From Classroom to Career: Q&A with Jamie Tilton, Director of Radiologic Technology & Allied Health Sciences

Spalding University recently launched three allied health programs: the Associate of Science in Medical Assisting, the Associate of Science in Radiologic Technology, and the Certificate in Medical Coding.

We sat down with Jamie Tilton, Director of Radiologic Technology and Allied Health Sciences, to learn more about the programs and what they mean for students and the Louisville community.

Tell us about your background and what brought you to Spalding as the new Director of Radiologic Technology and Allied Health Sciences.

I’ve been a radiologic technologist (RT) since 2008. Looking back, my career has been shaped by clinical practice and education, both as a student and an educator.

I spent more than 10 years teaching at the college level. That’s where I realized the power of shaping a student’s career. After that, I moved through several roles in clinical practice, training, and learning and development, each one adding a new layer to how I think about education and the field.

What brought me to Spalding is that it felt like everything I’d learned along the way had been leading here. Being able to bring my experience back into the classroom and build a program from scratch is just such an exciting opportunity.

How does your experience as both a technologist and an educator shape how you’re building these programs?

As an educator, I know what students need to succeed academically and what is needed to pass their registry — the material, the exams, the learning process. But as a technologist myself, I also know the soft skills they’ll need to actually thrive in the career: good patient care, how to deliver it, and the things that go beyond terminology and technical skills.

As someone who has taught both new technologists and led skill development for practicing technologists, I understand that mid-career learners may require a different approach than someone who is starting right after high school.

That’s part of what makes these programs so valuable: they’re designed to meet students where they are. Not everyone wants a four-year degree, and not everyone needs one to build a meaningful career in healthcare.

That’s part of what makes these programs so valuable: they’re designed to meet students where they are. Not everyone wants a four-year degree, and not everyone needs one to build a meaningful career in healthcare.

These programs offer an accessible, affordable path into the field, without compromising on what matters. Students in our program are getting exactly what they need to take good care of patients, succeed in allied health careers, and get out into the field where they’re genuinely needed.

Speaking of the field, Louisville has workforce gaps in healthcare. How did that reality shape these programs, and what does it mean for students?

The workforce shortage numbers are alarming, but they also represent opportunity. What those numbers mean for our students is job security. These are healthcare careers. They’re not going anywhere.

When there’s that level of documented demand, the clinical sites where students train want to hire good graduates, and history shows they do. For a student choosing a program, that’s a really reassuring thing to know.

When we share with the Louisville healthcare community that we’re launching these programs, the reaction is immediate. Knowing that what we’re building is filling a genuine void is what makes this work so meaningful.

For a student weighing their options, what would you want them to know about what the new Allied Health programs offer them?

If you’re looking for a clear pathway into healthcare, and one where the plan is laid out for you, every class has a purpose, and the focus is on helping you find employment when you graduate, then these are the programs for you.

Spalding is also deeply committed to service, and that’s woven into everything we do here. Healthcare and serving the community go hand in hand, and that’s exactly what you’ll experience. In practice, that means clinical hours at a range of sites across the community, and for our RT students, volunteer hours that connect to that larger mission. More than anything, we want to graduate allied health students who are equipped to take good care of patients.

I also think people aren’t always aware of what the Spalding experience actually is. If you want a real university experience — campus community, activities, people who are invested in you — but you also want to be career-ready in two years, Spalding is the place. You get the college experience and a degree that gets you directly into the field. That combination is pretty rare.

What kind of career pathways do these programs open up for students?

The pathways are broader than most people realize. With an RT degree, you can work in trauma, the OR, pain clinics, or as a travel tech — and from there, cross-train in CT or MRI as your career grows.

Medical coding opens up a different but equally broad set of options — hospital and facility coding, compliance, revenue cycle analysis, and more — many of them remote-friendly. It’s also a great fit for someone who wants to be part of healthcare without direct patient care.

For medical assistants, opportunities span doctor’s offices, hospitals, and a range of clinical settings, with room to build on that foundation as you grow.

These programs open up a world of opportunities for our students and fill a crucial need in our community.

Explore all of Spalding’s allied health programs and find the path that’s right for you.