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Every
day, I have the pleasure of introducing a new life…
Li
Hong Jia
Ultrasound for Women, Australia
I
began my career in China, where I studied medicine
for 5 years. I have always wanted to help people
and found myself very interested in the human body
at a young age.
I migrated to Australia and found myself starting afresh.
I decided to return to University where I completed a Graduate
Diploma of Applied Science (Medical Sonographer)
at the University of Sydney. I then went on to complete a
Master of Public Health.
After graduating, I accepted a 6 month training spot
at the Ultrasound for Women in Liverpool, NSW. Those 6 months
of training eventually enabled me to find work as a sonographer
in the same place for 10 years.
A medical
sonographer is a highly skilled professional
who operate specialised equipment to create images of the
internal structures within the body. These pictures are known
as ultrasounds.
In my case, I specialise in the uterus of women during the
early stages of pregnancy (5 ½ to 13 weeks).
During a routine scan, I check the heart rate of the baby
and determine the exact age. With this information we can
work out the expected date of birth of the baby.
I also look for any abnormalities with the patients’ ovaries.
This will help prevent any difficulties or troubles that may
occur in the latter stages of the pregnancy.
Lastly, I would measure the depth of the fluid sack found
in the back of the unborn baby’s neck. The reason I do this
is to find out whether the baby has an increased risk of developing
an abnormality, particularly, Down’s
syndrome.
Over the years, I have found my job immensely gratifying
yet challenging. What more can I ask for when everyday I have
the pleasure of introducing a new life to its parents. This
wonderful moment never ceases to amaze me.
Reporter: Melinda Wong
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