With a father who was a member of the first graduating class of Boise State University’s Radiologic Technology program, Emily Ferrell’s career path was obvious.
“I grew up in the imaging department,” she said. “My dad also taught at the hospital where I would go with him and hang out while he was taking x-rays of the green glass phantoms at the time. I grew up in the field.”
Ferrell is a senior perinatal sonographer at the High Risk Pregnancy Clinic at Providence Medical Group in Spokane, Washington. Two years ago, she joined Boise State as a critique adjunct faculty member and clinical instructor as it launched the online Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging program.
“[Program director] Anastasia Tracy sent an email saying they needed help with the online program,” she said. “My son was going off to college, so I said, ‘What else am I going to do with my time? It’s been a great experience.”
Ferrell graduated from Boise State with an associate degree in Radiologic Technology in 2000 and a bachelor degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography in 2001.
“I am able to give back to the same program,” she said. “I did not go to school to be an educator, but I see the value of real-life clinical experience.
“I tell students, ‘I want you to scan like this because of X-Y-Z in the real world clinical setting.’ It’s also rewarding to have that feedback. It’s like, ‘You know what you’re saying, Emily. Don’t doubt yourself.’”
Getting in at the genesis of the online program makes the teaching experience extra special for Ferrell.
“Anastasia put in a lot of the changes I suggested to streamline things better, so the teaching experience has been rewarding on a few fronts.”
Ideal situation
Ferrell was born in Olympia, Washington, and raised in Spokane. She realized she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps while in high school.
“Being in healthcare is all I ever wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to go a bit further than general radiology,” she said. “I shadowed a sonographer while in high school and I liked the fact that I could be an investigator and work closely with radiologists. I liked that I had to be constantly learning and that I could directly impact a patient’s life.”
While Ferrell is going on her 13th year at Providence Medical Group, she meets with students five times a semester in roughly four-hour increments. In the summer, she will have six students. Prior to teaching at Boise State, she taught OB clinicals to Spokane Community College ultrasound students.
“It’s going to be a little faster pace in the summer,” she said. “It’s the best of both worlds. I think I can do it. It’s pretty cool.”
So far, Ferrell’s favorite part about teaching is seeing the impact she makes on students via the critiques.
“I would let them know to work on something in a critique,” she said. “Then, they would come back and I would think, ‘Oh my gosh, you listened to me.’ I like being that mentor, that guide, that cheerleader.
“I love being able to give that to an adult student. This is not an easy field. It’s not just pushing buttons and looking at babies all day. It’s a lot more involved.”
Hands-on learning
In addition to her normal critique adjunct faculty duties, Ferrell has taught a two-week clinical to three of her online students at her home hospital.
“I had one student who came from Delaware,” she said. “One came from Monterey, California, and one came from Longview, Texas.
“They were all students in my critique group. They wanted to come up and have a clinical with me. I jumped in with both feet and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Ferrell recently heard from a former student about how she is thriving in her career after graduating from the online Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging program.
“I got some feedback from my first student I had out for a clinical,” she said. “She wanted to do OB and MFM.
“She finally got a job at an MFM practice. “She texted and told me the Perinatologist called her in and wanted to know where she had been trained because he wasn’t expecting her to be this good right out of school.”
Although Ferrell never set out to teach, she plans to continue what she’s doing for as long as possible.
“Anastasia is amazing,” she said. “I don’t think she sleeps. If Boise State has something for me, I would jump at the opportunity. I’d still like to stay in the MFM/OB field, doing what I’m doing clinically. It would be my dream to come on and help part-time more than I am.”
Learn more about the advanced medical imaging program
Earning an online Bachelor of Science in Advanced Medical Imaging from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.