Her Story
About Gracie
Gracie Weinhold serves as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist with Shared Medical Services, a mobile imaging company. Based in the St. Louis area of Missouri, she travels to various hospital sites to perform PET scans using radioactive materials that highlight physiological functions in the body, with a primary focus on detecting cancer cell uptake in patients. After earning her Bachelor's in Health Sciences from Mizzou in May 2026, Weinhold passed her certification board exam on the first try and now manages daily operations including quality control on cameras, dose verification, patient preparation such as blood sugar checks and IV starts, image processing, and coordination with pharmacies. She values empathy and hard work, reminding herself to maintain a positive demeanor for patients who may be facing difficult diagnoses despite long 12-hour shifts. Weinhold credits her career success to staying focused during college clinicals in Springfield, avoiding comparisons with classmates who had higher grades, and thriving in hands-on patient settings rather than classroom tests. She advises others to work hard now and play later, to follow their own path even when it differs from peers, and to avoid comparing themselves to others on social media. In her field, she notes the emotional challenge of balancing empathy for cancer patients without personal burnout, alongside opportunities from rapid advancements in cameras, drugs, and scanning techniques that make nuclear medicine one of the fastest-evolving areas in radiology.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gracie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I worked really hard in school even when my friends were having fun and I had to move for clinicals and live by myself. I focused on myself instead of comparing grades to classmates and thrived in the clinical setting where I could apply what I learned with patients. Staying the course and not letting comparison steal my joy paid off because now I have a job I love.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Work hard now and play later. It's okay to be different and go against the grain by following your own dreams and goals even when everyone else is having fun. Don't compare yourself to others especially on social media because what you see isn't real.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The emotional aspect is the biggest challenge because it's hard to see patients with cancer and find the balance of being empathetic without letting it affect you personally. Opportunities include constant evolution with new cameras, new drugs, and new ways to scan patients making it one of the fastest-paced changes in radiology.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Empathy and hard work are most important. It's easy to skip little tasks like stocking or cleaning but you have to remember patients might be getting a cancer diagnosis so put on a smile and do the right thing even when tired. Perseverance through long 12-hour days is key.
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