High School

There are a number of classes you can take in high school to help you prepare for this work. Science classes, such as chemistry, biology, and physics, will give you the science background you will need for working in a medical environment. Take shop classes that deal with electronics, drafting, or blueprint reading. These classes will give you experience working with your hands, following printed directions, using electricity, and working with machinery. Mathematics classes will help you become comfortable working with numbers and formulas. Don't neglect your English studies. English classes will help you develop your communication skills, which will be important to have when you deal with a variety of different people in your professional life.

Postsecondary Training

To become qualified for this work, you will need to complete postsecondary education that leads either to an associate's degree in biomedical equipment technology, electronics, or engineering from a two-year institution or a bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university. Most biomedical equipment technicians choose to receive an associate's degree. Biomedical equipment technology is a relatively new program in some schools and may also be referred to as medical electronics technology or biomedical engineering technology. The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation offers a list of biomedical equipment technology and related training programs at its Web site, https://www.aami.org/professionaldevelopment/content.aspx?ItemNumber=3952&navItemNumber=641.

No matter what the name of the program, however, you should expect to receive instruction in such areas as anatomy, physiology, electrical and electronic fundamentals, chemistry, physics, and biomedical equipment construction and design. In addition, you will study safety methods in health care facilities and medical equipment troubleshooting, as it will be your job to be the problem solver. You should also expect to continue taking communication or English classes since communications skills will be essential to your work. In addition to the classroom work, many programs often provide you with practical experience in repairing and servicing equipment in a clinical or laboratory setting under the supervision of an experienced equipment technician. This experience might involve participation in an internship, co-op, or volunteer opportunity. In this way, you learn about electrical components and circuits, the design and construction of common pieces of machinery, and computer technology as it applies to biomedical equipment.

By studying various pieces of equipment, you learn a problem-solving technique that applies not only to the equipment studied, but also to equipment you have not yet seen, and even to equipment that has not yet been invented. Part of this problem-solving technique includes learning how and where to locate sources of information.

Some biomedical equipment technicians receive their training in the armed forces. During the course of an enlistment period of four years or less, military personnel can receive training that prepares them for entry-level or sometimes advanced-level positions in the civilian workforce.

Other Education or Training

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation offers continuing education opportunities at its annual conference on imaging, patient safety, management, and other topics. It also offers information about training resources on its Web site, https://www.aami.org/AAMITraining/?navItemNumber=10123.

Certification or Licensing

The Board of Examiners for Biomedical Equipment Technicians, which is affiliated with the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), maintains certification programs for biomedical equipment technicians. The following categories are available: biomedical equipment technician, radiology equipment specialist, healthcare technology manager, and industrial sterilization specialist. Contact the AAMI for more information. Although certification is not required for employment, it is highly recommended. Technicians with certification have demonstrated that they have attained an overall knowledge of the field and are dedicated to their profession. Many employers prefer to hire technicians who are certified.

Students should obtain as much experience in the field as possible by participating in summer internships and part-time jobs at hospitals and biomedical equipment manufacturers and in related settings. 

Biomedical equipment technicians need mechanical ability and should enjoy working with tools. Because this job demands quick decision-making and prompt repairs, technicians should work well under pressure. You should be extremely precise and accurate in your work and enjoy helping others—an essential quality for anyone working in the health care industry. You should also have good communication skills in order to work well with medical professionals and other technicians, as well as with patients (since you may be occasionally called in to repair a piece of equipment while it is in use). Finally, you should have excellent analytical thinking skills and be adaptable and flexible to positive and negative change and a considerable variety of challenges in the workplace.