BMET Career Highlighted in Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune newspaper recently published an article highlighting the biomedical equipment technician (BMET) career choice, noting that jobs in the field are growing. The article explores BMET education and training, job outlook, and more.

The article also says that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that demand for biomedical equipment technicians will increase at a much faster pace than the average for other occupations, growing at a rate of 31 percent between 2010 and 2020.

The article’s author, Steve Milano, notes that “as doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals come to rely on machines and devices to help them diagnose and treat diseases and conditions, jobs for technicians who service and repair these machines are growing.”

Milano adds that “biomedical equipment technicians are at the forefront of installing, maintaining and repairing a wide array of medical devices, from x-ray, optometric and patient monitoring machines to ultrasound, MRI and other imaging devices and even less-complex equipment such as hospital beds and electronic wheelchairs.” 

The article also suggests that a BMET’s “career path can expand into management-level positions.”

Gabriella Cs-Szabo, PhD, associate dean for the graduate college at Chicago’s Rush University, tells the Tribunethat "technology is expanding rapidly, and specialists who are well-trained and flexible with their knowledge will get the jobs. These people will be on the cutting edge not only in using up-and-coming technology, but also in helping research and test it. They can also get job developing this new technology, as well as selling it.”

“AAMI and its Technology Management Council have been working hard to raise awareness about this exciting and important career option and the entire field of healthcare technology management” says Patrick Bernat, AAMI’s director of healthcare technology management. “So it’s very gratifying to see a major newspaper like the Tribunepublish this helpful information for those who might consider pursuing a career in the field.”

Tech and Verbal Skills Emphasized

Shortly after the Tribune article ran, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. offered advice on where it saw the greatest opportunities for employment growth over the next few years. Among the fields expected to experience strong employment gains are healthcare, medical technicians, and human factors engineers and ergonomists.

While these areas might require a lot of technological know-how, the so-called soft skills—communication and customer service—should not be neglected, the firm emphasized.

“Those who concentrate on courses related to math, science, engineering and technology will probably have the widest array of options upon graduation. However, it is vital not to overlook critical coursework in writing, public speaking, and courses that sharpen your critical thinking skills. While technical skills are in high demand, employers across the country consistently lament the lack of writing and communication skills that are essential in any profession one might pursue,” said John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, in a prepared statement.

In its career resource section, AAMI has posted an article about how the Biomedical Technology Department of the Tucson, AZ branch of Brown Mackie College helps its students learn “soft skills,” including written and verbal communication. The article, which originally appeared in the March/April edition of BI&T (Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology) is available here.

AAMI Initiative

AAMI has launched a major initiative to promote the value of the healthcare technology management (HTM) field to hospital executives, clinicians, information technology (IT) personnel, and prospective students.

The centerpiece of the unprecedented campaign is a series of marketing materials that can be used to promote the field, which includes clinical engineers, BMETs, and others who manage healthcare technology.

The materials include:

• Posters promoting specific attributes of members of the HTM field, including their expertise on safety issues, financial stewardship, and state-of-the-art technology
• Fact sheets
• Four information sheets to promote the field to specific audiences

The materials are available for free and can be downloaded at www.IamHTM.org. Additional resources will be added throughout the year.

The complete Chicago Tribune article is available here.