Your Career as a Biomedical Technician

So, you have decided to enter the field of biomedical technology.  You should prepare yourself for a fast paced and exciting job that can be very stressful at times.  You might not be dealing with patients face to face, but you will be in charge of monitoring and repairing the equipment that is used to help the patients as well as sometimes keep them alive.  Surgeons, medical doctors, and nurses depend on the equipment they use every day in a hospital setting to diagnose medical problems, complete surgeries, give intravenous drugs, and even shock a patient back into a normal heart rhythm.  If any of these machines malfunctions, a patient's health and well being hangs in the balance.  Modern medicine is dependent on the machines that exist in a hospital and the safety of the patients often depends on you the biomedical technician. 

Educational Requirements

To become a biomedical technician, you should have an interest in both math and science.  Most biomedical technicians enjoy repairing things and have a good overall understanding of how machines work.  The basic requirement for becoming a biomedical technician is a high school diploma followed by an associate's degree.  Many trade and technical schools offer this type of associate's degree.  Once you have completed your associate's degree, you will be able to begin working in just about any health care setting you choose.  If you want to work on more advanced machines, like PET scanners or MRI equipment, you should probably continue your education and obtain a bachelor's degree.

Job Responsibilities

As a biomedical technician you will be responsible for all of the medical equipment in a hospital or other medical facility.  This can range from intravenous fluid pumps to defibrillators to X-ray and imaging equipment.  You might also be in charge of special high-tech surgery equipment.   The biomedical technician usually works during daylight hours, but should expect to be on call on off shifts, especially if he or she works for a larger health care institution.  Biomedical technicians need to do periodic checks on equipment to make sure they are calibrated and functioning properly.  He or she will also have to repair malfunctioning equipment, oftentimes very quickly (like if it is needed in a surgery or to save someone's life).  You might have to do some teaching about how equipment works and how to use equipment correctly.  This teaching might be directed towards imaging technicians, nurses, and even doctors. 

Opportunities for Growth

There will continue to be a large amount of growth in the area of biomedical technology, just like in many other medical fields.  New technology and new equipment will need highly trained medical professionals to service, calibrate, and repair this more advanced equipment.  Chances are also good that large companies that manufacture medical equipment will expand to allow for more jobs being able to be completed virtually either online or via telephone.  There will also be a shortage of biomedical technicians to work in hospitals and other health care settings.   The future is bright for the career of a biomedical technician along with many other medical careers. 

If you are interested in become a professional in the Biomedical Technician Training field, you may consider the following schools which offers Biomedical Technician Training courses

Fortis College

Diploma
Biotechnician
Maryland

DeVry University

Bachelor
Bachelor's-Biomedical Engineering Technology, Bachelor's - Biomedical Engineering Technology
New York, Alberta, Ohio, Missouri, California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, Washington, Pennsylvania