Her Story
About Noreen
Noreen Chechopoulos has been practicing professionally in radiology and medical imaging since graduating from radiology school in October 1985, with part-time work during five years while raising her children. She earned an associate's degree from Triton College after transferring from a hospital program and later pursued a CT program at the junior college level, though she is not certified in CT. Registered in radiology and in mammography since 1996, she maintains IEMA licensure in Illinois, which requires 24 hours of continuing education every two years. Noreen serves as lead technologist at Bright Light Imaging in Arlington Heights, where she handles quality control and annual inspections, and works at U Chicago Imaging at Hinsdale Hospital performing mammography, DEXA scans, and x-ray procedures. Her areas of specialization include mammography, DEXA, x-ray, tomography, and automated whole breast ultrasounds. She attributes her success to her enjoyment of the field, strong people skills, ability to read patients and tailor interactions, and perfectionism in obtaining thorough images to minimize unnecessary callbacks. Noreen values integrity, honesty, empathy, perfectionism, reliability, critical thinking, caution, motivation, and staying calm, and she advises learning new modalities, observing carefully in clinical settings, and preparing early for registry exams.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Noreen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I really enjoy my field. I'm a people person. I can make a conversation with just about anyone. I read people's faces and tailor my conversation. I'm a perfectionist about my imaging. I know what I'm looking at and take extra images to avoid unnecessary callbacks for patients. I take a lot of pride in getting good images even for challenging patients like those with large builds or implants.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Look at your priors and meet or exceed that exam. Try to learn something new every day and always be open to learning different modalities. It keeps things interesting and utilizes all skills acquired.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When in clinical, write down what you observe even if the technologist isn't explaining. Note technique readouts like KVP and MAS. Be observant and learn from surroundings. Don't be on your phone. Take breaks when needed since you're not getting paid. Start registry review early using online resources and YouTube. Record classes if instructor goes too fast. It's one step at a time like a recipe book.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is doing tomography exams with patients who have limited ability to stand or cooperate, as it takes longer than old single-image methods. Mammograms can be done in wheelchairs but are more difficult. Not designed well for limited mobility patients, requiring two technologists for safety.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, honesty, empathy, perfectionism, reliability, critical thinking skills, caution, being motivated, staying calm. Never put yourself in situations you're not trained for. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Be careful not to hurt yourself, like asking for lift help with patients.
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