My name is Nick Vasilevski and I am a junior at Roosevelt University. I am an Allied Health Major and I just applied to the Diagnostic Medical Sonography department at Northwestern Hospital. Having just applied, I will include some tips about the application process and tips from the director from Northwestern and my advisor.
- Radiography
- Radiation Therapy Technology
- Nuclear Medicine Technology
- Medical Technology
- Histotechnology
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Schedule a shadowing appointment!
It is important to schedule a shadowing appointment because it really gives you the opportunity to see if what you are applying for is really for you and is something you would want to do as a career. To schedule an appointment, you could either talk to your advisor and get that set up or email the director of the program you want to shadow. Note: You must have a current flu shot, negative TB test within a year, and current immunity to rubella.
Visit the career center for help on finalizing your resume!
It is important to make sure your resume is up to date and makes you look your best. A few tips that the career center gave me for building my resume are:
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- If you are involved in clubs or any extracurricular activities, make sure you list them under your education.
- If you are proud of your GPA, also make sure you list it under your education.
- Not every job is important to add to your resume. When working on your work history, pick the jobs you worked for the longest and that would give you a good recommendation in case the employer/director calls.
- Your resume should be about a page long.
Make sure you stay above a 2.5 GPA!
The general requirement for applying for these clinicals is that you must be above a 2.5 GPA to even apply. The way I’ve maintained above a 2.5 GPA are:
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- Staying on top of my work and keeping a planner with all my homework assignments and exams on it.
- Visiting the peer tutor or office hours if I do not understand a concept
- Balancing work, school and my personal life.
- Turn my phone on do not disturb when studying and working on homework.
- Forming a group of classmates to study at the library with.
Visit the writing center to make sure your personal essay is perfect!
Things to have in your personal essay are:
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- Why are you a good fit to be accepted into the program and how will you succeed.
- Why are you applying for the program and why do you want to pursue that program as a career?
- What are you going to offer to Northwestern if accepted?
- Make sure you list how your shadowing experience was and what you learned.
- Any job-related experiences or volunteer work related to the program you are applying for.
Set up a mock interview with the career center or your advisor!
When applying to the program, the director will schedule an interview with you. Advisors and the career center know what types of questions typically will be asked during your interview. It is important to not be nervous and make sure that you answer their questions to the best of your ability. Mock interviews will help prepare you for the actual interview. It’s always nice to have tips about things you have done well and things you can work on before it’s time for the real interview.
Make sure you don’t ask family members for letters of recommendation, ask teachers!
Family members are not a good personal recommendation. The director specifically told me that they are looking for letters of recommendation from teachers, advisors, and/or employers. When choosing my certain people for letters of recommendation, I had to think about how hard I tried in my classes and the bond between me and the professor. Don’t pick a professor that you barley talked to, instead ask a professor that you chatted in office hours with on plenty of occasions.
By: Nick Vasilevski