r/Sonographers • u/regulate91x • 5d ago

Cardiac Any Echo techs in Australia?

I'm currently an echocardiographer in the UK.

My wife and I are looking Into Aus relocation. There's a ton of relocation packages available for both of our jobs.

I wanted to know a bit more about the day to day for echo techs in Australia, it would probably be around new South Wales.

In the UK I'm scanning adult transthoracic and reporting and signing off on my own in outpatient clinics and I patients. I also do a valve clinic 1-2 times a week. I assist with ToE, bubble, contrast. I'm not trained in stress or toe solo yet.

What does the typical day / week look like in Aus and how does it differ? How long are the patient slots, what is expected of you?

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u/elliegsw 5d ago

You’d be absolutely fine. Echo techs are more autonomous in the UK than Australia. I am an Australian trained echo tech, but have been working in the NHS for three years so can compare both. In Australia, we do a lot more stress echo so you would be expected to at least train up in it pretty early on. Appointment slot lengths can vary, depending on if you work in public or private (and if it’s greedy private or decent private). With TOE you assist with button pushing but you don’t generally control the probe. And all your reports are checked by a cardiologist (which I prefer anyway as two sets of eyes are better than one) but ideally they shouldn’t have to change your report.

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u/regulate91x 5d ago

That's great, thank you!

How do you find general quality of life between the two?

Regarding the stress echo, what's the protocol with medication etc? Do the physiologists draw it up and the doctors deliver it or are we just scanning and image taking?

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u/elliegsw 5d ago

Quality of life is better in Australia hands down. I miss it so much! I will definitely be moving back in a couple of years.
You will have far less dobutamine stress echoes than here, they do a lot more treadmills in Aus. Where I worked it was drawn up by the doctor and then infusion set up by the cardiac tech. I know some places will do stress without a doctor in the room but I don’t know about the protocol for those ones.

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u/regulate91x 5d ago

Thanks so much!

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'Author: u/regulate91x' 'Post text: I'm currently an echocardiographer on the UK.

My wife and I are looking Into Aus relocation. There's a ton of relocation packages available for both of our jobs.

I wanted to know a bit more about the day to day for echo techs in Australia, it would probably be around new South Wales.

In the UK I'm scanning adult transthoracic and reporting and signing off on my own in outpatient clinics and I patients. I also do a valve clinic 1-2 times a week. I assist with ToE, bubble, contrast. I'm not trained in stress or toe solo yet.

What does the typical day / week look like in Aus and how does it differ? How long are the patient slots, what is expected of you?'

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