EKG technicians, healthcare professionals are usually put under the category of cardiovascular technicians, and they are expected to be in high demand in the next few years, making this period a perfect one for starting your education towards this career field.
The need for more well educated and skilled EKG technicians is due to the growth of the elderly population and their desire to stay more active and healthy.
The reason why many people decided to get involved in medical imaging career is the fact that it takes only a short amount of time to train before one looks for employment and good pay.
EKG technician’s career is one of the most promising careers for those who would like to work in the healthcare industry.
In the majority of cases, it only takes less than a year to finish an EKG technician certificate program.
However, you will need to pay for various educational costs, such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, housing, and food.
These expenses have to be taken into consideration when you enroll in an EKG technician course.
The cost of tuition for an EKG technician program can range from $400 to more than $1,000, depending on the educational institution.
At Carroll Community College, for example, the 60-hour EKG technician training program costs $629 and does not yet include books, while California State University has an EKG technician certification program which has a tuition cost of $1,099 and this price includes the course textbook.
At the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Knoxville, the cost of their EKG technician program is $478 and includes tuition, books and supplies, and other expenses.
If you choose to enroll in Edmonds Community College, you should know that its EKG technician program can be completed in one quarter after all the prerequisites have already been taken up and the cost of the 22-credit program is around $2,350. Books cost about $334 and laboratory fees cost $227.
Besides the money you have to spend on tuition, other fees, and books, you will also have to take into consideration the cost of housing and food.
Most EKG technician programs can be obtained in one semester or even less which will reduce your overall costs.
The typical requirement for entry into an EKG technician program is a high school diploma, meaning that no initial courses are required to proceed with the EKG training which further lowers your cost.
Nevertheless, some programs require students to take prerequisite courses, but still, the entire program will not take more than a year to finish.
Now, you should think about getting financial aid, so as to lower the costs for tuition and fees.
Prior to enrollment, you need to visit the financial aid office of the school you intend to enroll.
There, you will ask if they have scholarships or grants for those enrolled in their EKG certificate program and what are the requirements to get the aid.
Many schools also offer student loans to help students fund their course costs, but bear in mind the fact that student loans have to be repaid in the future.
Other ways for you to help reduce your overall costs for this program include negotiating with your parents to continue living with them while you are studying, up to the moment you reach your degree.
This will reduce your living expenses since housing and food would not cost you much.
The luckiest are those people who get hired even with just a high school diploma and then the employer gives them EKG technician training on the job.
