Shelley DeReu RN, BSN, CNMT
Tags on answered questions
About
I started my career in medical imaging as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and excelled in that job working with patients. I was recruited by a pharmaceutical company to train their sales staff on radiopharmacy. Next I went to an accelerated nursing program, graduated and worked bedside in ICU and Cardiac care as well as working in procedural nursing and Nuclear Medicine. Then I was recruited to work as a Clinical Research Associate. I now own a consulting business for Radioisotope Clinical Research Monitoring. I have had these careers while married and raising a family.
Shelley’s Career Stories
How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?
I am the first to go to college. I stumbled into my career while in college. I went to a job fair on campus and found Nuclear Medicine.
Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?
Nuclear Medicine is not well known and whenever I would mention it people called me a nurse. Once I explained the job they would get hung up on the radiation part of the profession.
What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?
When I was starting my Nuc Med. clinicals, my mentor told me to treat every interaction with the medical staff as an interview.
What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?
To learn to be organized, focused and disciplined and to trust myself. I wanted to succeed so badly, that I was willing to miss social events and holidays and put in long hours to study and/or work towards my goal.