What's the difference between an echocardiographer and a cardiovascular tech!
Question: An echocardiographer could mean one of two things:
1. It could be a cardiologist who chooses to specialize in echocardiography. Cardiology, being a sub-speciality, now often requires its own practioners to sub-sub-specialize. The big ones are non-invasive imaging (echocardiography, nuclear stress tests), interventional (they do cardiac caths), and electrophysiology (pacemakers).
2. It could also be an echo tech or an ultrasonographer. These guys are trained to perform echos. They are not cardiologists and are not licensed to read echos, but in reality a cardiologist greatly values their opinions and recognizes that they often are the ones who make the 1st diagnosis.
A cardiovascular technologist is a nonspecific term, and it could mean a technologist who practices in any of the cardiology disciplines. Thus, it could mean:
1. A tech who works in the echo lab (see above)
2. A tech who works in the nuclear stress lab or exercise stress lab.
3. A tech who works in the EP lab. (helps with pacemakers)
4. A tech who works in the cath lab. (helps with cardiac catheterization).
Thus, in practicality the above terms are not often used. I more often refer to the guys that perform the echos as either echo techs or ultrasonographers, as an echocardiographer can sometimes mean either the MD or technologists depending on the institutional culture.
I also do not hear term CV techs often as it is a nonspecific term. I do hear the terms echo techs, stress lab techs, EP techs, etc.
Finally, while technologists do not have formal MD degrees, they are often very, very knowledgeable in their own special fields. Especially in the case of echocardiography, the ultrasonographer has to be aware of a certain diagnosis in the first place, then perform the necessary maneuvers to establish the diagnosis. Once the images finally reach the cardiologist, he/she is often just verifing what the ultrasonographer has already diagnosed. (I'm an MD)
Hope this helps.
Answers: An echocardiographer could mean one of two things:
1. It could be a cardiologist who chooses to specialize in echocardiography. Cardiology, being a sub-speciality, now often requires its own practioners to sub-sub-specialize. The big ones are non-invasive imaging (echocardiography, nuclear stress tests), interventional (they do cardiac caths), and electrophysiology (pacemakers).
2. It could also be an echo tech or an ultrasonographer. These guys are trained to perform echos. They are not cardiologists and are not licensed to read echos, but in reality a cardiologist greatly values their opinions and recognizes that they often are the ones who make the 1st diagnosis.
A cardiovascular technologist is a nonspecific term, and it could mean a technologist who practices in any of the cardiology disciplines. Thus, it could mean:
1. A tech who works in the echo lab (see above)
2. A tech who works in the nuclear stress lab or exercise stress lab.
3. A tech who works in the EP lab. (helps with pacemakers)
4. A tech who works in the cath lab. (helps with cardiac catheterization).
Thus, in practicality the above terms are not often used. I more often refer to the guys that perform the echos as either echo techs or ultrasonographers, as an echocardiographer can sometimes mean either the MD or technologists depending on the institutional culture.
I also do not hear term CV techs often as it is a nonspecific term. I do hear the terms echo techs, stress lab techs, EP techs, etc.
Finally, while technologists do not have formal MD degrees, they are often very, very knowledgeable in their own special fields. Especially in the case of echocardiography, the ultrasonographer has to be aware of a certain diagnosis in the first place, then perform the necessary maneuvers to establish the diagnosis. Once the images finally reach the cardiologist, he/she is often just verifing what the ultrasonographer has already diagnosed. (I'm an MD)
Hope this helps.
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