Biomedical equipment is essential in hospitals and clinics, but these highly complex tools frequently need repairs. A biomedical technician is responsible for fixing these machines so that doctors and nurses can continue treating patients. If you want to become a biomedical engineering tech, you must get the proper education, understand how to fix a diverse array of machines and have excellent communications skills. In addition, you will need to research the different working environments for technicians and find the one the best suits your career goals.
Many of the skills necessary to become a biomedical engineering tech cannot be learned on the job, so education is crucial to this career. Many hospitals and clinics require a tech to have at least an associate's degree in biomedical engineering technology. The coursework studied over this two-year period will provide a firm understanding of the many monitoring and surgical biomedical machines available. Most importantly, you will learn how to repair these tools quickly and efficiently.
During your studies, it is important to learn the repair process, so you can do a good job when you are hired. If you want to become a biomedical engineering tech, it is crucial that you know how to assess a non-working machine and determine what is wrong with it. Like a doctor does with a patient, you must view its external symptoms and often must open up the machine to better understand the problem. It also is important, while in school, to learn to properly repair these devices.
In addition to refining your repair skills, you need to sharpen your communication abilities during your schooling. It is important, when you become a biomedical engineering tech, to speak to doctors, nurses and specialists in order to better understand how a machine is malfunctioning. It also is important to be able to communicate back to these people what the problem is and how it will be fixed. Being a good listener, speaker and analyzer is essential.
Finally, after you have completed school and are competent in all aspects of biomedical electronics, you must find out what working environment is best for you. In order to become a biomedical engineering tech, you must decide between working in a hospital, working at a clinic or working for an independent technology firm. Jobs at medical facilities mean that you will have a lot of repetition and see the same people frequently, but working for a contracted technology company means that you will travel to new hospitals frequently and deal with a variety of malfunctioning equipment.
