Mass. General medical imaging student looks to bring new techniques to homeland

After graduating from Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia five years ago, Ahmed Mohammed became a teacher of environmental science at Hossana Teachers Education College. Back then, he would not have anticipated that his interest in environmental science would quickly turn technological.

“When I was teaching the environmental science course, I came across many articles on science and technology, and I began to develop an interest in their effects on health care,” recalled Mohammed. “There are so many problems in Ethiopia with high rates of HIV and malaria. I wanted to do something to help solve these problems in my society.”

That desire led Mohammed to start an HIV/AIDS Club at Hossana to educate his students “so they can go out and teach people about HIV and how it gets transmitted.”

While at Hossana, Mohammed met an American woman who was teaching as a volunteer. They began dating, got engaged and moved together to the United States, where Mohammed, who was born and raised in Ethopia, met a radiologist at Norwood Caritas Hospital. This new friend taught Mohammed about radiology and introduced him to one of his colleagues — a radiologic technologist, or “rad tech.”

“I did a job shadow for two days with the ‘rad tech’ I met. I began to see that I enjoy learning about the scientific aspects of medical imaging, as well as the technology and the quickly evolving nature of the profession,” said Mohammed.

He went on to volunteer in the Emergency Radiology Department at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). After speaking with and learning from many of the rad techs there, Mohammed became enamored with the position.

“I realized that I am comfortable with and capable of helping patients, and I also like working with a team to achieve a goal, instead of sitting in an office,” said Mohammed. “I like how the team works: the radiologic technologist takes the pictures, the radiologist reads the image, the physician determines the right treatment, and the nurse cares for the patient. It’s a chain of treatment and I’m part of it.”

Mohammed wanted to go school to pursue a certificate in medical imaging, but he knew that his education at Bahir Dar University — a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in geography — did not prepare him.

“I was glad we came to the U.S. when we did because it gave me a chance to take the prerequisite courses necessary to be eligible for entry into a medical imaging program,” he said.

Mohammed researched schools in the area that offered medical imaging programs. He heard about the MGH Institute of Health Professions from his wife, who had been accepted into the Institute’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program.

“I decided to attend the Institute because it’s a fast, 17-month program, and it is all online, except labs and clinical [work], which gives me flexibility,” Mohammed said. “I like the clinical work because we have access to the best equipment and facilities because of the MGH affiliation.”

In the program, students practice with each other as patients to position their bodies in different ways to take X-rays.

“This teaches technical aspects, such as how to manipulate the body into precise positions to get the best picture, as well as patient care and communication, which helps patients feel at ease,” he said.

Mohammed says that the Institute’s medical imaging program allows students to work part-time for the first year while they take classes. After a year, students enter full clinical work five days a week.

“My instructors are helpful and have real world experience to share with us. Some of our courses are pretty advanced and are not offered at a community college, and we have access to the latest and most important research articles,” he said.

Mohammed will graduate in February of 2008. He and his wife and are thinking about going back to Ethiopia after he gets a few years of work experience.

“In Ethiopia, even if there is proper radiology equipment, they don’t have the trained persons. There’s no radiography school,” he said. “I would like to teach them how to use it, and I can with my teaching background.”