5 of the Best Jobs in Medical Technology

If you have an interest in a healthcare career, you might want to consider jobs in medical technology. Many of these important jobs can be trained for in a relatively short period of time. While these types of jobs greatly vary, they all provide workers with skills that can help both physicians and patients.

Radiology Technician

A radiologist technician has the important job of running various types of equipment that are used for scanning patients. The equipment varies from x-rays to CT scans and MRIs and the scans that are taken get sent to radiologists who read them in order to make diagnoses that can range from broken bones to cancer. Most radiologist technicians train with a specific kind of machine. They are skilled in running that particular type of machine and in helping patients prepare for the necessary scans. There are a variety of educational paths for this job.

Cardiovascular Technologist

An interest in helping patients with heart issues may lead you to explore the work of a cardiovascular technologist. These techs help heart doctors do heart catheterizations which help the doctors diagnose and treat blocked arteries. Cardiovascular techs (CVTs) help get the patients ready for the procedure and also help to carry it out. That might include running equipment, injecting dye into patients, testing implantation devices, and handing necessary equipment to the doctor at the right time. Most CVTs hold a two year associate’s degree and also certification.

Diagnostic Sonographer

A diagnostic sonographer is trained to run an ultrasound machine. Sometimes sonographers are simply called ultrasound technicians. They operate ultrasounds that help to check on the development of babies, but they may also use ultrasounds to get pictures of internal organs which doctors may sometimes need to make a diagnosis. Sonography, as you can probably tell from the word, uses sound waves to create the needed picture. Sonographers are trained, usually via as associate’s degree, so that they can run a transmitter over the area that needs viewing. If you decide to go into ultrasound technology, you will probably choose a specialization area. This is a particularly well-paid medical technology job.

Health Information Technician

With medical data becoming more important as technology improves record keeping, the job of the health information technician is also important. Health Information techs can help the process of smooth and cost-efficient health delivery by the ways they keep and manage patient information. Doctors and insurance companies both rely on accurate records. A certificate or associate’s degree are the usual types of preparation for these jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth in this particular medical technology field is growing a lot faster than average.

Medical Lab Technician

If you ever enjoyed lab work during your science courses, you might want to explore the possibility of becoming a medical lab technician (MLT). Depending on their areas of specialization, MLTs may run tests on blood, tissues, or different kinds of bodily fluids. The tests they run can help doctors in hospitals, clinics, or research labs make diagnoses and come up with treatments. An associate degree and certification is likely necessary for this kind of job.

The healthcare industry can be a fascinating field in which to work. If you hope to enter the field without spending many years in school, exploring jobs in medical technology can be both interesting and satisfying.

See also: Top 10 Best Online Health Science Degree Programs