In many aspects, the fields of science and engineering are
related closely to medicine. Many scientists work in the health field to
detect, control, or prevent disease. Environmental health specialists use
their knowledge of biology and environmental science to improve and manage
air, water, and other environmental resources. Industrial hygienists protect
the work environment by detecting and controlling disease-producing
agents.Other scientists apply
engineering skills to make significant advances in medical research and in
methods to treat injury and disease. Biomedical engineers use scientific
theory, technology, and computer science to design medical and surgical
instruments, and to create or improve devices that repair, assist, or replace
damaged or diseased body parts.
Scientific research has revolutionized modern
medicine. New drugs, methods, equipment, and technology contribute to the
effectiveness of diagnosis and medical treatment and to the elimination of
the causes of disease and illness. Careers in this field require specialized
training after high school. Many of these professions require a college
degree, and research and development work requires a master’s or a doctoral
degree.
Biomedical Engineer
Biomedical Engineers
research the biology of humans and animals to develop theories and facts, or to
test, prove, or modify known theories of life systems. Based on the results of
this research, they design and develop life-support apparatus using principles
of engineering and bio-behavioral science.
Work Activities
Studying
engineering aspects of human bio-behavioral systems using a knowledge of
human anatomy and physiology
Planning
and conducting research concerning behavioral, biological, psychological,
or other life systems
Developing
mathematical models and computer simulations of human bio-behavioral
systems in
order to obtain data for measuring or controlling life processes
Designing
and developing instruments and devices, such as artificial organs, limbs,
pacemakers, or
ultrasound imaging equipment—to assist health care personnel in observing,
diagnosing, repairing, or
treating physical ailments or deformities
Evaluating
the effectiveness of drugs and other medications
Developing
new applications for energy sources, such as using nuclear power for
biomedical
implants
Teaching,
writing, consulting, and managing laboratories
Biomedical Engineers may work in sales or as field engineers
and install, adjust, maintain, or repair equipment for biomedical equipment
manufacturers.
Career Specialties
Biomedical Engineers may specialize according to their place
of employment and the scope of their work.
Clinical Engineers work to improve and maintain health care
delivery systems in hospitals, clinics, governmental units, universities, and
industry. They supervise the maintenance of biomedical equipment, advise
hospital personnel on the purchase and installation of new equipment,
investigate accidents of equipment failure, and train and supervise biomedical
equipment technicians and others. They may work as part of hospital operating
teams ensuring that critical life-support and analysis equipment is working
properly.
Medical Engineers develop instruments, materials, diagnostic
and therapeutic devices, artificial organs, and other equipment.
Bio-Environmental Engineers use engineering concepts and
technology to maintain and protect the quality of the environment in order to
protect human, animal, marine, and plant life from toxins and pollutants.
Work Settings
Biomedical Engineers work alone or with medical and
administrative personnel; life, social, and physical scientists; and other
specialists. They may direct, train, or supervise technicians and medical
personnel.
Most Biomedical Engineers work in medical, academic,
industrial, and governmental research laboratories and hospitals. Those who
work in undersea and space programs are exposed to a variety of environmental
conditions. However, hazards are minimized by following safety procedures and
wearing protective clothing.
Special Requirements
Many Biomedical Engineers complete
undergraduate programs in electrical, chemical, mechanical or general
engineering before entering a master’s or doctoral program.Hospitals
often require certification for employment. Clinical Engineers may obtain
optional certification from either the Association for the Advancement of
Medical Instrumentation or the American Board of Clinical Engineers.
Biomedical Equipment
Technicians are knowledgeable in the theory of operation; the underlying physiological
principles; and the practical, safe, clinical application of biomedical
equipment. Technicians may be involved in the operation, supervision, and
control of equipment.
