Biomedical Equipment Technician Careers in the Military

Biomedical Equipment Technician Careers in the MilitaryBiomedical Equipment Technician Careers in the MilitarySo you want one of those high-pay, high-tech jobs, and you want the military to give you a head start. But how do you choose a field when tech is so ubiquitous in todays job market? You could play it safe and go for information technology, but what if you want to carve out a more specific niche from the get-go? One option is to specialize in biomedical equipment repair, which Payscale.coms Ask Dr. Salary reports was one of the top technology jobs for veterans in 2012 with projected growth of 27% through 2018. True, the military does train many of its medical professionals to operate in austere environments, where conditions arent so friendly to high-tech equipment and low-tech skills can be your best friend. But they dont dare shun the diagnostic and treatment advantages afforded by the latest technology. Thats why the Army, Navy, and Air Force all train their own Biomedical Equipment Technicians (BMETs) to keep everything from lab equipment to diagnostic imaging tools running in tip-top condition. Education Now that the military has standardized and consolidated all medical training, students from the three service branches attend BMET school together at the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) amotherboard Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. (As of 2012, you can ignore any information out there claiming the course is given at Sheppard Air Force Base or other locations.) The Biomedical Equipment Technician course lasts 41 weeks, beginning with basic electronics and troubleshooting before moving on to cover each of a wide variety of medical equipment categories, including surgical, dental, diagnostic imaging, and information technology equipment. There is also a segment built into the curriculum for each branch to conduct training specific to soldiers, sailors, or airmen. The ultimate goal is to produce technicians who can not only troubl eshoot, adjust, and calibrate biomedical equipment, but perform repairs down to the component and circuit board level because as the Air Forces website aptly observes, when youre in the middle of nowhere, you cant send out for parts, especially when lives are on the line. After initial training, working military BMETs can (and definitely should) enroll in additional certification programs to bolster their performance and credentials. The Army and Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online sites, and the Air Force Credentialing and Education Research Tool, all recommend possibilities such as Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician, Certified Technicians in Biomedical Electronics and Biomedical Imaging, and Certified Specialists in Radiology or Laboratory Equipment. BMETs can also get an edge using tuition assistance and the GI Bill to complete a college-level education like the Community College of the Air Forces Biomedical Equipment Technology degree program. Military Requiremen ts As an enlisted specialty in any branch, entering the BMET field generally requires at least a high school diploma. Normal color vision is a must given the circuit board work. In addition The Army requires a composite Electronics score of 107 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB.) They also expect credit for 1-year high school Algebra or score of 45 or higher on GED Test 5, according to their welcome letter to students at the BMET course.Using their own version of ASVAB scores, the Air Force sets the bar at 70 for Electronics and 60 for Mechanical. (See the difference between Air Force and Army scoring systems here.)The Navy requires prior enlistment as a Hospital Corpsman and a rank of at least E-4 to enroll in BMET training (more on that below.) The Different Service Branches toJoin While it seems like a matter of personal taste, there are practical considerations when choosing between Army, Navy, or Air Force BMET careers. The Army and Air Force both h ave an entry-level Military Occupational Specialty or Air Force Specialty Code for Biomedical Equipment Technicians. As long as the recruiter can find you a slot, this guarantees a fast track to paid training and a career where youll develop a solid resume focused exclusively on medical equipment repair. The Navy, on the other hand, treats BMET as a secondary specialization under the broad purview of Hospital Corpsmen (HM). This means the BMET field isnt entry-level for sailors youd have to enlist as a Corpsman first but there are advantages. BMET is just one of many specializations possible for HMs, so theres more flexibility available over the course of your career, and you could build a wider range of marketable skills. Biomedical engineering blogger Joaquin Mayoral, Ph.D. points out that Navy BMETs are probably the best prepared . . . because they have an insight into the medical professionals needs which no current A.S. or B.S. BMET curriculum can or will ever match. The down side? Theres no stipulierung on a Navy enlistment contract guaranteeing the specialization. Even after you get promoted to E-4 and apply for BMET school, youre not guaranteed a seat. So if you want to join the Navy and study biomedical equipment repair, its best to have an interest in the medical field as a whole with healthy doses of patience and flexibility.

New Insider Guide to Student Fed Careers Released as Report Predicts Wave of Skyrocketing Fed Retirement

