Medical Technicians: the Linchpins of Human Civilization |
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July 5, 2005
By Austin Brentley
Technical Programs Columnist
If you ever watch ER, you definitely have seen them. Running back and forth in the hallways. Pushing patients in wheelchairs. Helping doctors make critical analyses. Medical technicians are as vital to the health care industry as any physician or surgeon.
What Does a Medical Technician Do Exactly?
As a medical technician your job is to provide both administrative and medical support to hospital staff. As such, your medical technician training (whether on the job or in school) will focus on a variety of areas ranging from administering treatment to processing insurance-related paperwork. The fact is, most hospitals are understaffed. Doctors want to provide the best care possible, but sometimes they can only consult with a patient for a few minutes before moving on to the next one. Working with nurses, administrators, doctors, and other medical technicians, you make sure that patients receive continuous quality care.
What Kind of Medical Technician Do You Want to Be?
You'll be happy to know that there is a medical technician job waiting for you regardless of your specific interests. If you turn squeamish at the sight of blood, you can receive training as a lab technician. If you enjoy interacting with others, you can assist the hospital social worker or counselor. Or perhaps you prefer to work on the front lines. With proper training you can become an emergency medical technician (also known as a paramedic). It's a difficult job that requires a strong stomach, good reflexes, and a surprising amount of physical strength (part of your job involves lifting patients into the ambulance).
Imagine a World Without Medical Technicians
If you're like most people, you've probably had to wait for a long time during a visit to the hospital or doctor's office. This wait would be even more intolerable if there were no medical technicians. People wouldn't receive care, diseases would proliferate, the economy would suffer, and the world as we know it would collapse.
About the Author
A freelance writer and researcher, Austin Brentley is an English teacher currently living and working in Yamaguchi, Japan. His previous experience includes working for a lobbying firm in his native Washington, DC and working for various record and television studios in New York. Austin holds a B.A. in history.
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