Healthcare professionals...

Corey Bit Spank · 02-11-05, 03:50

Well plan A is pharmacy but if I don't get into the school since it is very competitive I need a plan B.

Give me some idears. I'm looking into nuclear medicine technologist/technician and radiology. Maybe biochem/toxicology or pharmacology. But then I run into competitive programs for those as well.

medic · 02-11-05, 03:55

how about going for a RN? It looks like you want to be involved in the actual medical design with some standard hours as opposed to lots of OT, but not sure.

Eliot Ness · 02-11-05, 05:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Corey Bit Spank
.......I'm looking into nuclear medicine technologist/technician and radiology.......

Nuc techs make more $$$$ than regular rad techs, at least in this area. Their hours are also more normal because there is hardly any trauma involved, most all studies are scheduled.

A Nuc tech's day starts fairly early (6:30 or so, depending on your shift), but also ends earlier. I don’t think I’ve seen a nuc department yet that runs more than one shift. Some larger hospitals run their CT's three shifts a day, and when they don't they will rotate "on-call". In an office setting it wouldn't be quite like that, but in major hospitals CT's are highly utilized for ER trauma cases. Nuc tech’s do take call, but rarely get called back in as a CT tech would.

I would say if you’re going into radiology the best positions would be Nuc, MR, or CT.

Corey, take into consideration that I offer these observations not as a tech, but as a field engineer who works on Nuc, CT and MR.

Corey Bit Spank · 02-11-05, 06:34

Thanks Eliot. You've set me out to look in the right path.

I'm going to be contacting my old supervisor at the hospital I volunteered at to get see if I could shadow some people in a few departments, if not in the hospital I volunteered at then one in the Kaleida network.

How much are each of these tech's making where you are, on average?

Corey Bit Spank · 02-11-05, 07:33

I'm also thinking about maybe becoming a Physicians Assistant.

Eliot Ness · 02-11-05, 07:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Corey Bit Spank
........How much are each of these tech's making where you are, on average?

I really can't remember any specific figures off-hand. I do know I talked with some Nuc techs who told me they made more than rad techs, but I don't remember the dollar figures. I'll ask around next week to get a feel for the current salary range for nuclear.

Prometheus · 02-13-05, 08:02

I'm currently studying for pharmacy, and I really like it, here its a 6 yr program, nuc med is only 2, but at least where i live they are kind of limited to injecting the dye. Can't actually make any of the radioactive cocktails, thats done by an actual company that ships em out after they are certified by someone (FDA maybe?, not sure). Round here, nuc med/techs make between 70 and 80k starting, but I also live in the middle of nowhere, so in a metropolitan area im sure they could make near 6 figures. Pharmies make more, and PA's more yet, but gotta remember you need another degree along with it to get a PA. Several that i know of are RN's and then got their PA based off of that. Stuff to think about.

Corey Bit Spank · 02-13-05, 08:43

What school/how hard is it to get into/how much is out of state tution?

And I'd be going for 6 years for pharmacy, so going for 6 years (another year to get my associates in chemical analysis, 2 to get my RN, and 2 for my BA for PA) wouldn't bother me.

I'm going to call up UB pharmacy and see what all of the people accepted for the past few years had as far as credentials and GPA.

eyeball03 · 02-13-05, 10:54

Health care is wide open, any field you chose you can grow from there! Allied Health is an option. I'm in opthtalmology now, started as a medic in the military. Don't get discouraged!

blkZ28Conv · 02-13-05, 12:47

We really need good and motivate RN's. Wide-open job market and very rewarding in the right type of institution (teaching). Pick where you want to live and there will be a career available.
I took a couple of courses at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston back in the 70's (Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology). Really enjoyed the experience and the extra knowledge not available thru routine post-graduate medical education programs.

Corey Bit Spank · 03-14-05, 06:29

Well the more I think about it, the more becoming an RN or more specifically a Nurse Practitioner (or even a nurse Anesthitist) intrigues me. I'd rather be more closely involved with patient care than a nuc. tech, or pharmacy. I don't know, I have some thinking to do I guess.

blkZ28Conv · 03-14-05, 07:24

If you love patient care you can not get any closer to patient than being a nurse (RN). Extremely challenging but very rewarding. Heck, shoot for the moon and become a physician! For a very inspiring movie of patient involvement rent the movie "Patch Adams". Excellent flick about a gifted real life individual played perfectly by Robin Williams.