Influential Woman · Mammography

Alesa Spikes

Prn Mammographer, Local Hospitals/clinics

Grand Prairie, TX

5Awards received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in Business and Science Degree Major in Information Systems Degree Associate Degrees in Business Degree Radiologic Technology Certification Program Degree El Centro Degree MTMI Mammography Training Program Degree Clinical Training at Brookhaven College and Parkland Hospital Cert Certified Radiologic Technologist Cert Certified Mammographer Member American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) Member Texas State Board

Her Story

About Alesa

I started my career in radiology in 2010 as a radiologic technologist, working in x-ray and exploring different modalities including CT, angiography, surgery, and fluoroscopy. Before that, I worked as a patient care technician at a hospital, training throughout different departments. My path to mammography became clear in 2012 when I met my husband and his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching what she went through with chemo and radiation therapy made me realize this was my calling. I enrolled in the MTMI mammography training program and completed my clinical training at Parkland Hospital while working full-time at UT Southwestern Zelle Lipschy. It was challenging - I worked full-time in x-ray during the week and completed my clinicals on weekends, taking about 2 to 3 months to finish the course. After passing my registry and becoming certified as a mammographer in 2013, I was hired full-time at Parkland. I later joined Solus Mammography in 2015, left to work at solo clinics to learn different skill sets, and returned to Solus in 2019 where I continue to work today. Now, as a clinical instructor, I get to pour into students the way my mentors poured into me. Every day I work with patients facing anxiety and fear - whether it's their first mammogram or they're dealing with a new symptom or diagnosis. I help them through the process, explain things in terms they can understand, and provide emotional support during what can be a terrifying time. It's challenging work, but knowing I'm helping women through their journey and training the next generation of technologists to do the same makes it incredibly rewarding.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Alesa

01What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The challenges I face are really patient-by-patient. Every day brings different situations - whether it's a woman coming in for her first mammogram who's terrified because she's heard all these stories about how painful it is, or patients with limitations like wheelchairs, walkers, stroke, or disabilities. You have to try to get them in, calm them down, give them peace of mind, and walk them through the steps. Then there's the anxiety patients feel when they have a new lump or are waiting for results, or going through a biopsy procedure - that's a lot in itself, the anxiety of waiting to find out if they're going to be diagnosed with breast cancer or if everything's benign. You have to try to explain everything on a simplistic level where they can understand, because they don't know the terminology of the mammography field. And it can take a toll on you emotionally too, because sometimes you'll see the image and you can tell what it might be, but it's out of my scope so I can't say anything. You have to keep that same face and not show it, even though patients are staring at you and asking all kinds of questions. So the challenge is just the everyday challenge of trying to get through the day while being there emotionally to support the patient.

Keep Exploring