Advances in medical devices, medical instrumentation and information technology, coupled with reforms in patient care and record-keeping, have created a demand for electronics technicians with specializations in the installation, maintenance and repair of biomedical equipment and devices and the computer networks that connect them. Working with an advisory board made up of representatives from hospitals, clinics, health systems and educational institutions in the greater Philadelphia area, the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) will establish a program in Biomedical Equipment Technology (BMET). The BMET program will provide students with multiple entry and exit points by offering a curriculum composed of two stackable (sequential) proficiency certificates that can lead to attainment of an associate's degree. Students will be prepared for direct entry into the workforce by completing either of the proficiency certificates or the associate's degree. Graduates of the associate's degree program will also be qualified for transfer into a baccalaureate program. One particularly key transfer pathway option is the bachelor's program in Biomedical Engineering Technology at Drexel University, also located in Philadelphia and one of the academic institutions participating on the BMET program advisory board. As CCP is a Predominantly Black Institution, the BMET program will enhance STEM workforce diversity.
The project will advance knowledge and understanding in the emerging field of BMET education through the development and evaluation of the program, with its two stackable proficiency certificates and associate's degree options. Establishing the BMET program will include modernizing an existing curriculum for an Electronics Engineering Technology program by infusing learning experiences that emulate the highly networked environment of medical equipment, medical devices and computers in hospitals and other healthcare environments. Program development will include creating the four new courses of Digital Electronics, Semiconductor Devices, Medical Devices and Medical Devices in a Networked Environment. Through formal coursework, laboratory exercises and internships, students in the BMET program will gain hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art medical equipment and devices. Project outcomes will be evaluated by utilizing a variety of methods. Institutional data gathered from course level student learning outcomes and the annual Quality and Viability Indicators review that all CCP program undergo will be combined with appraisal by the advisory board to evaluate the impact of the program on students and the institution. Surveys of employers and tracking of program graduates will provide information regarding the impact of the program to provide students pathways into technical career and in meeting the needs of the workforce.
