Jump Start -- by Mark Sproxton

Hospitals, whether large or small, employ thousands of people across the province. Doctors and nurses make up a large part of those employed in the health care institutions, but there are dozens of other positions available also requiring skilled, knowledgeable, and dedicated people. And although the place of employment may be the same, the qualifications for each position can vary greatly. Here's a look at ways to prepare for a number of hospital tech careers:

As with most any position, volunteering can help you acquire skills that will be easily transferred to the world of work, and it will also help you form a better opinion of whether or not that type of work fits your interests. Volunteer positions are often available at care centres throughout the city.

Working at jobs where you are required to deal directly with the public will also help develop abilities required in a hospital setting, particularly for positions where patient contact is required.

Taking, or upgrading, 30-level high school science, math, and English courses will ease entry into many post-secondary hospital technician/technology programs.

Some positions may require WHMIS training, current CPR standing, or a medical terminology course. To access WHMIS or CPR training, check out the Yellow Pages under Safety. For a medical terminology course SAIT is one source in Calgary (Acrobat Reader is required).

Another place worth looking for ideas on job qualifications is the Calgary Regional Health Authority website. Many of the jobs posted there will include details on required qualifications, which can give you a jump start on any position you're considering.

Post-secondary courses of varying length are required for many of the positions covered in this issue of nextSteps. The following list shows where some of those programs are available.

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) offers several programs through its Heath and Public Safety department including (Acrobat Reader is required to read the school's program guide):

A one year certificate after completing the Medical Lab Assistant program. (see this month's Feature for more information)

A two-year diploma in Nuclear Medicine Technology. (see this month's Feature for more information) This program is very competitive and admits only 16 students a year. The second year of the program is a practical placement at a hospital in either Calgary or Edmonton. Clinical instructor Terry Ell recommends undertaking a number of the suggestions listed above to enhance your potential for admission into the program.

A six-month certificate in Sterile Processing & Distribution. A practicum placement is included in the course that covers the cleaning, packaging, handling and storage of sterile supplies.

In Edmonton, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology also offers several programs related to this month's issue through its School of Health Sciences, including:

A two-year program in Combined Laboratory And X-Ray Technology that includes 38 weeks at NAIT in the first year, and 34 weeks at a rural hospital in year two.

A two-year diploma to become a Medical Laboratory Technologist that includes 39 weeks of instruction at NAIT, and a 41-week practicum placement.

A two-year diploma in Medical Radiological Technology that consists of 24 months of continuous learning. After completing eight months at NAIT, students then complete a 16-month practicum placement learning diagnostic imaging.