How to Become a Biomedical Equipment Technician – A Career Plan

Become a Biomedical Equipment Technician

Medical Equipment Technician Resources…

Interested in becoming a biomedical technician? The following is designed to serve as a basic career guide, and to point you toward further resources.

  1. Take a course of study that’s rich in math and science. Take vocational or applied courses as well as theoretical ones, and build your problem solving skills.

    Meanwhile, participate in career fairs and look for opportunities to job shadow.

  2. Participate in extracurricular or leadership activities. This is not just a matter of gaining experience to put on a college application. You are also building your people skills. Technicians sometimes report that they were hired not because they had greater technical knowledge than other new graduates but because of who they were and how they conducted themselves at an interview.

  3. Research two- and four- degree programs. A bachelor’s level program may give you more preparation for working with specialized equipment like imaging. You will want to consider the program’s reputation and graduate placement rate as well as what certifying exams candidates are prepared for and how they typically perform.

  4. Complete admission requirements. There may be an academic placement test. You may need to take algebra or other prerequisites.

  5. Complete degree requirements. The program will probably include an internship that lasts a few months. You won’t know all the skills on Day 1, but you can impress your supervisor with your positive attitude and your desire to learn. Internships do sometimes turn into permanent jobs after graduation.

    Meanwhile, you may want to become a student member of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Imaging (AAMi).

  6. After graduation, take the beginning steps toward certification.

  7. Use all available resources to find a position. You can use online job boards as well as professional contacts that you have made. Online searches may be conducted through AAMi or Bioiformatics.com. Also check AAMi site for job fair information.

Personality Traits: Good biomedical technicians have strong people skills as well as mechanical ones. They can trouble shoot and solve problems independently.