The year is quickly coming to an end. We will soon have a new president, but that is not the only change for 2017. The certification renewal process for biomeds is changing (as I noted in my previous column). I think certification has become more recognized over the last decade or so. Now, many senior level jobs require it. I see a big contrast starting to happen in the Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) field.
I was recently reading an article by Barbra Christie from Indiana Purdue University stating that many Biomed (HTM) schools are closing their doors. It was surprising to me. Then, I heard that our local school in Colorado is closing too. At my workplace, we have benefitted from hiring some of the new graduates from the local school. It’s sad to hear it is closing along with many others around the nation. Which leads me to additional questions: Where are we going to get techs? How are we going to know they are ready and able to do the job? One thing that could be an answer is certification. It can set one tech apart from another. I look at job postings I get from different organizations or service companies. There are a lot of openings right now. When I look around at conferences like, MD Expo, I see a lot of people close to my age and that means that in the next 10-20 years several of us are going to be retiring or leaving the profession. So, there is more than one problem present.
First, where are the next generation of techs going to come from? Next, where will they go for training or education? These problems might be easier than we expect. My wife and I were recently having dinner before a concert we were attending. We were waiting on our food and started talking to a lady that was sitting next to us. She had her own business and was a consultant to school districts and public education systems. She asked about our jobs. To my surprise, when I mentioned I was a Biomedical Technician, she knew what it was! That hardly ever happens. She was aware of what type of things we do on a day-to-day basis. She was aware of the shortage in our professional and she said that it is a growing field that employers are having problems finding people for. She said she was working with public schools on how to educate the next generation of workers and how schools can get students ready for the workplace. She was also working on finding how to direct students into something they will do well. It was surprising and nice to know that someone that travels around the country consulting with schools knows about the problems we are talking about. It seemed that she didn’t necessarily have an answer, but did know what it is going to take to get answers for our profession and others that are looking for the next generation of workers.
Once those workers get in the workplace and start working they might be interested in certification. Maybe by that time it will be required? Maybe by that time we will all be licensed or have some other type of registration or something that differentiates us? I think it is coming, especially when we talk about the next 20 years.
My mom is a beautician and she has to be registered with the state of Colorado and has to have her registration on display at her workplace. If it is required for that job, I can see something being required for our job in the future. Don’t wait until it is required. Get started now! Certification is a step in the right direction. I have great hopes for the future of our profession and I look forward to the changes.