Power
On the hospital food chain, you're near the bottom. Sorry, Charlie. As with many fields, the number of degrees you have affects your place in the pecking order. When you're surrounded by people who have post-docs galore, it's hard for your associate's degree and certifications to compete.
However, when it comes to your patients, you have quite a bit of power. People don't get endoscopies for fun; they get them because something is seriously wrong, but they don't know what. Without you and your technical prowess, doctors would be left making educated guesses and patients would be left worrying and in pain.
You also have the power to help stop cancer in its tracks. When you spot something suspicious, you can insist that it needs to be looked into. Things that might not even be noticed can be caught and stamped out before they even become real problems. Saving lives with nothing but a bendy camera and your wits? Now that's power.