Tucson Medical Center (TMC) is recruiting Tucsonans interested in starting a career in healthcare. Medical training is not required for the Patient Care Technician (PCT) program and you get paid!
“It’s really a way to get your foot in the door in healthcare and then build from that,” said Susan Castillo, clinical educator for the PCT program.
Castillo says a high school diploma or GED is required to join the program.
“This is a way that we can bring in people who might not otherwise get a job in the hospital because they don’t have the training,” Castillo said. “So we give them the training so they can, they can help us with staffing and then we help them to build their career.”
The PCT program pays $18.53/hour and is fully hands-on. Students learn a wide range of subjects like basic healthcare skills and how to perform EKGs.
A 19-year-old recent PCT graduate, Elise DeVault, tells me she was nervous about starting the program without experience. DeVault says she’s learned a lot from stepping outside her comfort zone and being surrounded by people with different skill levels.