EBME Forums Forums Management Training how hard is it to change your career into Biomed

Hi there,
Just registered for this forum with the aim of gathering your opinions on how an old timer can get into the Biomed equipment servicing field. Having maintained semiconductor manufacturing equipment for 27 years ( I’m now 44 ) , I’m now looking for some training before the industry I’m in goes the way of the Dodo. There are a few questions I’d like to ask:
(1) Is ageism a problem in the Biomed equipment servicing industry...no point in putting in the effort if no one likes the over 40’s!!
(2) I see Eastwood Park mentioned quite a bit…is this the main training centre in Britain for picking up Biomed equipment knowledge and gaining recognised qualifications or are there other places that I have missed?
(3) Any recommended self study books before commencing any hands on training? I did take a note of “Biomedical Instrumentation: Technology and Applications” by R.S. Khandpur and “X-ray Repair: A Comprehensive Guide to the Installation and Servicing of Radiographic Equipment” by Joseph J. Panichello….are they suitable material?
(4) Are there any Biomed equipment vendor sites in Britain that offer training and what would be the cost?
(5) Are there any Biomed equipment repair companies that would offer training to someone willing to work for nothing just to gain the experience? In my case they would have to be quite near to Glasgow!!

I’m sure as the discussion evolves there will be more questions but I would be extremely grateful if anyone could help to point me in the right direction.

Hello Michael, and welcome to the forum.

Yes, you've definitely come to the right place!

But, regarding your questions:-

1) I wouldn't say that ageism is a problem. Almost the reverse in fact (that is, there seems to be a lack of "young blood").

2) Yes, Eastwood Park remains the best bet for getting foundation training.

3) Any biomed text is worth a read. I used to have a load, but gave them all away a few years back. I would say that they're all much of a muchness. Meanwhile, you could do far worse than while away a few hours with the articles published on this site. Especially General Biomed and Electrical Safety.

4) Yes, many (depending upon which type of equipment). Cost ... not, shall we say, insignificant (it would be better to get your job first, and let them pay for any training deemed necessary).

5) None come to mind (although I could be wrong). Most want ready-trained techs, able to run as they hit the ground, as it were. Let's hope that I'm mistaken here, and that one of them pipes up!

At some stage (once you've made a bit of headway, and perhaps depending upon "how the cookie crumbles" vis-à-vis job prospects), you'll probably need to decide which bit of biomed takes your fancy:- general medical equipment, anaesthesia, medical gases and ventilators, imaging (ultrasound, x-ray etc.) or even laboratory equipment, especially as (in the UK at least) each seems to fall within its own little realm.

You will also need to decide whether you would prefer to settle down in a workshop in an NHS hospital somewhere, or would rather hit the road as a service engineer for one of the manufacturers, suppliers or service companies.

Meanwhile, I would suggest that you spend time trawling through the previous threads on this site. There's hardly anything that hasn't been touched upon over the years.

Hi Geoff and thanks for the prompt reply...seems I'm going to have to trawl a bit more extensively through this site as you suggested. Those site articles look like a good bit of bedtime reading!!
I'm afraid I'm in a position (at the moment) where I'll be self funding any training...not a bad thing I suppose as it makes you more determined to succeed because it's your money!!
In your opinion what sector of Biomed offers the most opportunities (training and job prospects)out of the list you mentioned?

No worries, Mate. You're very welcome.

As an "old-timer" myself I've had the "pleasure" of working on most types of kit, and I would phrase the question you put slightly differently:-

"which sector is the most interesting?"

... to which the trite answer could be "they all are" (or at least, can be)!

It all depends what drives you, I reckon. X-ray (in all its forms) is "cutting edge" in terms of technology, and is definitely interesting. Ditto ultrasound (which can be very "electronic", if that's what you're after). Medical gas related stuff is about gases (of course), and can be a bit "mechanical" ... but again, very interesting. I always liked lab kit myself (very diverse). But, if you want the most rewarding (from a clinical point of view), I would have to plump for haemodialysis equipment. People (patients) who need it won't last very long without it, if you know what I mean.

