In my 3rd year of university I realized that I needed to take more schooling after my BSc. to have a career in healthcare. I starting searching what healthcare jobs were out there and I came across a large list of various technologist jobs such as medical lab techs, nuclear medicine techs, and cardio techs. I was excited when I discovered what a cardio tech was because I have always found the heart fascinating. The fact that heart disease is the number one cause of death in Canada shows how vital this organ is. From day 22 of fetal development our heart starts to beat and it doesn’t stop until we die – isn’t that crazy cool! What also attracted me to this field was that job prospects are looking great over the next few years which is a plus! My next step was to look at what schools offered this program.
After researching which schools in Canada offered a cardio tech program I was intrigued by Stenberg. I found out that they offered an online program which I could take right here at home in Halifax without having to move or disrupt my life. They also have options for you to take your labs in a region near you and promise you a placement in the province you reside for your 3 month practicum. The courses are often taught by working professionals in the cardio tech field and the school has a 6 year accreditation. When I called the school to verify all the information they were so welcoming, honest, and helpful that I knew it was the right school for me.
During my university degree I had taken some online distance learning courses so I thought I knew what this online program would be like but I was wrong… I was blown away by how structured and easy to follow Stenberg’s layout was. I was also shocked by how quick my teachers were to respond to emails, feedback, and marking all while being extremely encouraging, helpful, and professional. Often in online environments you feel disconnected to your peers but in the first week of the program we had a face-to-face meet up with people in our region and brought us closer together before diving into coursework. Probably the most surprising to me was the opportunity to participate in ‘Campus life’ events. A few weeks into the program I got an email about a Campus photo scavenger hunt that was going on and we were asked if anyone would like to participate; 2 girls in my region and I made a team which allowed us to get to know each other a little more and have fun in-between classes.
Stenberg really has their students in mind all of the time. Two weeks ago I received this in the mail from the school which I thought was cute and thoughtful:
I know this program and school was the right choice for me.
Check out a video of our cardio tech students in action.
![An ECG demonstrates the extensive antero-septal-lateral myocardial infarction [heart attack] that Taryn witnessed.](https://stenbergcollege.com/wp-content/smush-webp/2022/12/ecg-1024x530.jpg.webp)
