Ellena Varnadoe and Melissa Corey, RT
Ellena Varnadoe is an osteopathic medical student at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, a member of SIR’s
IRIG Committee and one of the 2025 Medical Student Scholars. Her mother, Melissa Corey, RT(R)(VI)(ARRT), is an interventional radiologic technologist at University of Florida Health in Gainesville, Fl.
Why did you choose IR? Ellena Varnadoe: When I started medical school, I wasn’t sure what I was interested in. I knew I enjoyed procedures, and while I knew my mom assisted with procedures in IR, I didn’t really know what that entailed. Early on in medical school I attended a talk with Kyran Dowling, MD, FSIR, who talked about the Road to IR program and his work in Tanzania. Hearing him explain his work was transformative— IR therapies can have a huge impact for patients who may have limited
resources and need a faster recovery time. Learning about the value that IR brings not only to the United States but also other countries was very inspiring, so I introduced myself to Dr. Dowling. From there, we started a research project together and I kept gravitating toward IR.
While home for break, I asked my mom if I could shadow her at UF, and while there, I was able to spend a lot of time with the residents. I’ve since shadowed at UF three times, and each time I get to be a bit more involved.
What was it like growing up in an IR household? EV: My mother actually lost her job as a bank teller during the 2008 recession, and at that point she decided that rather than find an equivalent job, she would go back to school. She became a certified X-ray technician, and it honestly changed our lives. We were able to move from a trailer to a real house, and I was able to attend a better school. It was the first time I saw the power of education and how it can transform families, and I knew that whatever job I pursued, I would attain the highest
level of education possible in it. Seeing my mom work in healthcare made me gravitate toward it.
My mom went on to get additional certifications in interventional radiology, and though she explained what she did, I didn’t really get it. Honestly, even at the start of medical school I didn’t fully understand the concept of putting a wire in someone’s body and using that to treat so many things. In medical school, you don’t really get a lot of exposure to IR in general.
How does your mother feel about you pursuing IR? EV: She’s excited, but she doesn’t want to push me. She loves what she does so much, and she wants me to love my job too. She keeps asking if I’m sure, and I keep telling her that I’m 100% invested. And honestly, it’s just so fun and exciting to get to shadow her and work with her—I would love for us to be able to really work together one day, and I know she’d love it too.
36 IRQ | SPRING 2025
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
