I am to be laid off from Technical Training Position in Silicon Valley and need some advise...

8/29/02 | Shawv

[shawv]

I am a technical trainer and am about to be laid off from a silicon valley semiconductor capital equipment firm. I need some advice... I am considering going to school to learn how to do something in the medical field. I was thinking about one of the people who does sonograms, or mri's, or cat scans, or something like that. I am asking for any help as to how much those kind of jobs pay in California. What is involved in getting an education/training for these types of positions, etc. I have a A.A. degree in general education. I would also be interested in fields that teach how to work on or operate medical equipment, but don't even know where to look for either of these types of jobs or where to find info on the training that might be needed or salaries. Any help from fellow freepers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help or advice that you might be able to provide.

[A CA Guy]

To be honest, I play tennis with all kinds of doctors and they are all trying to get out or retired early from the medical field because they don't get paid.
The front page of the USC Trojan paper the other day said Medical school applications are way down and many places dealing in the medical field have been collapsing here in CA (bankruptsy).

The way it is going, if you want to work in the medical field near CA, you need to move to Mexico and pick up voodoo.

Most who were in the medical field have re-directed towards law. (truth)

Good luck.

[Chesner]

Crybabies?

Are we a little jealous? Why the disdain for physicians?

[A CA Guy]

Lawsuits are killing the medical field in CA, so if you can't beat them, join them.

[A CA Guy]

He's correct Chesner, many friends of mine were either in the medical field or are looking to leave leave it here in CA.
Lawsuits, middle men, HMOs and lack of treatment being allowed by them make the health industry suck out here.

Doctors used to bill insurance and get most of it paid. Today they say you can bill for $100 and have to settle to $7.
Not worth it at this time like in the 80s.

[HumanaeVitae]

You could go back and get a nursing degree, and then go into a nursing specialty. That's another two years but it pays well. Nurse anethetists (they administer anesthesia under doctor supervision) make well over $100k. The nursing field is crying for people...you may be able to get financial aid. The hours stink, but the money's good.

[Huck]

I want to operate my own roadside hot dog truck, making cheesesteaks and hamburgers and hot dogs.

[AGreatPer]

"I wentto college at age 52 and got a Master's.

Truly remarkable Nan.

I have a kiddo 16 and he keeps asking me what should I do. Even though he is just a Junior in High School, it relates to this post because here is a young man with experience and still doesn't know what to do.

After college, I started as an accountant then switched to sales/sales manager/vi-p then pres of a company. Life is funny, you never know where your going for sure.

I commend this young person for asking for direction. However, he will have to take a chance and make a decision.

BTW Nan, I think of you often and my prayers are with you.

[Dakotabound]

Anesthesiology Assistants also make $90-100K a year.

[jdontom]

I own Elderly Care Homes in Elk Grove, CA. I am in Hospitals, clinics, etc.. weekly. The one thing I would consider is the HMO's. Kaiser trains their own tecs. on everything, if you are energetic and young they will put you in the field that you can train in. Their are plenty of opportunities in that line of work, go to some of the HMO web sites, or visit one of their Clinics.

Good Luck...

[HumanaeVitae]

Actually I knew a guy in downtown Chicago that made 50k doing that.

[SamAdams76]

Nurses are doing quite well these days (due to the shortage you speak of) and there are many more males getting into the field. That's an excellent suggestion for this person who wants to get into the medical field.

[Willie Green]

Oh, and by the way -- this is purely out of curiousity, but why the medical field?

With the ageing Baby Boomers, it is bound to be a lucrative field with steady employment opportunities subsidized by Mediscam.
One can also pursue the same market by getting training in mortuary science.

[Huck]

Actually I knew a guy in downtown Chicago that made 50k doing that.

I'm not joking either. Here in New Jersey 50-60K looks doable. There have been days when I prayed that I would get laid off. I'm strung out on the paychecks.

[PFKEY]

Two suggestions that are more related to disabilty or vocational fields but well worth a look.

FCE's (functional capacity evaluations) and Life Care Planning.

Can't provide much detail but you will find plenty of information on the web.

Good luck!

[AGreatPer]

Great advise from your post #29. I hope, however, that this is not below him. The senior field had been pending and pending for so many years and companies like yours have been on the bubble. Guess what, it is here. Now.

[HumanaeVitae]

Carpe diem, chief. BTW this guy just did hot dogs. Hell, a little work ethic and it becomes a restaurant. If you're a FReeper, you got it in you ;-).

[krb]

Crybabies? Are we a little jealous? Why the disdain for physicians?

No jealousy...I'm tired of their complaining about how bad the practice of medicine has become. In short, I am one of a number of people who think that American physicians are reaping the whirlwind of something that they themselves have sown, and so I give 'em the ol' eye roll when they bitch about premiums rising; they (as are we all) are part of a complicated process that dates back years in its genesis that they themselves helped cause their current state with unchecked greed on the part of their comrades years ago...their problem is not a simple matter of "malpractice insurance rates are too high."

Other threads that have included more details about the facts involved in this issue, and always smoke out a lot of us on the many sides of the issue (there are more than two). Let's not start one here because of your comment or mine.

If you want a fight, don't worry. There will be a US physician fight thread almost every month on FR :-)

[bankwalker]

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[bankwalker]

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