opportunities. But I am most thankful to work alongside a team whose passion is to take care of our patients and provide high-quality exams.
Why did you pick sonography as a career field? I originally chose Ultrasound because I found the exams challenging. As I got further into it, I realized just how challenging it really is and that you can absolutely never know it all in ultrasound. Every patient, every exam is different. Many of our exams take some time, and I enjoy getting to spend time with my patients. They all have a story on how they got to us. We get to do so many exams here that aren’t done anywhere else in Iowa. It’s very fulfilling to get to provide them studies that they need. And to be part of a team, trying to put the puzzle pieces together.
What’s your favorite exam? My favorite exam- I have so many! If I had to pick one, it would be anything transplant related - Liver TP, Renal TP, Pancreas TP. Again, they are challenging but there is nothing more heart-warming than to see a patient who has been so sick, who has been on dialysis for months or years……….get a new organ and the chance to have a somewhat normal life. Granted their journey may not always be without complications, and I also like the fact that I get to be part of trying to make their journey successful.
Advice for anyone interested in the sonography field? My advice for anyone interested in Sonography is that you MUST be willing to continue to learn throughout your career. If you become ok with complacency, you can be an “ok “Sonographer. To strive to be a great Sonographer you absolutely have to keep pushing yourself to learn. There is always more to learn whether it be new technologies, new exams, or different disease processes. In the words of a famous Sonologist that I was lucky enough to work alongside of for so many years……. “Ultrasound is the ultimate!”