Influential Woman · Breast Imaging

Krista McManus

ARRT, ARDMS

Breast Sonographer, Cheyenne Women's Imaging Pavilion

Cheyenne, WY

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Yakima Valley College - Radiology/X-ray Degree Indianapolis Breast Center - On-the-job training for breast ultrasound Cert ARRT Cert ARDMS Member ARRT Member ARDMS

Her Story

About Krista

I always thought I was going to go into dental hygiene and went into dental assisting in high school, but then realized I didn't want to sit in a chair and talk to people who can't talk back. I knew I wanted to help people, so I started exploring different careers. X-ray was one of them, with ultrasound being my ultimate goal. When I went through that program, breast imaging was the thing that I thought I would not ever do. But fortunately, at the end of my training, I was given the opportunity to rotate through different modalities, and breast imaging was one of those, and I quickly learned that I loved it. Literally, as I was driving to my first job, my aunt called me - she was like one of my best friends - and told me she had just got called back for her mammogram. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I kind of went through that with her, and just along the way was like, yep, I went into the right profession, just helping women.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Krista

01What do you attribute your success to?

I think just probably my upbringing. I was raised in a family that kind of raised us to have a good work ethic. However, that might just be part of who I am, because I know you can't just teach that, you know, after managing imaging people and stuff. And just wanting to do the right thing, and helping people, you know, and just taking care of our community.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Stay true to your passion. You know, stay true to yourself, your passion. Do what's right for the patient, because the patient always comes first.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say, try and get as much experience as you can, and if you have the opportunity to explore other modalities, even if you think you might not like it, do it, because you don't know what you don't know. And, you know, just keep your options open, keep your mind open, and explore and learn. Keep learning.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I would say there's a huge shortage in sonographers and technologists, especially since COVID, and radiologists. So there's a huge - burnout is a huge issue, just because everyone's being asked, in America at least, asked to do way more with less. And, it's hard, so, you know, even physicians are being asked to spend 1-2 minutes with a patient. That's not okay. You can't really diagnose somebody in that amount of time. I have worked for facilities where they've been asked to spend 3 minutes or less with their patients. And that's not okay, because that's not why physicians went into medicine. They want to, you know, be able to get to know their patient and stuff like that, but I think it's just being - the biggest challenge is being asked to do more, more with in less time, or with less support and tools. And then healthcare costs are getting higher for everyone in America, so then they're being asked to diagnose more in advanced stages, because people aren't going to the doctor.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I would say, work ethic and authenticity.

Keep Exploring