5 Red Flags to Watch for Before Enrolling in an EKG Technician Training Program

This is a great time to move into the medical field in any capacity. The American healthcare industry is booming, and there are job opportunities in virtually every position – including EKG Technicians. Becoming an EKG tech could be an excellent opportunity to jump into medicine, since you can potentially be trained for only a few thousand dollars in as little as 80 hours.

However, you must pick the right New York EKG technician certification program. Not all training programs are the same, and some might leave you in debt with a useless piece of paper. Here’s everything you need to know!

I. What Does an EKG Technician Do?

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a device that measures electrical activity in the heart. It’s an absolutely vital part of modern cardiovascular care, and there is always high demand for trained EKG technicians.

The job of an EKG technician is simply to operate the EKG machine and help interpret its results, while also assisting patients through the process. It’s a relatively easy job, as healthcare professions go, but one which can still be highly rewarding. You would be helping to prevent heart attacks and save lives.

II. What Warning Signs Mean Trouble for EKG Technician Training in NY?

How can you know if you’ve found a reliable and authentic EKG technician certification program? These are all red flags that suggest you need to keep looking.

1. Lack of accreditation or recognized certification preparation.

This is perhaps the most important question: Is your EKG school accredited or otherwise recognized by professional bodies? Any EKG technician training must adhere to industry standards, and accreditation is the best way they can demonstrate that.

Your EKG technician certification school should have clear mentions of its accreditation on the website and in its course materials. If not, one of your first questions to their admissions department is what accreditations they have.

2. No clinical training or hands-on experience.

Proper EKG training is a mix of both in-class learning and hands-on training via externships and other job skill programs. This is an absolutely vital part of your training. While there are currently no state-mandated minimums for clinical hours needed to become an EKG technician, you probably won’t be able to pass certification without hands-on work.

Hands-on training should be part of the program you sign up for. If not, there might be a reason that local hospitals don’t want to work with that program.

3. Unrealistic job placement or salary promises.

Watch out for schools that make unbelievable claims. For example, no school – no matter how good – ever places 100% of its students in jobs. Numbers in the 85%-90% range are more realistic.

Likewise, salary information is easily obtained with simple web searches. As of writing, the average starting salary for a New York EKG technician is typically in the area of $50,000. If your school is claiming you can get substantially more than that, straight out of school, they’re probably not being totally honest.

4. Hidden tuition fees and unclear costs.

The cost of EKG training is fairly cheap, compared to most healthcare training options. The full program is typically under $2,000 or perhaps $3,000 at most if you attend a particularly prestigious school. You might not even need financial aid.

Your New York EKG technician training program should have clearly defined fees, and there should be no question about how much the program will cost to complete. The school should be able to provide a clear and easily understood breakdown of the program costs. Be wary if they won’t quote exact numbers.

5. Poor student reviews and low certification pass rates.

Finally, look into the online discourse. Find as many reviews of the school as possible, and see what alumni have to say about it. This is often your best option for evaluating a school, since its graduates will know firsthand whether its training is worthwhile or not.

Pay attention to both certification exam passing rates as well as job placement rates. If either seems low, keep looking for a new EKG certification program.

III. What Questions Should You Ask Before Enrolling in Any EKG Program?

Looking at this from the other side, these are the questions you should ask of an admissions office before signing up – and you should get good answers!

• What accreditations do you have? As mentioned above, never work with any kind of medical school that lacks official accreditation or other recognition from official healthcare bodies. This is the biggest red flag of the bunch.
• What are your graduation and placement rates? Be wary of numbers which either seem too high or too low. Also, be willing to do a little outside research to see if their claims match up with what’s online.
• What starting salaries do your graduates typically see? This is more of a trap question. Get your answer from the school and then look up state wages from reputable sources to see if the answers line up.
• How is hands-on training handled? Ideally, your EKG training course should partner with one or more local hospitals or clinics to provide practical experience. If this isn’t explicitly part of the course (and your fees), they should have a very good answer for how you’re supposed to get an externship.
• What job search assistance do you provide? A quality medical training school should have partners who turn to them for new recruits or at least have access to industry job databases to help you find your first new employer.

The Westchester School for Medical & Dental Assistants offers fully certified EKG technician certification training in New York for affordable rates. You could have your certification in as little as 80 hours of in-class learning and hands-on training. With a placement rate of 88%+, we’re proud of the work we do helping students find a new career in EKG operation.

Contact us to learn more and kickstart your new career!