The bottom line is, I don't think it really matters which sector you go for (and there's nothing at all wrong with being considered a "general biomed"). It's a worthy enough occupation, whichever way you play it. Just get stuck in, and see whether it's for you (I say that because it's not everybody's cup of tea).

I must admit I do feel drawn towards the X-ray/imaging side of things...only because I work on ion implant equipment which itself can be quite cutting edge.

What level of knowledge would be required to make yourself an asset to an employer? Would the course at EWP enable you to meet their criteria or would you have to take a vendor course?

If you go for x-ray or ultrasound etc. and you are already a wizard at electronics, then you wouldn't be spending your money wisely at Eastwood Park. The basic biomed course there is just that, as it was originally aimed at new entrants into NHS EBME departments (that is, "general biomed").

Meanwhile, see your Private Messages (but give me a couple of minutes to compose it)!

Michael
I have been working within the clinical physics and Bioengineering field within the West of Scotland since 1975.During this time I have working with several individuals like yourself who have worked within the semiconductor industry previous to working within the biomed field.Most have a vast amount of technical knowledge which is transferable to our field.

I have not personally witnessed any ageism over my time. As far as training is concerned I suggest that most departments would employ you then tailor an in-house package to suit your needs. This training may also include company training dependant on the type of equipment within the location.In Scotland specifically around the Glasgow region we are using the IPEM Clinical Technologist training scheme which we have found to be successful. I believe that you would probably undertake this type of training within most departments based within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The only downside is that you would most likely be employed as a band 5 initially until you gained a couple of years experience.

I suggest that you check out the jobs at NHS Scotland online recruitment looking under Professional & Technical A & B and Scientific & Professional. http://www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk/version2/byRegion.aspx

Hi Mike,

Working as a biomed can be a very rewarding career and as Geoff says, age is of no concern, ther are probably more Biomeds over 40 than under, which is a bit of a concern for the future. The biggest problem you will encounter is the wages, most people coming into the job especially in the NHS are put on a very low grade to start with and have to climb through the grades to get onto a decent salary. A mate of mine from university applied for a job with us, he had over 10 years experience in the electronics industry and was on about £25K at the time, my bosses offered him a starting salary of £15K!! There is a lot of "snobbery" surrounding the job and certain people try to talk it up into more than it is. But don't let that put you off, most departments will welome someone with maintenance experience. If you are prepared to move round, there are always opportunities to move up the ladder. As for specialising at this stage I wouldn't consider it, it will only narrow your options. There are many manufacturers you could apply to, if successful they will give you all the training you need. Google medical equipment manufacturers in the UK and browse their websites, most have links to vacancies or careers. You might find that starting salaries and progression is better in the private sector.

A thought has just come to mind:-

How easy is it to change your career out of biomed?

Does anybody know of many (or indeed, any) cases of this happening?

And, if not, surely this "says something" about this line of work?

Michael, there's a lot of take about training schemes and courses for biomed equipment but these really are pie in the sky. These courses aren't the main in take for the biomed field (at the moment), most either come from other electronics fields (often after redundancy) or after retirement from the armed services. With your experience I'd imaging that an employer would jump to take you on. Most training can be done when you get the job.

I'm not sure that there's a "snobbery" issue, if anything NHS employers talk the job down. I'd imagine that you've dealt with electronics recruitment agencies before and know what someone with basic electronics experience is worth, half that and you'll get what some NHS managers will want to pay! Try advertising with a agency for £15k and 10 years experience and see what sort of people they'll send you!

Amazingly easy, general electronics experience in some fields is still in high demand, so I wouldn't recommend Michael work for nothing, now I can think of other posts in the NHS that people would really be up the proverbial creak if they had to change career.