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Biomedical Equipment Technician
Image a person lying in a hospital bed hooked to a heart monitor and ventilator. If these machines are not working properly, the person could die. Thanks to the work of biomedical equipment technicians, these machines will be functioning properly, prolonging the patient’s life.
Biomedical technicians assist patients recovering from health problems while not having to witness a lot of blood or gore. Biomedical technicians also install equipment, train new employees, calibrate and maintain machines. Likewise, biomedical technicians work with the newest medical technology such as combined PET/CT scanners, and robotic radiosurgery units, equipment used to destroy tumors without harming the surrounding cells. People wanting to become a biomedical technician only need to earn a 2 year degree. After graduating, graduates will have numerous job opportunities and stable employment. Biomedical technician jobs will not be outsourced to foreign countries, and technicians will operate state of the art remote diagnostics equipment. For example, if a MRI machine broke down in Texas, a technician in another state could diagnose the problem.
Biomedical equipment technicians may experience tremendous stress. If a heart or lung monitoring machine were to quit functioning, a technician would have to diagnose and solve the problem immediately. As a result, technicians need to possess the aptitude to repair equipment and reprogram the computers operating the machines. For example, technicians are often required to reprogram an automatic infusion pump, a device notifying health care professionals if a dose of medication could harm a patient. Biomedical equipment technicians must understand computer software, hardware, and networking.
Usually biomedical equipment technicians are required to be on call 24 hours a day one week per month. However, technicians usually will only be called in once or twice a week.
Next time you are walking through a hospital and hear the sounds of life saving equipment coming from patients’ rooms, thank a biomedical equipment technician.
Salary Data
Median (8 years of experience): $49,000
25-75 percentile (8 years or more of experience): $46,100-63,400
Biomedical equipment technicians working for equipment manufacturers, holding certain certifications, can earn salaries exceeding $90,000.
Education
Biomedical technicians are required to hold a 2 year associate degree of applied science.
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