Extracurricular Activities
Secretary of Echocardiography Club, Teaching Assistant of Cardiovascular Physiology & Sonographic Principles & Instrumentation
A Little Bit About Me
My name is Tuyen Tran, which you pronounce as “Twing” and it actually means “angel” in Vietnamese. I am currently a senior in the Echocardiography program, which means I am on my externship! I am in Reno, NV, right now, working at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. Needless to say, I am loving every moment of it. Being able to work at a hospital and collaborating with healthcare professionals whose positions I have admired since I was in middle school has been a rewarding experience. However, I have also been enjoying exploring a different city outside of my hometown Klamath Falls as well. In my free time, I tend to go work out, attend fun events in Reno like “Beyond Van Gogh”, and read.
Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major
Originally, I chose Oregon Tech because of the Dental Hygiene program offered; however, I switched my major to Pre-Medical Imaging and applied for the Echocardiography program and was accepted. The reason why I switched was because of Dr. McVay. Her anatomy courses taught me that I should look for a career where I will continuously learn about something that I have an interest in. I am glad I chose Oregon Tech because of the professors’ dedication to their student’s learning. I can tell that my professors want their students to be successful, but more importantly, love what they do.
My Influential Professors
My most influential professor is Dr. Tanya McVay. I was in her anatomy classes for my 2019-2020 year and enjoyed them a lot. I also took her Sonographic Principles and Instrumentation courses for my 2020-2021 school year, which is a very challenging topic, but she has made it easier to understand. Her dynamic and outgoing personality always made the lectures fun and interactive. Her ways of teaching always pushed me to critically think about “why” something works the way it works, rather than just memorization. It has helped me understand more about the topics I am learning and helped me further develop my critical thinking skills. I truly feel like my love for the medical field has grown since I have had her as my professor.
My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech
Now that I am on extern, I can easily say that this is the best learning experience I have had at Oregon Tech. It is not an opportunity many healthcare students have to be able to learn and train hands-on for their desired position in a hospital or clinical setting. Although practicing scanning on campus helped us set up a solid foundation for when we do enter the hospital setting, there is a greater sense of gratification when I see myself improving with each patient I scan at the hospital since everyone’s hearts sit slightly different. It also has been amazing to work with the cardiologists and anesthesiologists within the hospital and see how welcoming they are to student techs.
My Plans After Graduation
My plans after graduating from my program are to work as a cardiac sonographer for a few years, hopefully as a travel tech because I want to explore more of the country. Once I gain more practical experience in the medical field, whether it is in a clinic or hospital, I have a tentative goal of pursuing further education to become a physician’s assistant.