More men are becoming diagnostic technicians

Mostly female role changes in face of job security, economy issues

CROWN POINT There was a time not long ago when it virtually was unheard of that a man would work in the traditionally female role of diagnostic technician in a medical center.
But the tide has changed with time, as it has in the nursing field and flight attendants and other positions.

Although there remains a greater ratio of women, the number of men in the diagnostic field is growing, as evidenced by Saint Anthony Medical Center, which now has 11 male technicians working in its radiology, ultrasound and nuclear medicine departments.

They have varying years of experience and stories to tell about their career choices, but all agree their decision to join the tech field was the right one.

Dave Stokoski
Stokoski, is his 30th year with Saint Anthony, can be regarded as a pioneer of sorts among male diagnostic technicians in the region. The ultrasound staff stenographer says he “probably was one of the only men” in the diagnostic technician field when he started and was the only one at Saint Anthony.

“When I took my boards (exams) in 1979 and ’80, males were in the minority and they are to this day. But now there are more.”Stokoski said he entered the profession out of an interest in health care and because “trade jobs were tough to get. “

“With health care, there always will be jobs somewhere – there are accounting, financial, clinical and patient care aspects.”

He adds that pay scales for his work are expected to increase and are up considerably since he started.

However, he adds, patient care isn’t always easy. “You show empathy, you care, and sometimes, it can be stressful.”

There also are times female patients are uncomfortable having a male technician.

“Most patients expect a female. With ultrasound though, women normally aren’t as concerned – they just want to see their baby.”

However, if a female patient is uncomfortable having a male tech, a female is brought in, if available. Likewise, male techs are provided, when possible, if a male so requests. Patients are able to call ahead to find out if a technician of a preferred gender will be available for their appointment.

“I enjoy my work; there is never a dull moment in ultrasound – there’s always something,” Stokoski says.

Paul Hill
Hill, on the other hand, has been a radiology technologist at Saint Anthony since last May. He began working in the department a year earlier.

“I like working in radiology because it is a growing field with advancement opportunities … It is a good place to work if you like to keep busy, because we go all over the hospital and work with everyone here.”

Hill says he was aware he was entering a mostly female field, “but it doesn’t bother me.”

“There are many patients who like having a guy tech … I normally don’t have any problems with women patients (because of my gender), although I am fortunate enough to stay out of exams that deal with the female reproductive system. Other women who might have reservations about me seem to lose them when they see their exam gets done fast and well.”

Hill believes more males will enter the profession.

“I am sure more men are getting tired of doing physical labor jobs, like I was, and are thinking of going to school. There is job security because people are always going to need food, shelter and health care.”

Stojan Trajkovski
Trajkovski, who has been a nuclear medicine technologist at Saint Anthony 10 years, started out wanting to be a doctor, but decided that career path wasn’t for him.

“But I wanted to stay in the health care field. I didn’t realize techs were mostly women until I got into a clinical rotation. I really noticed it when I got into a community setting. When I started working, I was one of three guys out of 100 employees.”

Trajkovski enjoys his work, knowing that what he might discover during an exam could save a life.

“We inject a bit of radioactive tracer material that goes to a certain organ and watch the function. We’re concerned with how it works, not how it looks. We also do body scans and watch for normal and abnormal uptakes of radioactive tracer. We do imaging through tissue and clothing; patients don’t have to disrobe,” Trajkovski says.

Trajkovski, who is the only male nuclear medicine tech at Saint Anthony and one of fewer than 10, he believes, in Lake County (compared to about 25 women), encourages men to join the ranks.

“There is job security and you can make a comfortable living at it. People are always going to be sick; we don’t want it that way, but that’s just life. You pretty much will always have a job and can go anywhere in the country and in the world. Health care offers flexibility and diversity.”

Tim Woolard
Woolard had worked 13 years in a wood fabrication plant and, after seeing the economy takes its toll on the business, he decided to enter the radiology tech field, one in which he had been interested “since middle school, when I broke my arm. I was enthralled with the whole process of being able to look into someone and see their bones.”

