Student Spotlight

David Waterman

David Waterman had a plan and idea on the direction his life would take. But then one day he woke up and start thinking about other interests and passions and tried to pinpoint what those were. He kept digging deeper until he found the foundation for that passion – MRI! David wakes up every day excited to be pursuing a career he is passionate about!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in the great city of Oceanside, CA. My personal interests are computers and technology, military issues, politics and traveling when possible. Traveling helps to make you a more open and well-rounded individual who can more readily deal comfortably with different cultures and lifestyles.

Becoming an MRI Technologist has not been easiest thing. I had originally planned to either go into the medical equipment repair field after service in the USAF or become a Full Scope Rad Tech. After careful consideration I actually withdrew from my X-ray Training and waited another 7 months before starting here at Casa Loma College.

How did Casa Loma College help you get where you are today?
I would have to say the biggest contributors to my confidence and success here at Casa Loma were Kelly Kumar and Nick Walsh-Davis. When I first started, they were extremely positive, helpful and welcoming. And also a big shout out to all my teachers, Jacobus, Baja, Mr. V, Mrs. Nishina, and Brian “Big Brains” Anhalt. Also, my two clinical instructors Mr. Frye and Persson

What has been your biggest challenge in the program?
The biggest challenge is meeting the high standards of the school and program and meeting the standards I set for myself, and, dealing with the failure of those standards at times. The material is challenging, and I have to study a lot. Being employed full time and finding a Work/School/Personal life balance has been hard. I am also a student who travels a long distance to be here so even just showing up at times is a struggle…but, there’s always someone who’s traveling just a little bit further so that leaves no excuses for me. Some are actually in my class.

What has been your favorite class or classes?
My favorite classes have to be Cross Sectional Anatomy and Physics. I liked Cross-Sectional because it was challenging but it helped me understand what the heck I was looking at. I liked Physics because it explained what I was doing more than just following orders. As a prior Imaging professional, it also made me realize that MRI is truly a different animal than X-ray and it gave me broader respect for it. Very few of the concepts other than anatomy are interchangeable.

What are your current goals and plans after completing the program?
My goals are to #1, Graduate on time. #2, Maintain the school’s proud tradition of Black dudes with Pork Chops/Heavy Sideburns. #3, Complete both ARMRIT and ARRT Certifications. #4. Move up the Imaging Dept. chain while providing high quality service to wherever I work, whether it’s a hospital or Imaging Facility.

 What’s the best advise you can give incoming students and students currently in the MRI program?
My advice to is to #1, Show up. #2, Give maximum effort. #3, Remember you are training for a new career/life so if you have to transition from your old life sooner than expected…just do it! I worked at a jail so I could go here. #4, Cross- Sectional is the start of the tunnel and Physics is the end of it.