Ana Behnam – Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Name: Ana Behnam
Program: Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Success Story

My name is Ana and I am one of the many successful graduates from Healthcare Training Institute. I completed the Diagnostic Medical Sonography course and my life has changed since. I was thirty-two at the time I enrolled for the course and even though I was very nervous about going back to school I always knew I wanted to be a part of the medical field. I wanted to be a helping hand for patients. I wanted to help them understand the puzzle of their diagnosis and I knew that the best instrument for that was Ultrasound.

Medicine is a much respected field and I wanted to do something where my husband and kids would feel proud of me, this is one of the many reasons I enrolled and soon after I started falling in love with Ultrasound.

I loved being a part of Healthcare Training Institute. I was not a stranger, I felt supported, and I felt welcomed. That love and support came in very handy when I was going to school and had the responsibility of caring for my three young children. This meant trying to study and get homework done while cooking, cleaning, helping with school projects and attending their school functions, all without missing any days from my own schooling. The word HARD doesn’t even cover half of the challenge!

But, again, that support, that family-feeling, the atmosphere at Healthcare Training Institute helped me push forward. I received help and guidance from the staff, Joy Crowley always remembered my name; the instructors were always available to answer questions and offer additional assistance when needed. I also worked very closely with the Career Services Department in the school. Tools were always made accessible to me and I never held back; I took full advantage of the services each staff and faculty member presented to me and my classmates. I believe that school is not a road you walk alone; if you need assistance you ask for it!

To all my fellow sonographers, students, who like me, enrolled into a program with zero experience in the medical field, to you I would say this: “The biggest failure you can make in life is the mistake of never trying at all”. I was very intimidated by some subjects, especially Physics! I took the class, sat for my SPI exam and passed on my very first try. I felt an immense sense of pride because even though I was very nervous about the class I understood the subject and PASSED the SPI (big milestone for sonographers) I should also mention that English is not my first language; therefore you may imagine my nervousness about such exam! When it was finally time to spread my wings and find employment, I felt intimidated by the fact that now I was going to be a professional, I had the responsibility of representing myself accordingly in the medical field. I learned how to communicate with doctors, other staff members and patients. So, please, don’t be afraid, the school will give you the tools you will need to succeed in the field. All you have to do is use those tools and grow, expand, LEARN!

My life has changed tremendously since graduating. Interacting with other professionals in the field makes me a part of the “bigger picture” This has given me a lot of self-confidence. Nothing compares to the feeling you get when someone who comes to you with fear and doubt about their health but leaves with a smile and a feeling of comfort because YOU contributed to that! This is how I get to feel every single day!