CMIA - Become a BMET



State	About	Contacts	Join	Knowledge Base	Be A BMET	Jobs	Links	Vendor Search


Chapter Map	Bay Area	Capitol Region	Central Coastal	Inland Empire	Los Angeles	Nor Cal	Orange County	San Diego

Click here to learn more about our sponsors

Become a BMET
Be a BMET	FAQ	Many Titles	LAV College	Scholarships	Find First Job

Interested in becoming a BMET (Biomedical Equipment Technician)?

Biomedical Equipment Technicians (BMET) are responsible for the performance and maintenance of a hospital's patient care equipment. Their duties include: maintenance (returning equipment to operational status), preventative maintenance (periodically insuring each of the hospitals thousands of devices are functioning properly), and assisting with the procurement of new devices and contracts, training users in the operation and care of equipment and evaluating failures. With such a variety of equipment and tasks there are opportunities for advancement and diversity while knowing that you are a significant member of the health care delivery team. Click here to learn about the variety of equipment employed in a typical hospital.

Learn more about being a BMET by visiting the Frequently Asked Question page, just click on the FAQ button above. View a presentation by Paul Kelley, Washington Hospital's Biomedical Engineering Department Manager and former CMIA Chair Person, by clicking here. His presentation as a pdf file may be viewed by clicking here.

California’s BMETs arrive at their professions through a number of educational paths including.

•	A two year associates or four year bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology, Biomedical Engineering
•	A two year associates or four year bachelor’s degree in Electronics or Computer Science plus on-the-job training.
•	Military service by completing courses at the Sheppard Air Force Base’s Department of Defense Medical Equipment School .
•	An extensive period of on-the-job training and attending manufacturer’s maintenance classes. Today this path is rare and is usually through transfer from another position within the organization.

In California, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) offers curriculums leading to a certificate or associate degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology and American River College (Sacramento) recently began a certificate program. The most direct way of pursuing a BMET career, LAVC offers courses in electronics, computer science, and biomedical measurement plus cooperative education (co-op) or internship program to expose students to the realities of current hospital equipment and environment. To learn more about these programs click on the school's buttons above. A resource for other states' programs is the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).

The CMIA can help fund your education with a Frank Yip Scholarship. This year two $1,000 scholarships were awarded. Click here to learn more about how you can win one of next year's scholarship(s).

California university programs in Bio Engineering and Biomedical Engineering are not discussed for their emphasis is on design, development, research or preparation for those interested in graduate school.

If you are interested in pursuing a BMET career you are encouraged to visit your local hospital’s Biomedical Engineering department and speak with its management and BMETs, and contact your local college about their BMET program or armed forces recruiter about their educational programs and opportunities. Another general resouce on the web is the AAMI Sudent Section.