Medical Imaging Sciences

The Medical Imaging Sciences field at Oakland University consists of multiple distinct programs and is thriving under the leadership of Director and Special Instructor Sara Rivard, M.A., RT(R) (CT). From the launching of the initial Radiologic Technology program in 2013, Imaging Sciences at Oakland University has grown to include the Radiologic Technology Leadership degree completion program and the newest major, Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

In her formative years in high school, Rivard was introduced to radiologic technology in a health occupations class. Originally planning to pursue a career in nursing, Rivard’s interests were piqued and she decided to enroll in Beaumont’s radiology certificate program. Her love for the field quickly grew, and she graduated from the program in 2004. Rivard became an x-ray technologist and then continued her education with a bachelor’s degree in health care management, followed by a Master’s of Art in Education with a focus in Training and Curriculum Development. This would help her to pursue a budding career in teaching.

Rivard joined the Oakland University team in 2019. Not only did she immediately step into the role of Director of Radiologic Technology, but she hit the ground running, developing two new programs.

Rivard created the Radiologic Technology Leadership specialization within the Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Sciences degree. Previously, professionals seeking to specialize in areas such as MRI and CT would take modality courses at OU, but were not able to apply these credits to any degree. Now, with the Applied Health Sciences program, those who hold an associate’s degree in the field are able to take modality or other specialty courses while also applying them to efficiently complete a bachelor’s degree, further enhancing their expertise and career possibilities. 

Rivard also led the development of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography specialization, which became available in 2023. Through partnerships with Henry Ford Health and Ascension Providence Hospital (now merged with Henry Ford), sonography students complete prerequisite coursework at Oakland and then apply for a hospital-based, accredited sonography position to complete their education. In fact, three students were recently accepted and have begun this highly interactive, hospital-based program at Henry Ford Health in the fall of 2024.

Unlike many other sonography and radiologic technology programs offered as associate degrees, Oakland’s programs are at the bachelor’s degree level. “For students who are leadership-minded and want to go into any leadership role, like management, education or even sales, a bachelor’s degree is necessary,” Rivard explains. “The difference between a bachelor’s and associate's in this field is usually one year. If you get an associate’s degree for imaging, you’re still going to school for three years to get enough clinical hours and prerequisite courses – so a bachelor’s degree might be a better option and will provide more career opportunities.” 

Another key advantage of Oakland’s imaging sciences programs are the professional affiliations. Radiologic Technology specifically is partnered with Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont), a very large, nationally-ranked hospital system right here in Michigan. Rivard says, “We have a lot of options for our students to rotate through all of these different facilities where they are exposed to level one trauma, level two trauma – we have clinics, fluoroscopy training, surgical training. Our students see everything and they all are very thankful because they are very confident in their clinical skills when they’re finished.”

For her outstanding work on the development of the imaging sciences programs, Rivard recently earned the OU Faculty Service Award for the School of Health Sciences. 

“Sara’s leadership and dedication to the imaging sciences in our school has been exceptional,” says Dr. Kevin Ball, dean and professor of the School of Health Sciences. “In addition to developing new programs, she leads the team that maintains national accreditation for the Radiologic Technology program. We appreciate all Sara does to make our school a leader in imaging sciences education.”

The Medical Imaging Science programs will only continue to grow in the future. Rivard’s goals and dreams for the programs include expanding the sonography degree, cross-listing imaging modality courses as graduate courses for those who already have a bachelor’s degree, and developing a master’s degree and specific leadership/management courses for radiologic technologists. 

In addition to her responsibilities at OU, Rivard maintains her clinical professional expertise at Corewell Health in Troy and Royal Oak, as well as Ascension River District (now Henry Ford). She is an active member of the Michigan Society of Radiologic Technologists (MSRT), has completed five years on the Board of Directors and continues to serve on various committees within the MSRT.

With the field of imaging sciences facing severe staff shortages, job opportunities are plentiful for future professionals. For Rivard, the field is exciting and keeps her on her toes – one of her favorite parts of her work. “There’s always something different going on,” she says excitedly. “It’s very flexible and you have to be able to do a lot of different things – it never gets boring.”

Visit the Medical Imaging Sciences webpage to learn more about the programs offered in the School of Health Sciences.