Job Responsibilities
I prepare the patient for the echo. I place leads on their chest as
a modified EKG. I scan a patient for 20-30 minutes. I write a
preliminary report on what I have seen while scanning. I make
some scheduling and maintain the machinery when necessary.
|
Job Requirements
School work depends on the school you go to. A program that
teaches every ultrasound of the body tends to be tougher than a
program that specializes on one part of the body. The quality in
my school was great and the professors were there to help you. I
loved learning the anatomy of the body but hated the physics
classes. I had a decent amount of homework. Some people
complained at certain times of the year (near a holiday or
vacation time)about the work load but I found the work to be
enjoyable.
|
Uppers
I enjoy dealing with the body. Every patient is different and the scanning can
be a challenge. Most of the patients are really nice people and you can learn a
lot from their experiences and stories they tell.
|
Downers
If a person isn't careful in the Echo field, they might hurt
themselves. Since we are scanning patients on vents, patients
who are paralyzed or can't follow instructions, we have to scan
in different positions that later come back to haunt us. I know
an echo tech who wears ace bandages on her wrists because she
constantly irritates them when she scans.
|
Lifestyle
This job is great since you can get a full time, part time or per diem job.
Full time can mean eight hours for five days a week or it can mean twelve hour
shifts for three days a week. There are also day, evening or weekend shifts to
choose from. There are some companies that send out echo techs to different
offices. There are also travelling assignments where you can go all over the USA
for 13 weeks or more at a time.
Since most echo techs work in a hospital or doctor's office, we wear scrubs.
|
Compensation
Echo techs can make over $50,000 a year. The salary is dependant
on experience. Of course, every year there is a raise. We get
full benefits since most work in hospitals. We get all of the
major holidays off. Any on-call is payed with a higher hourly
wage (this depends on the place).
|
Advice to Jobseekers
I would encourage any newcomers to this field because the people
who work in this field are wonderful people. There are always
new things to learn and it's a fascinating field. If starting
out, I would advise to seek a job in a hospital. That's where
most of the experience comes from.
|