New Insider Guide to Student Fed Careers Released as Report Predicts Wave of Skyrocketing Fed RetirementNew Insider Guide to Student Fed Careers Released as Report Predicts Wave of Skyrocketing Fed RetirementNew Insider Guide to Student Fed Careers Released as Report Predicts Wave of Skyrocketing Fed RetirementBaltimore, MD (PRWEB), March 4, 2014A stunning Government Accountability Office report, released January 29th, predicts that more than a third of career fed-workers will be eligible to retire by 2017. Their retirement could produce mission critical skills gaps if left unaddressed, the GAO concluded.These findings shows that the government will need to hire young people and new grads to move toward the future, observes leading fed jobs expert Kathryn Troutman. Her revised and updated 3rd edition of The Students Federal Career Guide has just been released. This guide is a must-have if you want to be among the chosen ones who are hired by the feds, she says. Troutman co-wrote the book with Paul Binkley, EdD, former Director of Career Services at George Washington Universitys Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.The guidebook offers crucial info about the feds new Pathways Programs for internships and initial federal employment. In addition, it features eight examples of outstanding federal resumes that enabled real-life college students and recent grads to land positions with Uncle Sam.Pathways streamlined the process students and new grads use for applying for their first federal positions and made them more accessible through the USAJOBs website, Troutman explains. And there will be other USAJOBS openings that recent grads, including veteran grads, will want to apply for. But in todays highly competitive environment, you need to be armed with special writing techniques to make a hiring manager want to pull your resume from the growing pile.Troutman says the way to make a strong first impression is to supply more of the important d etails in your resume. And there is room in federal resumes as they typically run four pages. She recommends highlighting the most impressive projects, presentations and papers from your college years, along with relevant courses and academic honors.You want to show the skills you developed in college, Troutman says. What roles did you play? For instance, though school projects, an engineering student will have worked on a team, performed tests, done design work and given presentations. If someone can do a great job with a project at school, then they can do a great job with a project at work.This guide is a must-have if you want to be among the chosen oneswho are hired by the feds. Kathryn Troutman,President, The Resume distribution policyFor the first time, Troutman decided to include private industry resumes after each of the eight sample federal resumes in her student guidebook. This makes it easier to understand the striking differences between these two types of resumes, she n otes.All sample resumes are in an easys include Ann Crane, a candidate with one year toward a PhD, who went from a $16.50 an hour job to a GS-11/12 position as a Health Insurance Specialist. Using Troutmans writing techniques and adding more technical skills to her resume, Crane was hired with the first fed job application she ever submitted. Philip W. Sang, a recent grad, landed a Mechanical Engineering position with the US Army Corps of Engineers after adding more details about college projects and an internship to his resume. Jason Jackson, a college student, was selected for a Navy internship. The book includes three resumes for him, to show how a resume can be slanted towards specific interests or positions sought. Jeremy Denton, a veteran from the Marines who recently graduated with a BA in Government and Public Policy, was hired as an GS-9/12 Intelligence Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security.For their military service, veterans get valuable education benefits. The guidebook provides background on these benefits and offers job-hunting tips for vet students and vet new grads in a section just for them. When vets apply for fed jobs, they often get extra points added to their application score. They also get extra time to apply to Pathways as a recent grad. Regular students get 2 years, vets get 6 years.Other helpful features in The Students Federal Career Guide, 3rd Edition include The 11 College Majors that Are Hottest Now and Their Equivalent Federal Job TitlesAn Updated College Major and Equivalent OPM Occupational Series ChartInstructions on How to Read the Federal Vacancy Announcements Scientific and Professional Positions Where Veterans Preference Does Not ApplyBackground on the Federal Student Loan Repayment ProgramApplication Options for Those with DisabilitiesThe 178-page Students Federal Career Guide, 3rd Edition is available through www.resume-place.com in paperback ($11.96) and PDF ($9.95) and from www.amazon.com in paper ($11.96) an d Kindle ($9.99). Organizations, such as colleges or military bases, can license the book for $1500.This book gives you the tools to clearly show decision-makers that you have what they need, say co-author Binkley.About Kathryn Troutman The Resume PlaceKathryn Troutman, nicknamed the Federal Jobs Guru, has over 30 years of experience in the federal marketplace. In addition to publishing, her company, The Resume Place, also offers federal resume writing and federal job-search coaching services. Troutman is a popular federal resume writing trainer at government agencies and military bases worldwide.

The best books to read during your snowy winter vacation

The best books to read during your snowy winter vacationThe best books to read during your snowy winter vacationIf youre like us, you want your vacation read to match the vibe of your trip. So a snowy, winter adventure should get an on-themebook. These are some of our favorites for a cozy read.In the Midst of Winter A Novel by Isabel AllendeNovelist Isabel Allende creates a vivid historical fiction landscape for her three characters. Its platzdeckchen in Brooklyn, with flashbacks to Guatemala and Chile. And, of course, theres a touching love story at the center of it all.Let It Snow Three Holiday Romances byJohn Green, Lauren Myracle and Maureen JohnsonTeen lit lovers, youll adore this collaboration from three fantastic young adult authors. It weaves together three romances over the holidays. Expect holiday cheer and lots of cheese but in the absolute best way.Unbound A Story of Snow and Self-Discoveryby Steph JaggerThis charming memoir tells the tale of Steph Jaggers determination to ski 4 million vertical feet in a single year. From New Zealand to Canada, she overcomes fears, doubters and unpredictable weather patterns to keep hitting the slopes.Unbound A Story of Snow and Self-Discoveryby Steph JaggerInto Thin Air A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon KrakauerDont read this book if youre about to climb a mountain. The author climbed Mount Everest on a fateful, tragic trip where eight people were killed by a storm and even more were left stranded on the peak. But the book is a masterpiece - even if it might convince you that Everest is a nearly insurmountable feat.This article was originally published on Swirled.