Intraoperative Neurophysiology Technologist

[GujjuPA]

Hi all,

 

I am applying to PA school when the new cycle opens up in a April 2012. Right now, I am working as a mental health counselor and have been doing that for about 5 years now. I interviewed and just got a job offer for a Neurophys Tech in NY. I want to know if anyone here is working in this field and what your thoughts are on it. My ultimate goal is to get into PA school and am hoping that this new position will only enhance my application. Your thoughts on whether or not I should take this position and discontinue mental health would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your thoughts on the matter.

 

http://www.healthpronet.org/ahp_month/03_04.html

[PYRITE]

I was an IONM tech (registered) for three years before leaving to pursue a pre-PA tract. You already have a ton of patient contact from your experience as a counselor, I do not think extra hours of HCE are necessarily what you need right now, although diversity isn't a bad thing. IONM also has a learning curve to do it well, and if you are planning on doing it less than a year, I'm not sure what you would get out of it. If you just want to try something different, and want to gain o.r. experience IONM is a great job, and it may give you insight into what type of medicine you may want to eventually practice (or not). You will also likely meet a few PAs in the course of an IONM job (especially orthopedic PAs in spine). If you already have your heart set on being a PA and need to finish any pre-reqs I would focus on that. Good luck, whatever you decide!