Mekha Varghese

During her externship experience, Mekha got the chance to shadow Dr. Adam C. Zoga, a radiologist at Jefferson Health Radiology in Philadelphia. During the day, she got to take a sneak peak into the scope of what practicing as a clinical radiologist is like. “I really enjoyed watching Dr. Zoga perform diagnostic procedures and use his expertise to form diagnoses from imaging studies!” she says.

Mekha credits her time in both the arts and the sciences with giving her the flexibility she needed to get the most out of her externship. She adds that, “As a student majoring in both the arts and sciences, my education constantly shifts between vastly different methodologies and schools of thought. The Ursinus curriculum prepares us to look at the intersections of all that we do, and this externship enabled me to do just that.” In many ways, she says that radiology is the perfect intersection of medicine and visual studies.

Looking back at her time working with Dr. Zoga, Mekha says that she never originally contemplated a career in radiology, but her time at Thomas Jefferson getting to see all of the different responsibilities that Dr. Zoga had really changed her mind. She writes that, “A radiologist’s practice is far more diverse than looking at diagnostic images all day. As a clinician, professor, and researcher, Dr. Zoga’s role at his institution extends far beyond his job title.” For those interested in also pursuing an externship, or even those who have never considered it, Mekha suggests also keeping an open mind and allowing yourself the chance to try something you have never considered before: “Approach your externship with an open mind and an eagerness to learn. Whether you grow your passion for your intended career path or decide from this experience that you are better suited for something else, these experiences are invaluable to the process of vocational discernment.”