EKG Tech, a good idea or not?

[Mickey'sMainMami]

I am trying to take a different career path, and would like to do X-ray technology. The program is 2 years full time, but I have to work full time with bills and such. I was looking at our local community college, and they are offering an EKG Technologist program which is Tues and Thurs nights for 3 months. I was thinking of going for this, then getting a job at a hospital during nights and going back later for x-ray as the hospital would pay for most. Can anyone tell me if this would be useful, if there is a demand for EKG technologists? I work around 8 or 9 hospitals, so you never know, but I just can't see there being that big of a demand for this, because I would imagine that nurses/medical assistants do this also, correct? Please help, I really want to get in the medical field and want to get out of my dead end job. I figure if I can get my foot in the door, then I can go to school while still working there and making contacts.

 

[Mickey'sMainMami]

I'm bumping this back up just in the hopes that someone has experience with this or works in the healthcare field and can give me some guidance. Thanks!!

 

[MyGoofy26]

I'm no help on the EKG front, but my aunt is an x-ray tech and there's a ton of demand for them. She gets postcards all the time from hospitals all over the country trying to recruit her with big signing bonuses.

She worked in the x-ray dept. of the hospital for probably 15 years before she decided to go to school for it. The hospital had their own program so they ended up scheduling her around the classroom hours. Not sure if that would be an option for you, getting your hours switched (or possibly changing jobs while in the program?) but it worked out well for her. I think part of her tuition may have been reduced too being an employee at that hospital. Maybe if you can find a program in a hospital you could get a job in some other department for the time being?

One thing I've heard her say many times, from her own experience as a student and as an employee in the department is that the students who came in for clinical rotations from community colleges were SO far behind the students from the hospital. If your course is in a hospital, you're hands on from pretty much day one. These other students were a year or more into their program and hadn't touched a patient yet. So that may be something to consider when you're looking at programs.

 

[Pigeon]

There's an entry in the Occupational Outlook Handbook that you might find helpful. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos100.htm

You might want to check out their entries for other allied health fields as well.

 

[Keli]

Can anyone tell me if this would be useful, if there is a demand for EKG technologists? I work around 8 or 9 hospitals, so you never know, but I just can't see there being that big of a demand for this, because I would imagine that nurses/medical assistants do this also, correct?

I can tell you that in the hospital my dh works in that lab tech's and lab assistants do all the EKG's. They do not have an EKG technologist position. Also, apparently it is very easy to train someone to run an EKG, why would you need three months of training?
I think your best bet would be to get a job in a hospital as a unit clerk or something like that and then go to school for whatever you really want to do on nights and weekends. That way you are in the medical environment everyday, you are bringing in a paycheck, and most likely the hospital will pay for part or all of your continuing education.

 

[BratTink]

I have a friend who graduated from Crozer with a BS in nuclear medicine (meaning x-ray, ct scan, etc). He had a VERY hard time finding a job in this area. I worked in dr offices for the last three years (at Cooper in Camden) and there was never a specialized EKG tech. I was taught and ran them myself. They are actually very easy to perform and I think an EKG tech cert would be a waste of time.

 

[sam_gordon]

 

[crashbb]

I wonder if someone is spamming threads about "techs". There is also a zombie thread about vet techs.

 

[sam_gordon]

I wonder if someone is spamming threads about "techs". There is also a zombie thread about vet techs.

There was a post above mine detailing what's involved in an EKG Tech class (I think). I didn't read it as spam, just sort of general information. Sort of "out there", but sort of related too. A mod must have found it spam worthy and deleted it.

 

[wiigirl]

 

[webprinter]

I would be worried about the job outlook for EKG techs. It is too specialized. All the hospitals and clinics around me are cutting back. In hospitals the lab techs do ekgs and in clinics the medical assistants and nurses do them. Every clinic I have worked in, I have done them.

 

[Calebmj]

EKG technician careers have a very strong outlook. In fact the, BLS projects a 29% growth in EKG technician jobs with an increase of 14,500 new jobs between 2010 and 2020. With these numbers, the potential for starting a career as an EKG Technician is huge. In fact the BLS ranks the growth as being "much faster than the average for all occupations." As with any job, if you are committed to living in a specific area, make sure you do some localized research before starting down a career path.