healthcarenewestdemand

Combine a master’s in electrical engineering, computer science, and high school graduate enthusiasm, and you get just some of the diverse backgrounds of San Jacinto College’s biomedical clinical equipment technician program.

All patient care technology requires maintenance and repair. Houston is one of the largest global medical hubs, which prompted San Jacinto College to launch the program last Fall to meet the medical industry’s newest demand.

College provost Dr. Brenda Jones was instrumental in bringing the program onboard. “The rising demand for health care services and increasingly complex medical equipment will drive employment growth for this profession by 31 percent by 2020,” said Jones. “This program is designed to train professionals to service local, national, and international health care institutions.”

Instructor Michael Brown is passionate about training new technicians. “My goal is that they’re not just employable, but respected technicians,” said Brown. “We also network on campus. For example, we fixed cosmetology facial machines, and are working with allied health faculty to repair some of their lab equipment.”

For 33-year-old Eric Crull, it means joining one of Houston’s leading industries. “I was less than satisfied in my previous work,” said Crull, who has a Master’s degree in electrical engineering. “Given the two biggest industries here are petrochemical and medical, it seemed the way to go. We do a lot of hands-on training that directly applies on the job. This will just add to my degree, and I’m looking forward to my new skills as a technician or taking it back to engineering.”

At 19, Monica Banus joined the program right after high school. “I saw a story in the newspaper and thought it would be a great way to explore this field,” said Banus, currently the program’s only female. “I just want to get my foot in the door and see where this takes me.”

Transitioning was easy for 28-year-old computer science student Jeremy Taylor. “I was looking at going back to school and found this program on the website and felt it was a good fit,” said Taylor. “I’d like to start working at a hospital specializing in something, then later work for a manufacturer.”

Professionals with an associate degree and at least two years of work experience can become a certified biomedical equipment technician (CBET) through the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). According to the U.S. Beaureau of Labor Statistics, biomedical equipment technicians in Houston earn an average of $25.16 hourly, or an average salary of $52,330.

San Jacinto College offers an associate of applied science degree and three certificicate options for the program. For more information on the biomedical clinical equipment technician program, visit

www.sanjac.edu.

 Andrea Vasquez