Could a career in the biomedical field be for you?

X reasons why you should consider a career as a biomedical technician

Retiring baby boomers and pandemic-induced worker shortages have created a surging demand for
biomedical engineering technicians (BMETs), industry experts said in a recent virtual panel discussion.

Hosted by Houston Community College’s Global Energy Center of Excellence, panelists included Dr.
Mehmet Argin, dean of Global Energy Center of Excellence; David Echols, HCC Electronics Engineering
Technology Program advisory board chairman and field administration for AEI Medical Equipment
Services, Rajan Sharma, vice president for Sunbelt Medical Corporation, Ronald Robb, assistant director
of biomedical engineering with Texas Children's Hospital, and Tim Tatum, director of biomedical
engineering for Harris Health Hospital System.

What does a BMET do?

BMETs, also known as biomed techs, operate, repair and maintain essential medical equipment at
hospitals. It is a rewarding and high-wage career, said Echols, and can be a springboard to other
opportunities. Sharma called it a growing field, poised to see employment growth over the next decade.

“Most people who are in biomed have been in it for 35 plus years,” said Ecchols. “There’s a transition
that’s going on right now, because baby boomers are moving out, older people are retiring.

Biomed technicians know the outline of the hospital, Ecchols said, and the different ways each
department uses the equipment.

“If a defibrillator or monitor goes down, they call biomed,” said Ecchols.

The coronavirus revealed the need for frontline workers in emergency medical services. Tatum said a
more accurate term would be ‘healthcare technology’ instead of ‘biomed technology.’ A BMET is not
someone who works in a lab.

Certifications and salaries

Most BMETs earn a two-year associate’s degree from an accredited medical technology school.

“However, there are some that do the four-year college and get a bachelor’s degree in biomedical
engineering, so that’s also an option,” said Sharma. “You can go further with more training and
certifications and get to a higher level.”

The starting salaries, for those straight out of school with no experience, are in the $40,000 per year
range, panelists said.

“There's lots of room for growth, we have quite a number of our techs doing well over $100,000 a year
based on experience and skill levels,” said Robb.

It's asking how much does a biomedical technician make? Do we have insight on this question?

Okay,

Two year associate’s degree, some people have a bachelors, and you can go further on more training
and certifications.
So the electronic degree that’s required enables you to find equipment, so you must have the Electronic
Engineering Technology associates degree, you need the electronic background or you gonna kill
somebody, so you can’t

Growing field 54.19 Raj’s comment

Biomedical industry experts will join Houston Community College (HCC) for an one-hour
virtual panel discussion from 12 – 1 p.m. on Friday, October 9 to discuss the increasing need
for biomedical technicians and to offer insight into the rewarding and high-wage career. 

And being able to navigate the complicated world of modern online applications and
platforms is a highly regarded skill.

So, if you’re looking for a change (or fresh start) into a career that provides opportunity for
growth and success, Marketing is worth consideration.
“When we said ‘biomed’ or ‘biomedical’, people think of someone who works in a lab,” Echols said.
“They get confused, because I’ve had lab assistants apply for the position.”

Qualifications and salaries

Let’s look at some of the major advantages:

like biomedical electronics technician, biomedical technician or biomed are the same or
different. What does a biomedical technician do?
ou will see everybody transforming or to be a healthcare technology type format name. But for the most
part, they all do roughly the same thing. There's some that are more and more specialized that maybe
deal with radiology or laboratory like thinset as well but the most part of biomedical electronic
technician and biomedical biomedical technician is roughly all the same day roughly fixed repaired to
maintain inspect calibrate certifies operate, some of them are going to get in the management side of
things and educating and training side, but for the most part, it's biomedical repair the equipment.

Biomedical technician is not a bench tech

Petition on change.org, calling on the UN and its affiliates to formally acknowledge biomedical
technicians as frontline health workers.

Biomed very important

We have a barrage of knowledge, we were on the frontline getting covid—joe. We are truly the frontline
workers but we are behind the scenes

You don’t get the same value and appreciation as frontline health workers, do you think this profession
offers competitive salary for in general and for incoming graduates
Lot of gab gab

Yes we need more competitive salaries to attract people to come inot this program, but we also need
the development of these interns and these people so they’re not just coming in twisting screwdrivers

Raj’s answer more sense

It's asking how much does a biomedical technician make? Do we have insight on this question?

We're starting with somewhere in the 40-40,000 a year range give or take for straight out of school? No
experience. So it's not too bad. You know, and as was being said, there's lots of room for growth, we
have quite a number of our Tech's doing well over 100 a year based on experience, skill levels based
Okay,

Somebody tells me they’re going in 30,000 a year, 25 30, we pay our tech somewhere within that range

Dave Eccles- a springboard

ow is the job market in Houston area, we know that Texas Medical Center is one of the largest medical
complex in the country. Is there a demand for biomedical electronics technicians in town?

Degree of training

Two year associate’s degree, some people have a bachelors, and you can go further on more training
and certifications.

So the electronic degree that’s required enables you to find equipment, so you must have the Electronic
Engineering Technology associates degree, you need the electronic background or you gonna kill
somebody, so you can’t

Does a biomedical tech work alongside a biomedical engineer?

he biomedical engineer doesn't have the answers. understanding of the medical device itself. I mean,
they do but they need to collaborate.

What skill set do you want to see in a biomedical technician

Good foundation is electronic

Learning how to pm equipment—38.46

Soft skills: willingness to learn, communication skills

It’s a stressful job,

It is when they’re standing in the OR and the doctor’s screaming bloody murder for whatever isn’t
working at the moment—Eccles
In this field how can you keep up with advancments in technology, biomedical equipment, develop
yourself by constantly understanding the new equipment that comes into the hospital. You have to
understand new lingo, different deparment

Multitasking

What is your favorite interview question

About multitasking, analyse how you priotitize, that tells you a lot about their thinking process—Ron

I don’t expect to see a decline in biomed, I expect to see it grow