Jordan Willsey

Name: Jordan A. Willsey

Hometown: Camden Ohio

Major: Radiologic Sciences and Therapy, Radiography 

Class of 2021

Fun Fact: I live on my family farm when I’m not in Columbus for school, where we raise cattle and chickens. I also have two toy poodles and their names are Fluffy and Grace.

Career Path: I’m planning to start working once I graduate from the program. 

Why did you choose your major?

When I first started college, I did not start out in HRS. I was in CFAES (College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences) where I was an animal science major. While I really enjoyed my major and everything that it had to offer, I remembered the time that I had volunteered in x-ray at the hospital and I really enjoyed the experience. So, I started to do more volunteering and shadowing in x-ray and decided that is what I wanted to do. While it was a difficult choice at the time, as I would be completely changing my major, HRS made me feel welcome and made the process so much easier. I knew that I liked volunteering in the x-ray department, and getting to work with patients. I knew that my major was the best choice or me because there are so many opportunities within this field. While I may start out in x-ray there are so many different tracks that I can take with my major.

What advice would you give future students planning to pursue this major?

One thing that I am involved in outside of school that is going to assist me in my career is I am a radiology assistant at a children’s hospital in Columbus. They offer employment to students that are enrolled in the radiography program and it is a great steppingstone for my future career. I am also a student ambassador for HRS which will also look great on my resume and is also a great leadership experience and a great way to make connections. Some of the best qualities of my program are the clinical hours that we put in and the different sites that we get to go to. One thing about the program specifically when looking at radiography is that you get to pick a specialization your senior year which is something that not a lot of other x-ray programs have which is what really appealed to me about the program. I choose to go with interventional radiology for my specialty and I really love it. I also really enjoy how my program teachers, and professors really care, and they want me to succeed. 

What has been the most helpful resource(s) to you at Ohio State? 

My advisors have been the most helpful resource to me. They are the best resources because they can guide you with what to do in your major. If you are struggling, they can give you advice and share resources that may be able to help you. They are also able to advise you on how to take classes that can set you up for many of the different majors so if when you are taking classes and want to change, it is a smooth process.

What are you doing as a student at Ohio State that you never imagined you’d be doing?

One thing that I am doing as an Ohio State student that I never imagined I would be doing is getting to participate in clinical at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Since I’m from a small town, getting to work in these big hospitals is an amazing opportunity. I have worked with so many amazing people and they have taught me a lot about my profession and opened so many opportunities.

Do you feel you are prepared for the future of your profession?

I do feel that I am prepared for the future of my profession. Since I have a clinical component that is a part of my program, I get the experience of working in an environment that I am going to be working in some day. I also am a Radiology Assistant at Nationwide Children’s and that gives me working experience outside of my clinical environment.

What does “The future of health care begins here” mean to you? 

To me, this means that when I started in my major, that’s when my journey began. Any student that is pursuing a health care path is the future of health care. The future of health care begins with HRS and we are beginning our journey here at Ohio State and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.