Ultrasound Technician – A Promising Career

When there are abnormalities inside our bodies, doctors refer us to the laboratory to do confirmatory examinations. Patients need to undergo ultrasound of the target organ. Ultrasound technicians are the ones capable of doing the tests. In ultrasound, our internal organs and tissues are subject to sonic wave imaging. The machine used in capturing images is called sonographer. The doctor instructs the technician on what specific angles must be worked on. They say that this job compared to other jobs especially those that are exposed to radiation is far safer both for the patient and the technician.

As mentioned, only a bona fide ultrasound technician can carry out this type of laboratory exams. It’s not as easy as you think. Even if the core function is to only facilitate sonic imaging to the patients, this type of job requires proper education and training before one can be certified. Nurses, medical technologists, not even doctors are allowed to carry out a procedure unless they are certified.

Education is not a problem. Almost all medical colleges now offer this course. Apart from the classroom lectures, on the job application can be practiced through internship programs. This is to ensure that you will be ready for the job after being certified. Some students maximize their medical career by shifting to this course after taking general radiology since the two medical courses are somewhat related. Certification does not come only once. There should be a continuous skill upgrade in order for an ultrasound technician to keep his job.

As to the salary, the range is from $50,000 to $70,000 a year. Salary may depend where you are working at. There are hospitals with high paying job due to the complexity of the cases or because the patients being served are high profiled people. Apart from the salary, other compensation sources such as benefits are given to them. Some of these are medical and housing benefits. If you are applying for this job, you have two options. One is to apply directly to a hospital and another one is to have an employment agency to help you. Usually, having an agency will ease your effort in job seeking since they will be the one to find your employer. They can also provide you overseas jobs that offer higher pay. In having an agency though, you must be aware of the fees.

In terms of job demand, think of this; no hospital will survive without an ultrasound procedure and all ultrasound machines need to be operated by an ultrasound technician. So you don’t have to worry of not getting a job after certification. But of course, competition among job seekers may pressure you. To ensure that you will land to a job, stay bankable by continuously upgrading your skills and certifications. If you are able, attend seminars. There are also free seminars offered by medical associations. Try contacting leading agencies and submit your profile to them so you will have an access to ultrasound technician job openings locally and globally.