New Rad Tech Clinical Coordinator Brings 17 Years of Experience

With a Business degree from Babson College, Erica Stearns was working as a travel agent when September 11 uprooted the hospitality industry. She turned to a community college to start a new path in Radiologic Technology. For the past 17 years, she has been working in the field, including as an instructor at Middlesex Community College where she accepted a full-time position as the Clinical Coordinator ahead of the Fall 2022 semester.

“This was the next chapter of my career and progression to be involved in the field,” Stearns said. “I enjoy working with the students and sharing my personal experiences with them. I’m looking forward to my new position and finding my place in this program.”

Before she started her program, Stearns received early exposure to the field in the form of a job shadow. This made all the difference in her decision because the opportunity showed her she was on the right track. From day one, Stearns “fell in love with the hospital environment and nature of the work with patients.”

Now as a clinical instructor at Middlesex, she tries to show her students how much they affect the patient experience and how important it is to provide appropriate care. On a rotating schedule, students move around to different clinical sites to see firsthand what it is like to work at both a larger hospital and a smaller community hospital.

“That gives them more experience with different protocols, equipment and patients,” Stearns said. “When they finish the program, they’re really well-rounded because they’ve been in the operating room, emergency room, worked with pediatric and geriatric patients, and have had the opportunity to observe advanced modalities.”

Although there are four-year Rad Tech programs, Stearns believes MCC’s option is the most affordable and the best way to go, especially for someone changing their career. After graduating, students are prepared to pass the registry and enter the workforce where “there are so many opportunities out there right now,” according to Stearns.

At Middlesex, Stearns believes students also benefit from small class sizes and instructors who bring their years of direct patient care experience into the classroom and clinical sites. Her and the team of Rad Tech professors also know how to explain things in different ways and better set up students for deeper understanding with real life examples.

Stearns has worked at Winchester Hospital – where she still does per diem hours – and Salem Hospital, where she first met William Darmody, MCC’s Program Coordinator for Rad Tech. Although she did not expect to love teaching as much as she has, the experience has been rewarding.

“The mission of MCC speaks to me,” she said. “I enjoy interacting with the students and working with people from all different walks of life, cultures and stages. Some students are right out of high school, some are career changers. It’s fun to help guide them along in their process.”