BSc Cardiac Technology

Bachelor of Science in Cardiac Technology, widely known as BSc Cardiac Technology, can be pursued by Indian students after completing their 10+2 education. It is an allied medical course based on the specialisation of Cardiology, which is the study of the heart and pulmonary system. Usually, the course lasts three years excluding a one-year internship that opens many job opportunities upon completion.

Students need to apply for the course at relevant Indian colleges after having cleared either college-specific entrance exams or national medical entrance exams such as AIIMS, NEET, etc. Colleges usually offer full-time courses in this field, however, students can opt for part-time and online certificate courses as well.

Students can use BSc Cardiac Technology courses to give themselves another chance to become a doctor by pursuing MD in Cardiology after it. Some of the best colleges for the course are AIIMS, BHU, and SRM Institute of Science and Technology. The average fee for the course in India ranges from INR 2,500-1,10,000 per annum.

Students can refer to a brief overview here for all the crucial information about BSc Cardiac Technology course:

BSc Cardiac Technology is a reputable course that helps students earn a good income. However, this cannot be the only reason for choosing the course. Find out some other reasons why students must take up BSc Cardiac Technology:

• Employability: BSc Cardiac Technology is a course that allows students to apply for jobs under relevant profiles. The course not only provides a degree but also provides practical training by creating real-life situations in a controlled laboratory environment. A whole year is dedicated to training students in the practical application of theoretical concepts.
• Roadway to Becoming Cardiologist: As is known, selection to medical colleges in India is highly competitive and many students have to give up on their dream of  becoming a doctor. BSc Cardiac Technology allows such students to continue pursuing their dream. They can apply for MD in Cardiology after having completed their MSc degree.
• Chance to Learn through Experience: BSc Cardiac Technology courses not only create pseudo situations for students to learn through the practical application but also allows them to get a job, where they can observe a medical doctor and get hands-on experience.
• Decent Salary: Cardiac Technology jobs, on average, pay around INR 10 lakhs per annum. This is only the average and is certain to grow with time and experience. 

The types of BSc Cardiac Technology are limited in the case of BSc Cardiac Technology courses in India. All in all, the following options can be opted for by aspiring students:

Indian colleges require the following from applying students to get considered for enrollment in BSc Cardiac Technology courses:

Academic Qualification - 

• Applicants must pass higher secondary education from any recognized board/institution
• The minimum aggregate must be 55% for general applicants and 50% for reserved category candidates

Age Requirement - 

As per the eligibility criteria for BSc Cardiac Technology, the minimum age of the applicant must be 17 years. 

Compulsory Subjects - 

During the higher secondary level, physics, chemistry, mathematics/biology and English must be the compulsory subjects of the candidates

Admission Criteria - 

Aspirants must also satisfy the independent eligibility criteria of the college or university they are applying to.

The admission process for BSc Cardiac Technology courses is based on certain common steps adopted by all Indian colleges. However, there are two routes that can be used for admission to these degree courses:

• Merit-based Admissions
• Entrance-based Admissions

Merit-based Admissions

Students can use their 10+2 marks and percentage to gain admission to BSc Cardiac Technology courses. In cases where they have consistently meritorious records, they can directly get admission to the desired college and course. Here are the steps which they need to follow for the said route:

• Step 1: Students need to check the eligibility criteria of the chosen colleges and find out whether merit-based admissions are applicable or not. If so, they need to await their final results, while compiling their remaining mark sheets of 11th and 12th standards. They shall also need their 10th standard mark sheet when applying for the course.
• Step 2: Once the 10+2 results have been declared, students need to compile their mark sheets and fill out the application form of the college.
• Step 3: Submit the complied admission application, along with the applicable application fee.
• Step 4: Await the admission decision in post or e-mail, as the case may be, and move forward accordingly.

Entrance-based Admissions

The merit-based admissions route is limited to scorers of 85% or above scores, and other students need to appear for college entrance tests or other entrance tests to gain admission to colleges offering BSc Cardiac Technology courses. The admission process of this route is as follows:

• Step 1: Students need to attempt the applicable entrance exams which are common and whose scores can be used for application to all colleges offering BSc Cardiac Technology courses. These may include exams such as NEET UG, AIIMS, etc.
• Step 2: Once the 10+2 results have been declared, students need to shortlist the colleges to which they wish to apply.
• Step 3: Check the independent eligibility criteria of the shortlisted colleges and accordingly compile an admission application. 
• Step 4: If the shortlisted college compulsorily requires students to appear for college entrance tests, they must do so.
• Step 5: Submit the compiled admission application, along with the applicable entrance test scores applicable.
• Step 6: Await the admission decision and/or admissions list, and move forward as required.

Some of the popular entrance exams that applicants need to clear before they can start their BSc Cardiac Technology programme are:

BSc Cardiac Technology is an important course, and students need to choose a college that justifies the qualification and eventual professional burden. While choosing the college, students are advised to ensure that their personal goals collaborate with their professional goals. This will help them in the long run, especially if they wish to pursue MD or PhD degrees.

Here are the top colleges in India for BSc Cardiac Technology courses, along with their respective annual tuition fees:

BSc Cardiac Technology courses can also be studied abroad. The courses offered by foreign universities are not only of high academic standards globally but also ensure great employability. These universities have established themselves as pioneers in medical education through the years with consistently glorious results.

