My name is Ariel Bialik. I graduated summa cum laude with my bachelors degree in religious

studies from the University of North Dakota in August of 2018 and am currently enrolled in a radiologic

technologist educational program at Northland Community and Technical College in East Grand Forks.

My expected date of graduation from the radiologic technologist program I am enrolled in is May, 2021.

After graduation I intend to get a bit over a year of work experience as a registered radiographer in a

hospital setting before going on to earn a master’s degree in radiologic science from a radiologist

assistant educational program. Of the radiologist assistant educational programs I have researched, I am

most strongly considering attending the radiologist assistant educational program at Weber State

University in Ogden Utah because the tuition seems very reasonable compared to other programs and

they require one year of work experience as a radiographer whereas the other program I was

considering with competitive tuition (Midwestern State University in Texas) requires two years of work

experience as a registered radiographer. In the event that the Medicare Access to Radiology Act were

made law and radiologist assistants were made mid-level providers, I would be strongly interested in

having my own practice.

As someone who has had their own medical struggles and complications I understand the great

importance of accurate diagnosis and treatment of pathologic medical conditions and have a great deal

of compassion and empathy for others who struggle with their own medical complications. I had two

major back surgeries in 2011 to remove extra cervical ribs from my back (C8) that were the result of a

genetic abnormality/mutation that caused severe muscle spasms, constricted blood flow to my arms,

and nerve damage around this time period. Although my back condition has improved significantly from

these surgeries since then, I still deal daily with chronic nerve pain and muscle tension in my upper back

that were caused by this damaging condition. I also had five wrist surgeries from January 2011 to March

of 2013 due to a recurrent giant cell bone tumor that destroyed my left wrist and necessitated a wrist

fusion in January 2012 that was made possible by removing the fibula in my left leg and grafting this into

my wrist and fusing it in place with a metal plate.

I aspire to become a radiologist assistant not only because I believe that I will enjoy the work

and find the profession personally rewarding, but because I would like to help others who like myself

have struggled with chronic health conditions. Although I have not attended or participated in any

NDSRT events or activities in the past, I am ready to take advantage of the opportunities for educational

and professional development that the NDSRT and ASRT have to offer and am also interested in being a

future candidate for elected positions on the NDSRT board. As someone who is excelling in my academic

studies as well as taking the necessary steps to become a future leader in the field of radiology, I believe

an individual such as myself would be a valuable asset to your organization. I believe the opportunities

for networking, professional growth, and collaboration with knowledgeable leaders in the radiology field

afforded to me by such an opportunity would help me to take better proactive measures going forward

towards becoming the future leader in the radiology industry that I seek to become. I am also interested

in helping others who seek to become future leaders in the radiology field take the necessary proactive

measures to achieve their goals and believe that my involvement with your organization would better

enable me to provide insight for and help others who seek to contribute to the radiology profession in

both professional and leadership capacities.