Q&A with Emily Scanlan, R EEG T, MCSHS Outstanding Educator

July 2, 2019

Emily Scanlan, R EEG T (CNT ’06), a neurophysiology technician in the Department of Neurology and an instructor in neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, received a 2019 Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Outstanding Educator Award.

Scanlan has been the EEG instructor in the Clinical Neurophysiology Technology Program since 2012 and became an instructor in neurology in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in 2014. In 2012 she took on the responsibility of converting all the EEG material to online delivery in Blackboard. The following year she took on developing additional study material for CNT students to prepare them for the EEG board exam. She teaches all of the EEG didactic material in the program and is the EEG clinical instructor.

When did you become interested in health care?

I grew up in Rochester, and my mom was an X-ray technician at Mayo Clinic for 43 years. I loved seeing how much my mom enjoyed her job, but I wanted to strike out on my own — not ben an X-ray tech! Growing up, I thought I’d be a teacher. Now, I get to be a health care practitioner and a teacher.

How did you choose clinical neurophysiology technology for your career?

My mom told me about the MCSHS Clinical Neurophysiology Technology and Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist programs, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I got my associate’s degree at Rochester Community and Technical College and was still considering a teaching career. I eventually settled on the CNT Program. I liked that CNT has national board registry, which makes it more portable if you move to another state.

What do you like about teaching?

I spend about half of my time teaching and the other half practicing. I like both parts of my job.

I enjoy sharing the knowledge I’ve gained through the years and helping students learn to love what I love doing. I love the aha moment when things finally click — when a complicated idea makes sense and students can apply it.

How do you know when you’ve done a good job teaching?

I think I’ve done a good job when I see them applying what they’ve learned and shared it with other students. It’s fun to see their excitement about sharing knowledge.

What’s most challenging about teaching?

Everything changes all the time! It’s challenging to keep up with technology and students’ learning and study habits. I wasn’t as technology-connected as they are when I was a student. We need to make sure we continue to engage them and keep them interested.

What do you want learners to know?

Always keep learning — you’re never done.

I got my associate’s degree and graduated from the CNT Program. I’d always wanted to get my bachelor’s degree, so I went back to school for it seven years later. Now I’m going for my master’s degree. I like to keep learning — there’s more for me to do.

What does it mean to win a teaching award?

I was shocked to receive the award! I was honored and speechless. It was good reinforcement that what I’m doing is on the right path.