Health Care and Technology

Summary: As executive director of the Life Science Career Alliance, Colleen Hamilton believes that working in health care can "really change people's lives." And although she's well aware of the industry's challenges, Hamilton firmly believes that you don't have to be a doctor or a college-educated researcher to find success in the medical field. This program explores the high-tech side of working in the industry, showing that health care technology jobs are not only fulfilling but also lucrative and challenging. Case studies feature Randy, a certified biomedical equipment technician (or CBET) at New Jersey's Deborah Heart and Lung Center, as well as Luz, a surgical technologist, and Steve, a cath lab technician-both of whom work for Philadelphia's Hahnemann University Hospital. These employees and their coworkers describe the job searches they went through and the professional, emotional, and financial rewards that come from what they do.