Biomedical Equipment Technicians

High School

There are a number of classes you can take in high school to help you prepare for this work. Science classes, such as chemistry, biology, and physics, will give you the science background you will need for working in a medical environment. Take shop classes that deal with electronics, drafting, or blueprint reading. These classes will give you experience working with your hands, following printed directions, using electricity, and working with machinery. Mathematics classes will help you become comfortable working with numbers and formulas. Don't neglect your English studies. English classes will help you develop your communication skills, which will be important to have when you interact with a variety of different people in your professional life.

Postsecondary Training

To become qualified for this work, you will need to complete postsecondary education that leads either to an associate's degree in biomedical equipment technology, electronics, or engineering from a two-year institution or a bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university. Most biomedical equipment technicians choose to receive an associate's degree. Biomedical equipment technology is a relatively new program in some schools and may also be referred to as medical electronics technology or biomedical engineering technology. The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) offers a list of biomedical equipment technology and related training programs on its Web site, https://www.aami.org/docs/default-source/htmdocs/htm-specific-academic-programs-by-state-april-2023.

No matter what the name of the program, however, you should expect to receive instruction in such areas as anatomy, physiology, electrical and electronic fundamentals, chemistry, physics, and biomedical equipment construction and design. In addition, you will study safety methods in health care facilities and medical equipment troubleshooting, as it will be your job to be the problem solver. You should also expect to continue taking communication or English classes since communications skills will be essential to your work. In addition to classroom work, many programs often provide you with practical experience in repairing and servicing equipment in a clinical or laboratory setting under the supervision of an experienced equipment technician. This experience might involve participation in an internship, co-op, or volunteer opportunity. In this way, you learn about electrical components and circuits, the design and construction of common pieces of machinery, and computer technology as it applies to biomedical equipment.

By studying various pieces of equipment, you learn a problem-solving technique that applies not only to the equipment studied, but also to equipment you have not yet seen, and even to equipment that has not yet been invented. Part of this problem-solving technique includes learning how and where to locate sources of information.

The AAMI offers a Biomedical Equipment Technician Apprenticeship Program, a two-year hybrid program that combines education and up to 6,000 hours of paid, on-the-job, competency-based learning. Apprentices receive training in eight main competency areas: Hospital Orientation and Health Care Safety, Anatomy and Physiology, Mathematics, Electronics, Biomedical Equipment Technology, Information Technology, Communication Skills, and Professional Skills. Those who complete the program receive three industry-recognized credentials: certified associate in biomedical technology, information technology fundamentals, and certified biomedical equipment technician-candidate status. Visit https://www.aami.org/HTM/bmet-apprenticeship for more information about the program.

Other biomedical equipment technicians receive their training in the armed forces. During the course of an enlistment period of four years or less, military personnel can receive training that prepares them for entry-level or sometimes advanced-level positions in the civilian workforce. Visit TodaysMilitary.com to learn more about training and career opportunities in the armed forces.

Certification

Colleges and universities, online learning platforms, and other providers offer certificate programs in biomedical equipment technology, engineering technology, electronics, cybersecurity, emerging technology, and other fields. These programs typically last six months to a year.

Other Education or Training

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation offers continuing education opportunities at its annual conference on imaging, patient safety, management, and other topics. It also offers online programs such as the Medical Device Cybersecurity Educational Program for HTM Professionals. It also offers information about training resources on its Web site, https://www.aami.org/training/overview.