Radiology? PT/OT? Advice Needed Please

[wannabeapharm]

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I am currently working in the IT field. I have a Bachelor in Business Admin with majors in Mgmt and Information Systems. I am also working on my MBA (bc my job pays for it). But I am not really loving the IT field and have been thinking alot about the healthcare field.


Radiology comes to mind as does Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy. Anyone has some advice on what someone with my background would be suited best for?

Thanks

 

[nev]

HI,
What I feel in being a rad tech is that u will have to know really good anatomy ...which is also imporatant for OTs and PTs. There are a ton of positions and angles and intensities ,etc. you will have to know. And I guess you will have to be a bit stron too in handling certain patients. The good thing is that u can advance from a rad tech to MRI, CT, PET, radiation therapy and a lot more.

I dont know much about PTs and OTs...but i have good info on rad techs.

If u need help , please feel free to PM me.

Take care
Nev

 

[delicatefade]

It really doesn't matter what your background is like. The key is to SHADOW SHADOW SHADOW professionals in PT, OT, and rads. That will be the only thing to tell you what field you will really like.

 

[FoughtFyr]

Everyone always forgets the cardiac cath techs! If you are coming from IT, the computer heavy CCT programs may be a great fit for you!

Here is a link (with other links to other sources): http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/cis-career.html

- H

 

[DropkickMurphy]

I recommend against respiratory therapy. Perhaps you might try echocardiography or just general ultrasound.

 

[nursingschool]

I am currently working in the IT field. I have a Bachelor in Business Admin with majors in Mgmt and Information Systems. I am also working on my MBA (bc my job pays for it). But I am not really loving the IT field and have been thinking alot about the healthcare field.


Radiology comes to mind as does Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy. Anyone has some advice on what someone with my background would be suited best for?

Thanks

HI

I am an ex-IT person. I was in IT for 9 years before I decided to become a nurse. I am currently working on MS (II) in nursing. I love it. I actaully started as wanting to be a NP after a few years as a nurse. But now, I want to be a CRNA. Shadow and see what you'd like to do b4 getting into all the pre-reqs.
Good luck!

 

[nev]

Yep...I agree. I guess you should do some shadowing. That was the solution when I was confused in choosing a career.

 

[wannabeapharm]

Yep...I agree. I guess you should do some shadowing. That was the solution when I was confused in choosing a career.

May I ask why you chose to get out of IT?

So what is the proper way to shadow someone? I wouldnt knwo how to begin this process.

I am wondering if my BBA in Business and IT and my MBA would be a total waste.

Only thing about healthcare that may turn me off is the probability of having to work grave yard shift

 

[nev]

Hi wannabepharm,
I'm not a former IT dude....I was talking about how I got my confusions in choosing a field in medicine over with.
I guess the first step is to actually do volunteer service in a hospital with OTs, PTs and rad. techs. From there, u can actually see how some other professionals in the healthcare work. Since rad techs rotate from moving to from the ERs to the wards, u can see a lot of what the hospital is really like.

Dont worry about your BBA....in fact, I guess us hould go for the MBA. The value of possessing an MBA with a healthcare degree in a medical facility is pretty neat. There are a lot of advantages to having it...trust me.

If I've mentioned any of the info above wrong it would be great if someone could correct me

Thanks
Nev

 

[bigdan]

Pharm-

I'm an OT (currently in medical school, so I'm changing careers too). I think that it's a great profession. Definitely no graveyard shift in OT; not likely in PT but I know some US techs that work "on-call" and get dragged into the hospital in the wee hours...

If you go thru and finish your MBA - and you ABSOLUTELY SHOULD if you're gonna do healthcare - you put yourself into a great spot to contribute to the advancement of the profession. By advancement I mean you can run a department, or a company, or do tons of other things. The fact that you're a computer-literate person in healthcare extends your value BY VOLUMES. Don't even tell me you speak Spanish or Cantonese...

In the area I worked in (Upstate NY) you'd start at like 42K with your OTR, maybe 42-44K with PT; I dunno RDMS (for ultrasound) or the others. Add in your MBA and get another 3-5K, and haggle regarding your computer skills for another 2 or 3K. 40 hours a week, no exeptions, but there is usually gonna be a weekend rotation. My hospital didn't even do weekends for OTs, and they had per diem for weekend PT. The other hospital in our area had to do weekends (for OTs) q13, so like 4x/yr.

Gimme a PM if you've got more questions or wanna chat.

And pharmacy is also great, if your screen name means anything.

dc

 

[wannabeapharm]

You guys/gals on here are just amazing

I am gonna finish my MBA so you guys have given me encouragement. Radiology Tech is somethign I been thinking about. Its only 2 yrs to study but I feel that you will be always seen as a lower level employee b/c you are a 'tech'

PT and OT seem cool I see lots of jobs for those BUT it seems I woul dhave to go back to chool for 2-4 more years PLUS the pre reqs

I have to take Anatomy and microbio

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

I am currently working in the IT field. I have a Bachelor in Business Admin with majors in Mgmt and Information Systems. I am also working on my MBA (bc my job pays for it). But I am not really loving the IT field and have been thinking alot about the healthcare field.


Radiology comes to mind as does Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy. Anyone has some advice on what someone with my background would be suited best for?

Thanks

Sounds like you have the potential to make a great PACS Admin. Go to clubpacs or auntminnie.com to read all about it.

An ideal Pacs guru has strong IT and business management skills, but is also versed in clinical radiology and rad dept. workflow. So IMO, you have 2/3 needed degrees/competencies to make a good PACS admin. The ideal PSA is often envisioned as an R.T/MCSE/MBA.

Many would suggest your next step would be getting an R.T (ARRT) license, some say that's not necessary (I'm in PACS now and don't have an R.T.). Regardless, you need clinical experience/knowledge and it's hard to get otherwise (and by experience I don't mean shadowing/volunteering, PACS is very competetive right now and that wont cut it.)

The downside to getting your rad tech license is spending all that time getting a degree you won't put to use much. The upside is that if a PACS job doesn't develop for you right away, there are many things to do with an RT until it does. Ultrasound, Nukes, MRI, etc, are all great fields to be in.

Radiology is converging with IT at a hot pace right now and it's a good field to be in. Salaries are good, anywhere from high 40's (although that is unusually low) to 100k in compensation. IMO PACS is a more satisying field than being an imaging tech and pays much better.

 

[r90t]

You get to operate linear accelerators. Get paid very well. 40 Hours/week. Help heal some very ill people and no one knows what you do!