Careers Medical Support

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Careers Medical Support

• Information Provided By
• Georgia Statewide Area Health Education Center
  (AHEC)
• http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index
• PowerPoint Presentation By
• Juliane Monko Dr. Frank Flanders
• CTAE Resource Network, June 2009
• Based On PowerPoint Ideas From
• Penny Howard, RN, Healthcare Science Instructor

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AHEC

• There are six centers in the Georgia AHEC
  Network, and each serves a multi-county region. 
• The AHEC mission is to meet the health needs of
  Georgia by improving the supply, distribution and
  quality of healthcare providers.
• AHECs offer enrichment programs, camps, learning
  tools, student counseling, volunteer and
  mentoring activity coordination, and access to
  other educational resources.
• Contact your regional AHEC for more information. 

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Objectives

• Students will be able to describe health careers
  in the field of Medical Support.
• Students will be able to plan a healthcare career
  path in Medical Support.

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Careers in Medical Support
Anesthesiologist Assistant Athletic
Trainer Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic Med
ical Assistant Perfusionist Surgical Technician
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Anesthesiologist Assistant
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Anesthesiologist Assistant

• Anesthesiologist assistants work directly under
  the supervision of a licensed anesthesiologist to
  provide quality anesthesia care.
• They cannot work independently or under the
  direction of any physician other than an
  anesthesiologist.
• They are trained to administer drugs, obtain
  vascular access, apply and interpret monitors,
  establish and maintain the patients airway, and
  assist with preoperative assessment.

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Anesthesiologist Assistant

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Ambulatory surgical centers
• Hospitals

• Average Starting Salary 110,500 (bachelors
  level)
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Anesthesiologist AssistantAcademic Requirements

• Prior to applying to an anesthesiologist
  assistant program, one must have a bachelor's
  degree and completed the required pre-medical
  curriculum.  Programs leading to a master's
  degree last 24 to 28 months and include both
  classroom and clinical work.  Two of the nation's
  four anesthesiologist assistant programs are
  located in Georgia.

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Athletic Trainer
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Athletic Trainer

• Athletic trainers work to keep athletes and other
  physically active people in top condition.
• Their duties entail two main areas injury
  prevention, recognition and management, and the
  evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of
  injuries that happen during physical activity or
  sporting events.
• Certified athletic trainers develop conditioning
  and nutrition programs.

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Athletic Trainer

• They must be knowledgeable about the environment,
  protective equipment and safety.
• When injuries occur, athletic trainers develop
  and carry out the treatment and rehabilitation
  prescribed by a physician.
• In addition  to a broad knowledge of anatomy,
  physiology, psychology, nutrition, and
  conditioning, athletic trainers must be skilled
  in first aid procedures, CPR, and therapeutic
  rehabilitation.

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Athletic Trainer

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Colleges and universities
• Corporate heath programs
• Health clubs
• Hospitals
• Industrial medicine
• Professional sports teams
• Sports medicine clinics

• Average Starting Salary 35,000 (bachelors)
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Athletic TrainerAcademic Requirements

• A bachelor's degree is the minimum education
  level for practice in this field, however, more
  than 70 percent of athletic trainers have a
  master's degree or higher.

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Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic
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Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic

• Emergency medical technician (EMT) is a broad
  term used to address EMTs and paramedics.  These
  technicians respond to health care crises.
• They drive ambulances, give emergency medical
  care, and, if necessary, transport patients to
  hospitals.
• They explain the situation to local hospital
  staff and under the direction of a physician,
  EMTs are told how to proceed with medical care.
•  

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Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic

• Paramedics receive additional training and
  therefore may be given more responsibilities,
  such as administering life-saving cardiac
  medication and performing EKGs.

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Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic

• Work Environment

• Salary

• County ambulance services
• Fire departments
• Hospital ambulance services
• Hospital emergency rooms
• Private ambulance companies

• Average Starting Salary
• Basic EMT 25,771
• Paramedic 28,412
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic Academic
Requirements

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required. 
  EMTs and paramedics receive both classroom and
  practical training in emergency medical care.
• Basic EMT education requires 120 to 220 hours of
  instruction over three to six months.
  Intermediate EMT education requires 378 hours of
  training, which usually lasts nine months.
• Paramedics receive approximately 1000 hours of
  instruction.  This usually takes one year to a
  year and a half.  A paramedic may obtain an
  associate degree in emergency medical services
  with additional general college courses. A few
  bachelor's and master's programs are available.

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Medical Assistant
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Medical Assistant

• Medical assistants perform both clinical and
  administrative duties.
• They prepare patients for examinations and take
  vital signs, such as blood pressure, temperature,
  pulse and respiration.  They assist with first
  aid, collect and process specimens, and perform
  procedures such as EKGs.
• Medical assistants also maintain patient records,
  type reports, process health insurance forms and
  serve as a liaison between the physician and
  others.

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Medical Assistant

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Chiropractic offices
• Medical clinics
• Optometrists' offices
• Physical therapy clinics
• Physicians' offices
• Podiatrists' offices

• Average Starting Salary 22,380
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Medical AssistantAcademic Requirements

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required. 
  On-the-job training is available but many choose
  a one- or two-year medical assistant program.
  Two-year programs result in associate degrees
  while one-year programs grant certificates or
  diplomas.

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Perfusionist
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Perfusionist

• Perfusionists are important members of the open
  heart surgical team.  During open heart
  surgeries, perfusionists manage and monitor the
  heart-lung machine which performs the function of
  the human heart and lungs.
• They sometimes perform similar functions outside
  the operating room such as maintaining artificial
  hearts, ventricular assist devices, and other
  circulatory assist devices.
• Perfusion care is performed in a team-oriented
  setting and is considered to be highly stressful.

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Perfusionist

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Average Starting Salary 79,000
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

• Equipment manufacturers
• Hospitals
• Private surgeons' offices

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PerfusionistAcademic Requirements

• A strong background in science is recommended. 
  Some programs require candidates to have
  backgrounds in medical technology, respiratory
  therapy or nursing.  A bachelor's degree is
  required for all programs that are not bachelor
  degree granting programs. Programs are generally
  one to two years in length.  Admission into
  schools of perfusion is extremely competitive.

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Surgical Technologist
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Surgical Technologist

• Surgical technologists provide care for patients
  before, during, and after surgery. 
• Before a procedure they help surgical staff scrub
  and put on gloves and gowns, as well as position
  patients on the operating table.
• During an operation, they maintain the sterility
  of the operating room, pass instruments and
  prepare specimens for the lab.

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Surgical Technologist

• Work Environment

• Salary

• Ambulatory surgical facilities
• Animal hospitals
• Crime labs/autopsy labs
• Physicians' offices
• Hospitals
• Veterinary offices

• Average Starting Salary 29,399
• Figures according to 2006 data. To see updated
  figures, visit the SOWEGA-AHEC website at
  
  http//www.sowega-ahec.org/index

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Surgical TechnologistAcademic Requirements

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required. 
  Education in surgical technology usually lasts
  from nine to fifteen months for a diploma or
  certificate and two years for an associate degree.

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Summary

• There are a variety of careers available in
  Medical Support. Educational requirements vary by
  career and career level. Students interested in
  these careers should use the information provided
  here as a basis for a career plan. The student
  should also research the career further to
  complete a career plan.
• Career available in Medical Support include
• Anesthesiologist Assistant
• Athletic Trainer
• Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic
• Medical Assistant
• Perfusionist
• Surgical Technician