Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
Biomedical Equipment Technicians work behind the scenes at health clinics, hospitals,
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 47,000 jobs in this field and that’s projected to grow at least four percent by 2026.
Texas State Technical College Biomedical Equipment Technology lead instructor David Sanchez said that demand for the program’s graduates is expanding throughout the state in cities such as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Odessa with a starting salary, on average, between $20-28 an hour.
According to Sanchez, the program has a job placement rate of almost 90 percent and many Biomedical Equipment Technology students receive job offers before, if not soon after graduating.
What is the length of the program?
The program is five semesters, or two years.
What can a student expect when they graduate?
When a student successfully completes the program, they will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree. Students in the program can also earn additional certifications such as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10 certification, a fiber optics certification and certifications as Biomedical Electronics Technicians and Biomedical Imaging Equipment Technicians.
What skills do you learn in Biomedical Equipment Technology?
In this program students will learn the foundations of and be trained in areas such as electronics, soldering, electrical blueprint reading and calibration, and medical gasses. It is these skills and more, in addition to hands-on training that will help the students become successful technicians.
What types of technology are being used to teach these skills?
Every Biomedical Equipment Technology lab is equipped with industry-standard equipment that students can expect to use when they enter the workforce. Equipment such as infusion pumps, patient monitors and oxygen concentrators will be used for hands-on training.
How do these skills prepare the student for the workforce?
In addition to hands-on training in the classroom, students also have the opportunity of working as interns during their last semester. Students are placed in a hospital or clinic setting where they practice the skills they have learned in class.
What kind of positions can a graduate from this program obtain, and where can they work?
A graduate of the Biomedical Equipment Technology program can expect to work at clinics and hospitals across the Rio Grande Valley. Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, McAllen Medical Center, Valley Baptist Medical Center,
