Endoscopy techs are not required to have any particular certification to work. However, aspiring endoscopy techs can earn a certificate of completion from a vocational program or complete an associate's degree program in endoscopy technology or gastroenterology from a community college.
Certificate and Degree Options for a Endoscopy Tech
As a endoscopy tech student, you'll learn about the field through class work and clinical practice providing care to patients undergoing endoscopy procedures. During the clinical practice, you're supervised by experienced gastroenterologists, anesthesiologists and endoscopy nurses. Some of the course topics in a endoscopy tech program include:
- Patient care administration
- Emergency procedures
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Gastrointestinal bleeds
- Risk management
- Examination room set-up
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisFieldOfStudy">Important Facts About This Field of Study</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td> Prerequisites </td><td> Vary by program, some require a physical exam, criminal background check and/or drug test</td></tr>
<tr><td> Online Availability </td><td> Some courses available online for students currently employed in the field</td></tr>
<tr><td> Possible Careers </td><td> Endoscopy technician or technologist, GI technologist</td></tr>
<tr><td> Continuing Education </td><td> Graduates of certificate program may complete additional coursework in order to earn a specialist credential from the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---CertificatePrograms">Certificate Programs</h3><p>If you're interested in the endoscopy tech field, you can enroll in a endoscopic technician certificate program. Certificates can be completed in just two semesters and generally require 24 credits, including lab and clinical credits.
</p><h3 id="section---AssociateSDegreePrograms">Associate's Degree Programs</h3><p>You can also earn an associate's degree in surgical technology, which can prepare you for a career as as endoscopy technologist. The associate's degree program takes approximately two years to complete if you attend on a full-time basis. Programs can teach you about the following basic skills in surgical technology and endoscopy:
</p><ul><li>Surgical Technology Fundamentals
</li><li>Medical Terminology
</li><li>Surgical Pharmacology
</li><li>Teamwork in Surgery
</li><li>Endoscopy Tech Lab & Clinical
</li><li>Professional Skills for the Operating Room
</li></ul><h3 id="section---JobOutlookForEndoscopyTechs">Job Outlook for Endoscopy Techs</h3><p>Job opportunities for medical assistants, which include endoscopy techs, are expected to be good, with a projected growth rate of 16% over the 2021-2031 decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Clinics and hospitals will continue to hire qualified endoscopy techs to perform endoscopic procedures, which are being used for diagnostic and therapeutic treatments in patients, reports the Mayo Clinic. The median annual salary for an endoscopy technician in the U.S. was $45,642 in July of 2023, reports <i>PayScale.com</i>.</p>
