In previous Biomed Adventures, we have featured HTM professionals who had a sideline, hobby, talent or adventure worthy of sharing. Usually, there has been a single subject, beyond their work as a biomed, that caught our attention. In the case of Eric Pabon, there are several.
Pabon is a biomedical equipment technician with Biomed Technologies in Mount Arlington, New Jersey. He lives in Pennsylvania. Away from work, he is an artist, a film maker, a prop/model builder and a collector of comics, toys, and film props. That’s enough to keep anybody busy in their off hours.
Comic books were the inspiration for Pabon’s first attempts at taking pencil to paper.
“I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil, but the real power of art entered my world through the comics medium. I grew up reading anything I could get my hands on, and the emotions that a simple illustration could convey were astounding to me,” he remembers.
“I very honestly view comics as one of the most versatile art forms in our culture. There’s a punk-rock aspect to it that speaks to me on some level, where you can use this simple, childish method to illuminate the biggest and most important ideas you can,” he adds. “I write and illustrate, and would love to commit time in the near future to self-publishing some graphic novels.”
Pabon says that movies also played a big role in his life when he was growing up. Films like “Ghostbusters,” “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” were favorites and he developed a fanatical love for these movies.
“Here’s some context for you; the ‘Star Wars Force Awakens’ trailer made me cry – just a little,” he admits.
He says that this period was also something of a golden age for the horror film genre.
“There was no greater thrill than browsing the selection of gore-laden VHS tapes at the local video store,” he says.
It was this love of movies during his formative years that led to one of his hobbies as an adult. The chance to be in the director’s chair was a big bucket list item.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the film making process, and had always wanted to make my own. So one day, I just decided to do it. I wrote a short horror script titled ‘CUT’ as a kind of ode to my favorite childhood slasher films,” Pabon says.
“The script was well received by a friend who works in television, and after a long and amazing shoot – I had the opportunity to cross ‘film director’ off my list. Sometimes you are just confronted with the realization that if you don’t chase whimsy, don’t flex creative muscles, don’t pursue silly passions – you’ll wake up one day with a profound sense of regret,” Pabon reasons.
The love of movies was the catalyst for one of his other hobbies; prop/model building.
“I like to think that my younger self would be really ecstatic to walk into my office and see the hoverboard from ‘Back To The Future Part II’ or a replica of Raphael’s head from the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movie,” he says.
“I’ve learned many different artistic methods over the years, and prop building has now become sort of meditative and relaxing for me,” he says. “I usually either build from scratch, or start with a commercially available piece and customize it.”
Entering the Field Early
Not only did Pabon’s hobbies find their roots at an early age, but his decision to become a biomed did also. Because of his dad, he started working on equipment and was inspired to remain in the field.
“When I was born, he was maintaining the Record and Playback Subsystem (RPS) at a NASA shuttle launch and landing site, and his career grew toward clinical instrumentation. By the time I was about 18, I was being trained on Roche and Olympus lines of chemistry analyzers,” Pabon says.
“I spent many years working with him, learning an awful lot, and performing service and preventive maintenance for many accounts in central and south Florida,” he adds.
Family is still the dominant benefactor of Pabon’s time, ahead of any hobby.
“I married the girl of my dreams – a woman whose love and support know no bounds. We have two incredible children. It’s just an amazing life,” Pabon says. “There is no greater feeling in the world than pulling into the driveway and knowing what’s waiting for you inside – a beautiful tornado of noise, excitement and love.”
Not necessarily a hobby, but a lifestyle choice, Pabon is also into weight training and healthy eating. He enjoys the science of both. He used a personal trainer when he lived in Orlando and learned about using high-intensity training to build muscle.
“Working out in the field used to mean quite a bit of fast-food,” he says. “Training or not – you can’t outrun your mouth. I had put on more than a few pounds as I entered my thirties. In the past year, I’ve been able to reduce my body fat quite a bit by adopting a mostly vegan diet, and am back to a weight that I haven’t seen since my teens.”
On the Job
For the past five years, Pabon has worked for Biomed Technologies. His territory includes New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
“You try to bring your strengths to the table at any company, and luckily I’ve been able to do that here,” he says.
“One day I’ll be performing an electrical safety inspection at a surgery center in Manhattan, the next I’m designing promotional artwork for a trade show. I’m always looking to expand my knowledge base and take on new responsibilities, and they’ve responded to that drive,” he says. “I currently am responsible for a state-wide region, and look forward to growth in my career.”
It may have been a parent’s influence that pointed Pabon not only in the direction of the HTM profession, but also toward his love of things related to science fiction.
“My dad’s influence looms large in my career, and out of that grew a respect for not only the craft, but a love of the sciences in general,” he says. “I think one of the things that attracted me to the world of medical device repair is the detective-like nature of troubleshooting, and the satisfaction that comes with solving problems with scientific and technical literacy (and maybe a screwdriver or two).”
Props to this biomed for managing a busy life full of interests.