Inside Look: The Role of a Biomedical Technician
What does a Biomedical Technician (BMT) do?
It cannot be overstated just how critical the role is of a BMT. Professionals in this line of work are responsible for servicing, maintaining, and repairing medical equipment, machines and devices that touch the lives of patients all over the planet.
Their responsibility ranges from handling preventative measures such as cleaning, as well as calibrating various functions of the equipment.
A BMT is acutely knowledgeable of machines throughout hospitals and healthcare facilities that they can confidently disassemble, make repairs to, and then reassemble equipment. In order to maintain this level of expertise and ensure optimal levels of safety are in place for both staff and patients, the BMT must stay current in modern technologies within the medical field.
Certainly there will be times of stress, when perhaps a machine needs immediate tending to, so it’s important for the technician to remain calm under pressure.
Some examples of equipment that a BMT might work with are defibrillators, monitors, x-ray machines, and other speciality machines you’d find in dental or optometry offices.
In addition to technicians using their hands, they will also be adept at working with electric tools, computer software, and smoldering irons in order to service advanced medical equipment.
Where are BMTs employed?
BMTs typically work inside hospitals, healthcare facilities, and other specialty medical practices. Due to the nature of many healthcare businesses being open seven days a week, sometimes even overnight, there are BMTs who will be required to stay “on-call” for emergency situations, i.e. when repairs are promptly needed.
Being responsible for repairing equipment within the medical community means that a BMT could come into direct or indirect contact with patients, which opens up the doors for exposure to illness or disease. Of course safety measures are taken seriously to protect technicians in these situations.
There are instances when repairs are not urgent or life-threatening such as fine-tuning a wheelchair, however some more complex equipment may require regular assessments and maintenance in an effort to avoid major issues.
Are there any educational or certification requirements?
As a general rule, earning an associate’s degree in either biomedical technology or biomedical engineering is appropriate. In some cases, when working with speciality equipment, a bachelor’s degree could be necessary; that degree could also enable more opportunities for advancement.
Additionally, BMTs may be asked to take certification exams, but at this time, technicians are not legally required to to be certified. Some BMTs will focus on an area of speciality, while others have training to service a vast amount of machines within the medical industry.
It is feasible to be hired for a BMT job that only requires on-the-job training, but those roles will likely consist of straightforward, simple repair jobs.
Also, due to the nature of ongoing advancement within the medical space, continuing education is a significant aspect to the job. Biomedical technicians must stay informed and on top of industry changes. Having a team of qualified BMTs is pivotal in order to keep up with the ever-evolving healthcare industry.
From time to time, Auxo Medical hires BMTs — be sure to check out our job postings page for more information.