Students can also explore their career and future education paths with these universities as the opportunities they offer are vast. Moreover, these institutions can help students establish a solid career in the healthcare sector even within their own premises, as many of these universities are research-oriented.

Here are some selected universities from the top 50 universities for medicinal studies, as ranked by the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022:

The course fees for BSc Cardiac Technology courses differ for different colleges. The institutions design their fee structure on the basis of the course, curriculum, infrastructure and facilities provided by the university. 

Even though there is a difference between tuition fees at one university and another, a general observation can be made on the basis of the type of institution and the medium or course. For instance, government colleges charge comparatively nominal fees in comparison to private colleges. Here are the average course fees for BSc Cardiac Technology in India:

BSc Cardiac Technology course structure is mostly uniform throughout the colleges and universities in India. If there is any difference at all, it is minor and often of no major consequence. Here is the year-wise syllabus of the course, as followed in India:

Note: English and Basics of Computer are the only two subjects not studied in direct relevance to Cardiac Technology. They are compulsory subjects to be passed by all students.

BSc Cardiac Technology courses hone students to become trained assistants and later Cardiologists. They can help them set up the devices and machinery required during a medical procedure, and also manage the controls while at it. 

While there is a clear-cut scope carved out for graduates of this course, there are certain sectors in which the graduates can work, including both conventional and unconventional roles. There are many ways by which a Cardiac Technologist can serve society. It is one of the few job profiles which allow the option to work independently or as part of a cohesive group. 

The sectors available for employment for BSc Cardiac Technology graduates are as follows:

• Government Jobs: Students can easily apply to government medical colleges and hospitals for relevant positions after completing BSc Cardiac Technology. There are certain competitive exams conducted that need to be cleared for these jobs. 
• Private Sector: The remuneration in the private clinical and medical sector is comparatively much more rewarding than in the government sector. Though job security is comparatively low, there is a proper return for efforts and hard work.
• Not-for-Profit Organisations: There are many NGOs, elderly shelter homes, orphanages, etc., where graduates can apply for jobs as resident clinical caretakers. These jobs provide immense moral satisfaction in addition to monetary returns.
• For Profit Organisations: Many organisations as well recruit BSc Cardiac Technology graduates for in-house health and emergency support for employees and workers. Students can explore this area of service as well, which again pays off quite well.
• Freelancer: Many graduates of the course also work as freelancers, that is they have contracts on-going with various organisations in return for their services. The organisations included are clinics, for-profit organisations, not-for-profit organisations, etc.

As students ponder over which job profile to choose after completing their studies, they need to take into account the fact that there are certain profiles that offer a higher income. Though they also have more pressing responsibilities, it is still monetarily beneficial to choose them over other profiles. This is also because the overall responsibility of all the profiles is more or less the same, and hence, the income disparity is all the more clear. 

After completing BSc Cardiac Technology, graduates can apply for the following popular job profiles relevant to their course of study. The annual average salary in India is mentioned for the job profiles:

Many BSc Cardiac Technologists are able to land a good job offer after completing their courses in India. Students can refer to the following recruiters, popular for their job offers in the field:

• AIIMS
• Apollo Hospitals
• Manipal Hospitals
• Fortis Healthcare
• Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Centre, etc.

BSc Cardiac Technologist needs to showcase certain characteristics and capabilities as a part of their professional conduct. It is, therefore, important that students build a practice and habit of imbibing these qualities within themselves. Some of the most important skills required for a Cardiac Technologist to have are:

• Calm and Composed: A Cardiac Technologist needs to assist their supervisor Cardiac surgeon during surgery and other emergency processes. It is important that they can keep their nerves calm and their emotions composed as a human being’s life is dependent on their demeanour.
• Understanding of Medical Terms: They need to interact with their supervisor medical doctor about the patient’s medical status. This is not possible without using medical terminology. Hence, Cardiac Technologists need to be well-versed and knowledgeable about the relevant medical terms.
• Analytical Skills: Cardiac Technologists need to analyse their observations and convey the same on a priority basis to their supervisor medical doctor. This involves analytical thinking and summarising critical information to ensure timely and accurate communication.
• Speed and Awareness: Technologists are among the first people to attend to the patient when any emergency procedures are involved. They need to be aware of the ongoing situation at the utmost, that is there should not be a detail that they miss as they cannot use emergency or pressing situations as excuses. Additionally, they need to be fast in alerting the doctor, checking the current vitals, and initiating other procedures.
• Communication Skills: They need to interact with both doctors and patients, so their communication skills and techniques need to adjust according to the person. While professional and direct communication is highly important with doctors, a softer approach is required with patients.
• Responsibility and Answerability: In general and even urgent situations, the patient is often at length in the hands of Cardiac Technologists. They need to feel and bear the responsibility which is attached to their role while overseeing the patient. They are answerable to both official authorities and the family of the patient for whatever happens to them under their supervision.
• Precision: Cardiac Technologists cannot be unsure or vague about their observations. They need to notice all details and convey them precisely to the doctor. Since their information is the basis for a doctor’s further action, vagueness and indecision could lead to drastic results.