Hi
I live in San Diego and I'm currently applying to an RT program. If anybody is into it, I would like to chat with a few of you regarding your point of view about your job. Just want to get an idea of your impression about your field, what a typical day is like, your experience while studying to become and RT, etc. This would be a great help to me. Don't personally know any RT's so I thought I would try here. If you contact me through this site perhaps we can arrange for a chat. Thanks

Hi There, I saw your post and thought I might be able to give some answers. I will be graduating from a RT program in May so Im just about there. There has been a saturation of students flooding this field because of the demand. Be prepared to be competetive. People that want to become nurses and are on a waiting list are joining these RT programs. Enough of the harshness. Being an RT is awesome. You will learn to love disgusting amounts of snots and smells. Does blood bother you? Because you will be involved in all code situations. We are the patients breathing. No one else in the hospital has that job. We run all ventilators. So be ready to take people off vents for happy reason and sad ones. Our hours are pretty cool. 3 days a week you work 12 hour shifts. Probably night shifts for the first 2 years until you move up. I love this job because it made me a different person. Hospitals are the hub for every type of person out there in the world. You will see everything. I wasnt in the militarty, but this is mine. You will learn to be proffesional and disciplined. You probably want to know about pay?! Well, at first you will most likely get perdium jobs. Paid for the day. That pays better because there are no benifits. About $400 a shift. Then when you land a fulltime job with beni's then you start on average $27 an hour. Depends on the size and type of hospital. Just so you know, you can go into a hospital and go to the cardiopulmonary department and ask to follow an RT for a day. No problem. Plus you'll see if the hospital scene is for you. Not for everyone thats for sure. Especially if your a jerm o' phobe. well thats alot of info, anything else, let me know? Bye,
Brandon in Sacramento