By Steven J. Yelton, P.E., CHTM
The old saying “What was old is new again” comes to mind as I write this column. One of the first articles that I published years ago was on co-operative education and internships for BMETs. Now, “BMETs” are becoming “HTM Technicians.”
The importance of co-operative education (co-op) and internships with respect to training HTM technicians and engineers for that matter, in my opinion is more important now than ever. I believe that the “co-operative” model for HTM education is the future of education for our field.
In the “cooperative education” model, the student alternates periods of in-class education with on-the-job training generally at a hospital, OEM or third-party vendor. Some college programs place students at work sites in the summers between school years for an “internship.” Co-op is much less prominent.
If either model is executed properly, huge advantages exist for the educational institution, student and employer. This is also true of internships. Cooperative education assignments are generally paid and internships are not, but this is certainly not written in stone and I have seen paid and non-paid versions of each.
I’m seeing a shift away from this slice of the educational pie nationally. As budget and curriculum cuts are mandated, it seems that the co-operative education part and, sometimes, the internship part of the curriculum feels the pinch. I feel that this short sighted and may degrade the quality of the training program which could hurt the student as well as the employers who hire co-ops and full-time employees.
This educational model provides the educational institution a partner to provide areas of education that may not be practical or may be cost prohibitive for the college. It enables the student to be trained in areas such as CT, MRI, cath lab, medical laboratory, etc. to name a few. Some colleges have these facilities on campus, but many do not. In my experience, the educational partners have provided leadership help to the program, worked as adjunct instructors, guest lecturers, mentors to students, and have donated equipment and supplies to the program. As a former department chair of a college program, my partners from hospitals and industry played a major role in the development and day-to-day operation of the program. They were a major component of my industry advisory board in addition to full-time employers and alumni. No significant change was made to the program without first discussing it with them.
The employers also had an integral role in the accreditation of the educational program. They met with program evaluators from the “Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology” (ABET) whenever they came to campus.
The student graduates from the college program with significant practical experience in the HTM field. I feel that there is much learned on the job beyond just equipment repair. The student learns the importance of timeliness, work ethic, teamwork, as well as equipment repair and the hospital environment. Many times the co-op or internship employer hires the student full time upon graduation. This is an advantage to both the student and the employer. There are many instances when a student enters a field of study without truly knowing if this is really what they want to do for their lifetime career. In my opinion, the quicker they can enter the job environment and experience what the job entails on a daily basis, the better.
I have had many instances where the student comes back to me after a semester of co-op experience with a renewed vigor for learning more about the HTM field. They have ideas and many times have additional courses that they would like to take in addition to the prescribed curriculum. On a very rare occasion, a student may come back and say that this field wasn’t for them. I have to say that this was very rare in the HTM field.
The employers have the opportunity to have an extended period of time to work with a prospective employee to determine if they would be a good fit for the department. They are able to train the student while paying a lower wage in the case of paid positions. This is a huge cost savings for the employer from the standpoint of getting a productive employee at a fraction of the cost. They are also cultivating a full-time employee. It is a huge advantage for a hospital, OEM, or ISO to have candidates for job openings available whenever they are needed. Many times these employees are able to provided needed help for overworked technicians with such things as: scheduled maintenance, entry level repairs, preparation for accreditation visits, etc.
I feel that this relationship is a win-win-win and I would encourage you, in whatever role you have, to get involved. This can be a rewarding and productive experience for everyone.
Steven J. Yelton, PE, CHTM, is a professor at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College where he teaches biomedical instrumentation courses and is a Senior Consultant for HTM at a Health Network in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a member of AAMI’s Board of Directors, AAMI’s Foundation Board of Directors, Vice Chair of AAMI’s Technology Management Council, Chair of AAMI’s HTAC committee and is a member of the ABET Board of Delegates.