Endoscopy Technician Job Description - Is This the Right Job For You?

Working as an endoscopy technician can be a rewarding experience. You don't even need a college degree to work as one. If you're seriously considering a medical career path, but don't have the college education to back it up, you might want to explore the possibility of working as an endoscopy technician.

So, what exactly does an endoscopy technician do? For starters, you have to keep in mind that you're working as an assistant to doctors and nurses during endoscopy procedures; so you're under their direct supervision. You have to prepare the room before the procedure and clean it up after. The care of endoscopy instruments and sending of specimens to the laboratory are also your responsibility.

Endoscopy is a type of procedure that visualizes the insides of your internal organs through an endoscope device. This medical procedure is done to confirm suspected ailment, monitor a condition, collect specimens (biopsy), and remove foreign matters or tumors without doing an actual surgery. With this, a faster recovery period is possible. This can be done in an ambulatory clinic.

The main tool used in endoscopy is called the endoscope. This instrument has a rigid or flexible tube with a LED light at the tip and video camera. The images are then transmitted and displayed on a separate external monitor, which is also capable of recording the whole process. Additional instruments can also be used with the channel, such as a secondary water channel that washes out body fluids (e.g. blood).

There are different routes in which endoscopes can be introduced into our body. Healthcare professionals can insert them through the throat, urethra, and anus. Although the procedure's generally safe, adverse effects could still be expected. These could include cuts on the internal organ, inflammation, infection, allergy attacks (due to the anesthesia), and bleeding.

There are several types of endoscopes on the market today. They are usually categorized and named according to the organ that they visualize (e.g. colonoscopes are for the colon). Some even come in the form of a pill that is swallowed to allow complete examination of the digestive tract. Olympus and Pentax are just some of the manufacturers of these instruments.

As endoscopy technicians, you can expect to work in clinics, in-patient or ambulatory endoscopy facilities, and hospitals. And since people are increasingly health conscious, especially when it comes to cancer, work opportunities for this medical position show no signs of dwindling down. You can refer the statistics in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' site (www.bls.gov). The approximate yearly earnings for this job are ,000 to ,000, more or less.

A college diploma is not really necessary in order to qualify for this type of work. A high school education will do. Besides, most employers give job trainings once you're hired. But if you wish, you could also enroll yourself in an endoscopy technician associate's degree.