Meet our first MIS class: Ryan Martin
Ryan Martin: A musician changing his tune
Many folks come to Nashville to break into the music business, but musician Ryan Martin came here to deepen his understanding of imaging science. Martin is a jazz guitarist with two music-related master’s degrees. While taking a neuroimaging class for fun, Martin discovered an interest in and aptitude for imaging science and later worked in a university lab performing electroencephalogram (EEG) testing.
After completing his second master’s in music, Martin worked as an imaging technologist in a hospital, doing clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It was during this work that he discovered Vanderbilt’s Master of Imaging Science program and began to think seriously about a career in medicine.
Hitting all the right notes
When he discovered Vanderbilt’s Master of Imaging Science program, Martin says it was exactly what he was looking for: “The other imaging master’s programs I found seemed to all be focused specifically on things like engineering, informatics, healthcare management, clinical training, and none, in my opinion, offered the breadth that Vandy’s MIS program does.” The comprehensive nature of Vanderbilt’s MIS — delving into all imaging modalities — combined with Vanderbilt’s “amazing” reputation, helped Martin make the decision to apply.
Martin compares his experience as an imaging technologist to “wading into the physics, anatomy and chemistry” of medical imaging, while the MIS program is a dive into “the deep end of the pool: we’re actually talking about all of the equations that fill up the whole chalkboard.” He lists this in-depth exploration of the science behind imaging modalities, combined with hands-on experience in imaging labs, all taught by passionate and brilliant faculty, as creating a “top-notch” experience that has been “truly impressive.”
Mixing a unique medley
What’s next? Whether he embarks upon a PhD path or applies to medical school, Martin would love for his post-MIS life to combine his two passions of music and neuroscience. Whatever he does, he says, “I know for a fact now that it will have a major imaging component.”
The application for Vanderbilt’s MIS class of 2025 is now open. Meet the class of 2024, learn more about the program, and apply.