Meet Jill Jespersen – Radiation Therapist

Jill went to the University of Minnesota for her radiation therapy degree.  She graduated in 1999 and first worked in Phoenix Arizona for 2 years.  Jill moved back to Iowa in 2001 and has been working here at UIHC ever since.

When asked why Jill chose Radiation Therapy, Jill’s response was “initially I wanted to be a sonographer but after rotating through Radiation Therapy I fell in love with it.  It is such a great feeling to be able to connect with patients on a daily basis, getting to know them and comfort them.”

Jill’s favorite exam: “I was given the opportunity to cross train in MRI 15 years ago.  Since then the radiation therapy field has evolved to combine a MRI with a linear accelerator.  Our department was one of the first in the country to purchase this machine called Unity by Elekta.  I absolutely love this new technology and am able to use both my skill sets to run this new machine.”

Jill’s advice to anyone that is interested in pursuing a career in Radiation Therapy: “Cancer is a scary and sad diagnosis and working in this field may seem the same.  I find that it is actually very rewarding in that you are helping these patients fight their battle.  When you see them every day a bond is formed and hopefully this adds a bright spot and positivity to their day.”