BMET Demand AND Requirements Are Up

BMET Demand AND Requirements Are Up
Author: Jesse Fisher

Biomedical equipment technicians or BMETs represent a growing group of technically trained personnel whose main responsibility is the maintenance and repair of medical imaging equipment such as x-ray, CT scanners, ultrasound, MRI, laser technology and so on. The job outlook for BMETs appears to be brightening as rapidly as newmedical imaging equipment} is being developed.

The need for BMETs is expanding. The increase is due to the expansion in new medical imaging equipment and technologies that require BMET expertise, and, by the necessity for revenue by organizations that own medical imaging equipment. As institutions like hospitals see that downtime on a piece of medical imaging equipment affects revenue production, there is urgency to add BMETs to hospitals to ensure that all medical imaging equipment is maintained in working condition so that expensive service contracts are used as little as they can be. The U.S. Department of Labor and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Imaging (AAMI) predict that the number of jobs available as a BMET in the United States will rise 24 percent to 31 percent until the year of 2010.

Not that long ago, BMETs were trained in the workplace. But, as equipment for medical imaging knowledge has increased, so has the need for consistent, quality training. Now, most BMETs have obtained an Associates degree in medical imaging electronics or an engineering-related study. Recently a study by the AAMI found that 62 percent of all BMETs journeyed on to voluntarily become certified by the International Commission on Accreditation. ICC Certification for BMETs is a formal acknowledgement by the International Certification Commission for Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Technology (ICC) that candidates have demonstrated excellence in theoretical and practical knowledge of the principles of biomedical technology.

The BMET function continues to evolve and, as it changes, the educational requirements have begun to increase also. The BMET job has begun to walk the path of many different careers both within and outside of the medical field where more and more education is needed to serve in a job and/or advance inside a job category.

BMETs say that employers are starting to require bachelor�s degrees for advancement to a higher level or in a few cases just to become a BMET inside some institutions. While this requirement may limit the job options for some BMETs serving right now, the good news is that strengthened educational requirements creates the chance for greater income. Studies have determinedshown|found out} that beginning pay levels for BMETs are from $20,000-$30,000. However, senior and supervisory positions can command salaries as good as $80,000. The future appears good for future salary growth in this field.

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Author Jesse Fisher enjoys composing articles for his clients which includes Transamerican Medical, a business that resells Philips Medical equipment and parts. See also the Medical Imaging News site. (You may republish this article online IF all links are kept intact.)