Her mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor. She carries the BRCA2+ gene which put her at an 87% chance of developing Breast Cancer in her lifetime. The yearly mammograms and MRIs since her early 20s actually led her to where she is today. Keri McCoy, a Radiologic Technologist, works in the Northeast Georgia Physicians Group for their Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Gainesville Practice.
“I felt like my compassion, empathy, and smile could be a bright spot in someone’s day who was facing uncertainty with their exam and diagnosis,” McCoy explained. “Since I knew the unsettling feeling of what this exam could become.”
McCoy had a double mastectomy in July of 2023.
Background
She has called Habersham County home since 2002. She is originally from Rabun County. “I have been married to my high school crush for 20+ years and we have an amazing daughter who is graduating high school this spring and heading to college this fall.”
A lover of school, McCoy was excited to start school later in life but it was also scary. “I was a full-time wife and mother, unlike the first time I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Art Administration from Piedmont in my early adulthood.”
She quit her full-time job to start the program at Lanier Tech and become a Radiologic Technologist. It is a highly competitive program that only takes the top 20 applicants each year. McCoy said she and her family lived on faith and total dependence on God to provide during the 18-month period it took to complete this program.
Her experience
“People think x-rays are simply a ‘point & click’ type of job. You just aim and push a button. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” McCoy added. In the program, it is a requirement to learn the physics of how XR is produced, learn all the bones in the body, and how to position the body correctly to get the desired results for a diagnosis plus much more. There is also a National Registry exam which must be passed.
McCoy started the program in August 2018 and graduated in December of 2019. This put her starting her career right as COVID came on the scene. She had to finish three prerequisite courses before starting the program at the age of 41.
“There were times when I experienced self-doubt – especially while learning physics and when we had to learn how to start IVs as part of our competencies,” McCoy said.
She calls it a “one day at a time” season in her life. Her classmates were an encouragement to her because they were all on the journey together and understood the stress and pressure associated with this program.
Her purpose
“I love the people I work with the most. I am blessed to work with a wonderful group of Providers (Doctors & PA-C’s) and staff.”
McCoy said she enjoys the camaraderie with her teammates. They provide emotional support to one another and enjoy good laughs together.
“When people ask me if I am passionate about what I do, I like to respond, ‘X-ray is not my passion, people are,'” McCoy said with a smile. “When I decided to go back to school at 41, I never stopped to think how we would pay for schooling, and I certainly didn’t know I’d have to quit my job!”
McCoy believes that God opened every door for her. She is living the dream because her purpose is to use her own experiences and struggles to help others.
