Could I Be a Hospital Tech?

As the price of living and education rise, many people are opting for trade school over a college degree ^{1, 2}. The inflated cost of a 4-year college is an enormous barrier to entry for the lower and middle classes. You might be considering a career as a hospital technician or technologist, these professions are vital to maintaining community health with the benefits of consistent job stability and availability across the nation.

Medical technicians and technologists are continuously in demand, with job outlooks for Surgical Technologists projecting faster-than-average growth, about 6%, in upcoming years ³. The Bureau of Labor Statistics demonstrated that Sterile Processing and Distribution (SPD) Technicians and Electrocardiogram (EKG) Technicians earn much more than the average 2022 U.S. income of $41,267; with SPD Techs earning $61,780 and EKG Techs earning $89,860 annually in 2023 ^{4, 5, 6}.

You may want to become a technician or technologist, but you might wonder if you’d be a good fit for the program or in the hospital setting. Your personal and professional traits might give you an edge in certain workspaces, so we’ve made it easy to see if you’d fit in with your potential career. Our guide incorporates the input of select Altamont Healthcare teaching staff with over X years of collective experience in the hospital setting.

Surgical Technologist

This career involves being in the operating room to assist surgeons during operations. The operating theater is not to be underestimated, especially since a person’s life is entrusted to you and your team during every procedure. To be a successful surgical technologist (also known as a scrub tech), you’ll need tough skin, strong attention to detail, and a strong ability to work in teams. Our Tech in Surgery instructor, Juan Miranda, gives some insight on favorable traits and things you should know before starting your journey into being a surgical tech:

Beneficial Traits:

• Devotion to patient care
• Strong sense of initiative
• Eagerness to continue learning
• Ability to work in a team setting
• Surgical conscience (a moral obligation to ensure patient safety and surgical asepsis, even when it is costly and inconvenient)

Things our instructor thinks you should know:

• Develop a thick skin; the OR is a demanding environment with room for improvement.
• Take ownership of your education while in and out of school.
• Finding your first job is crucial, be sure it fits your future goals, and don’t be afraid to relocate to begin your career. 

Sterile Processing Technician & Endoscope Reprocessing Technician

These technicians work behind the scenes to ensure that medical equipment is clean and safe then deploying it for use. Sterile Processing (also known as Central Processing) is considered by many to be the “heart” of the hospital. Central processing can be located in various areas in a hospital, most often in the basement area or next to the operating room.

Beneficial Traits:

• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to follow instructions from team leaders and manufacturers.
• Confidence to work both by yourself and in teams.

Electrocardiogram Technician

These technicians, also known as EKG, ECG, or monitor techs, work alongside cardiologists to record electrical heart activity so that any problems can be diagnosed. Since EKG techs work closely with patients, nurses, and physicians, you’ll need strong interpersonal skills and technical knowledge to provide quality patient care. Our EKG Program lead, Lynda Eversull, gives us her thoughts on beneficial traits & advice to incoming EKG techs.

Beneficial Traits:

• Honest and reliable.
• You like to help people in need.
• Thick skin – “Let things just roll off you”
• Strong sense of honor and integrity.

Things our instructor thinks you should know:

• “You need to be capable of being the doctor’s right hand.”
• Doctors can have terrible bedside manner, be ready for tantrums.
• Don’t try to cover up your mistakes, own up to them and make corrections as necessary, 

If you’re interested in starting a career as a healthcare technician or technologist, you can contact us at 209-817-8035 (Stockton) or 661-230-6316 (Bakersfield). You can also send an interest form and we’ll reach out within 24-48 hours. Altamont Healthcare serves the Central Valley of California delivering accelerated technician training programs at affordable prices.

Sources:

1. https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/cost-of-living-statistics/
2. https://www.npr.org/2024/04/22/1245858737/gen-z-trade-vocational-schools-jobs-college
3. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm
4. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319093.htm
5. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes292031.htm
6. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US#