After receiving tech training while going to school and still working at his former job, he joined the health care profession about a year-and-a-half ago and has been with Saint Anthony for about six months.

While he enjoys meeting new people and making a difference in their lives, the downside is seeing patients who are in poor health.

“That can be hard at times. The job has its share of stress.”

As far as working in a mostly female profession, “I really haven’t noticed any gender issues … Generally, I feel like I am just treated as ‘one of the girls,’ for better or worse,” Woolard jests.
Woolard believes the economy will lead other men to his field.

“Male-dominated job markets, such as labor and factory-production, are not as lucrative or stable as they had been in the past. Many men are attempting to find better positions or going back to school in attempts to merely survive.”

Jerome La BudaLa Buda, who has been working in diagnostic imaging at Saint Anthony about three years, is “a fresh graduate of the medical sonography program at IUN (Indiana University Northwest in Gary).”

“I chose this career for the job security, for the ability to help people and to play a larger role in the diagnostic process, and, you can make a decent living doing it.”

The drawback has been the reluctance of some female patients to have him work with them.

“I think the fact that I’m both young and a man are the biggest issues. A large reason why I tried so hard to be hired at St. Anthony’s is because I knew there already were male technologists working here.”

He sees the number of males in his line of work growing.

“I think others are seeing it the same as I. It’s a growing, respectable profession that allows us to really feel like we’ve made a difference at the end of the day.”

Job security is another factor.

“People will always need people to take care of them and make them well. It’s not an easy job, but it is rewarding in that aspect. I think it’s important for patients to know that men in the field are professional and will always treat our patients with dignity and respect.”

Brian Markovich
Markovich is a registered diagnostic medical sonographer at Saint Anthony, where he has spent 13 years in ultrasound and three in radiology.

“I loved human anatomy and physiology in college; applied, and was accepted into a two-year radiological technology program. Out of 30 students, there were five males.

“During one of my clinical rotations in ultrasound, a male doctor (radiologist) told me he thought mine was the wrong profession for a man, that it would be very tough. About a year-and-a-half later, I ended up working with this doctor and abut two years into my job there, he apologized to me, saying he made a mistake saying those things after working with me and seeing how I handled myself in my everyday work environment,” Markovich adds.
The prospect of working in a mostly female profession didn’t faze him.

“It didn’t bother me a bit; in fact, it was exciting because I realized I had so many opportunities in front of me, given that often a woman has or will want to have kids and may not want to work full-time or overtime or take evening call.”

Markovich says he is seeing more males entering the profession.

“There is at least one male in ultrasound in most of the hospitals in Northwest Indiana – we have three. The rewards are providing a service to a customer, who sometimes is surprised that a male is doing ultrasound, and then we get the patient surveys back and they say it was the best ultrasound ever, or that they had a very caring technologist.”

Jim Campagna
Campagna truly is a pioneer in the male diagnostic technician radiology field, having started in the business 39 years ago. He has spent the last 25 years at Saint Anthony.

“I was the only one (in the area) when I started,” he says, adding he became interested in the profession after seeing relatives go in for tests and wanting to learn more.

“I never gave a thought to it being a mostly female profession,” he says, adding provisions are made for women patients who feel uncomfortable having a male examining them.
These days, Campagna is not alone in his role as a male tech and believes more men will gravitate to the field.

“More men are coming in – many from mill jobs that were lost because of the economy. It is a stable profession that offers flexibility.”

Director likes the optionsJackie Katz, Saint Anthony’s director of imaging, calls the increase in male techs “a great benefit to our department,” adding having both male and females on staff gives patients options.

“Some patients prefer the staff member to be the same gender, so we want to accommodate that.”

Katz believes the bump in the number of men entering the field also reflects the state of society.

“First, we saw women entering traditionally male professions. Now, we are seeing men entering into traditionally female professions. Also, as occupations held by men dry up -- such as factory, laborer, or other skilled professions -- men are looking to careers that can offer them a good living. I think the stories our staff members told indicates that very strongly.”