PA-C and Echo Tech combo

[cardsgirl]

Hey everyone!

 

I start PA school this July (woohooo!!). I have been an echo tech for the last three years and feel I have a decent knowledge base in cardiology. My goal is to continue to work in cardiology once I complete PA school. Does anyone know if I can still use my echo skills as a PA? I am going to stay certified and try my best to keep up my skills and CME credits throughout school. I am so excited to begin my PA training!

 

Thanks!

[Just Steve]

I feel ultrasound is as big of advancement in medicine as the stethoscope was. It is the future. You will use your echo ability a million times a day...reading the scans performed by others. That being said, the hospitalist I rotated with loved to do echos on his admitted patients and he would do them himself at the bedside. Outside of cardiology practice, your talent could be a boon to aggressive patient are...not having to wait for a cards consult or echo to be performed on a sick CHFr or funky pediatric murmur.

 

Employers/supervising physicians may prefer to see more of a role transition if you stay within the cardiology world. It takes time to perform them...time you could be seeing clinic patients, generating revenue and moving volume. Look at your current job of doing echos...you worked hard to gain that knowledge. Would you, as a tech, want or appreciate a provider coming along and saying "thank you but we don't require your services any longer, I will be doing my own"?

 

Not saying you won't be doing echos....I am wicked jealous of your skill set, there have been many times I wish I could pick up a transducer and check some stuff out after a cardiac exam. You may find your niche out there. Just don't forgo a really good clinician position based on the available time to keep doing echo studies.

 

In my program, they talked a fair bit about role transition. You are entering a new realm. I was a really good paramedic and a decent surgical technologist. But wouldn't it be weird to see the PA spending time doing IV starts and O2 therapy when there are techs available and other patients to be seen? Wouldn't it be strange for the PA to arrange the mayo tray or back table in the OR and then expect the real tech to perform effectively while I step up to first assist?

[cardsgirl]

Thanks for your feedback Just Steve!

 

I truly do love echo and it did take lots and lots of hard work to become a great tech with good scanning ability and a solid knowledge base in cardiac pathophys. I wish PAs could officially read echoes, that would be amazing! But I agree, I think this will be a useful skill set! The ER docs always "try" to do a prelim echo before any of us echo techs come down if they suspect a pericardial effusion, ect.. I think my scanning abilities could be utilized well in the ED. Also, I think it would be awesome if I am able to work in a rural setting where I can see patients, do their echoes, and run my own stress echoes!

 

Thanks for the input!

 

~medgirl91

I feel ultrasound is as big of advancement in medicine as the stethoscope was. It is the future. You will use your echo ability a million times a day...reading the scans performed by others. That being said, the hospitalist I rotated with loved to do echos on his admitted patients and he would do them himself at the bedside. Outside of cardiology practice, your talent could be a boon to aggressive patient are...not having to wait for a cards consult or echo to be performed on a sick CHFr or funky pediatric murmur.

 

Employers/supervising physicians may prefer to see more of a role transition if you stay within the cardiology world. It takes time to perform them...time you could be seeing clinic patients, generating revenue and moving volume. Look at your current job of doing echos...you worked hard to gain that knowledge. Would you, as a tech, want or appreciate a provider coming along and saying "thank you but we don't require your services any longer, I will be doing my own"?

 

Not saying you won't be doing echos....I am wicked jealous of your skill set, there have been many times I wish I could pick up a transducer and check some stuff out after a cardiac exam. You may find your niche out there. Just don't forgo a really good clinician position based on the available time to keep doing echo studies.

 

In my program, they talked a fair bit about role transition. You are entering a new realm. I was a really good paramedic and a decent surgical technologist. But wouldn't it be weird to see the PA spending time doing IV starts and O2 therapy when there are techs available and other patients to be seen? Wouldn't it be strange for the PA to arrange the mayo tray or back table in the OR and then expect the real tech to perform effectively while I step up to first assist?

[DJ Bunnell MSHS PA-C]

You have a skill and background that will serve you well. Keep pushing forward and you will find a way to combine your PA education and your echo skills.

[cardsgirl]

Thank you David! I know you work in CT surgery and that is another dream of mine! :) I hope the hospitals in MT get with the program and utilize PAs more in CT surgery. One day.... :)

 

Have a great week everyone and thanks for encouragement and insight!

[lov2xlr8]

Dont forget ICU. I rotated in a MICU where not one Pt had a CVP, every Pt had an US done the morning of to assess IVC for volume status, that could be you, ha! Was really a key tool they used and pretty cool to see (except for the cranky X consult resident who looked at you like you had 3 faces when you said, "we dont use CVP monitoring"). Agree with Just Steve, ultrasound is the future, will be a great skill going forward.

[kate.aj]

Hi medgirl91, I am a cardiovascular sonographer too! I am applying to PA programs this cycle and I would like to ask you a question. How much of an advantage did the echo profession give you as you applied and interviewed? Did the admission committee(s) like the fact that you are an echo tech? Thank you! and Congratulations!!

 

Kate

[EMEDPA]

your skills would be great working critical care or cardiology. keep up the cert by all means. I have a pa partner who is an u/s tech who uses it everyday at work in the er.