Work Activities
Installing,
inspecting, and testing equipment and instruments using blueprints,
written specifications, and standard specialized test equipment
Disassembling
equipment to locate the cause of malfunctioning
Repairing
or replacing defective parts
Reassembling
equipment and adjusting precision components according to blueprints and
written and verbal instructions
Performing
safety checks on electrical and radiation equipment
Adding
to or changing original components to meet specific therapeutic or diagnostic requirements
Training
equipment users to operate equipment safely
Maintaining
inventories of supplies and parts and reordering items as needed
Career Specialties
Biomedical Equipment Technicians may specialize in the repair
and maintenance of specific types of biomedical equipment used in radiology,
nuclear medicine, and patient-monitoring operations. Or they may specialize in
airborne biomedical instrumentation. Biomedical Equipment Technicians may be
designated according to their place of employment or their work activities.
Biomedical Engineering Technicians support biomedical or
clinical engineers in hospitals, large clinics, and many other work settings.
Their work may involve design, construction, development, installation, and
service of biomedical and related technical equipment. Engineering Technicians,
depending on their background in engineering, electronics, physiology, or
medicine, may be expected to substitute for engineers in less technical
activities.
Electromedical
Equipment Repairers work primarily in hospitals. They test, repair, and
provide preventive maintenance for electromedical
equipment, such as electrocardiographs, electroencephalographs, operating room
lamps and tables, and diathermy machines.
Dental Equipment Installers and Servicers install
and maintain electric or pneumatic drill units, dental X-ray machines, plumbing
equipment, and related dental office equipment.
Work Settings
Most Biomedical Equipment Technicians work in hospitals and
large clinics. They work with other technicians and hospital or clinic
personnel under the direction of a more experienced supervisor. Other
Biomedical Technicians work for employers on teams with biomedical or clinical
engineers, medical personnel, and scientists. Technicians who work for
manufacturers may work with engineering, sales, and service personnel. Working
conditions usually are pleasant, but there are physical hazards in this
occupation. Injuries may be caused by lifting or transporting heavy equipment.
Also, Biomedical Equipment Technicians may be exposed to electric shock,
radiation, noxious fumes, and communicable diseases. Hazards are minimized by
following safety procedures and wearing protective gear, such as goggles,
safety shoes, and rubber aprons.
SpecialRequirements
Biomedical Equipment Technicians are not required to be
certified. Employers may hire individuals who have a background in electronics
and train them on the job. However, some prefer graduates of formal biomedical
equipment technology programs. Satisfactory completion of professional
coursework in Biomedical Instrumentation Technology satisfies the academic
requirements to apply for national certification by the International
Certification Commission. Two years of professional experience are also
required. Successful completion of the program does not itself ensure certification.
Each student is responsible for familiarizing himself/herself with the
applicable certification requirements.
Educational Institutions
NAC (A)
For more information, contact:
Association for the Advancement of
Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Industrial Hygienists conduct health hazard evaluations, perform health effects/risk assessment
research, and manage health programs in industries or governmental
organizations. They anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and eliminate
health hazards in industry, the community, or the environment.
Work Activities
•Collecting samples of potentially toxic chemical, physical,
and biological agents for analysis
Preparing
and calibrating equipment used in collecting and analyzing samples
Performing
laboratory analyses of samples
Investigating
the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust, lighting, and other conditions that
may affect
employee health, comfort, or efficiency
Conducting
evaluations of exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and to
noise and vibration
Reviewing
physicians’ and accident reports and conducting studies to determine if
diseases or
illnesses are work-related
Recommending
measures to ensure maximum employee protection
Collaborating
with other health professionals to remove or control hazardous and potentially
hazardous materials
Preparing
reports of observations and analyses, and making recommendations about
industrial
health problems
Using
cost-benefit analysis to justify the money required to make engineering
changes or to
purchase protective equipment
Conducting
or participating in epidemiological research
Participating
in educational training meetings to instruct employees about occupational
health and
the prevention of accidents
Industrial Hygienists who work for enforcement agencies may
help prepare documents to be used in legal proceedings.
Career Specialties
Industrial Hygienists may specialize in a particular area,
such as the collection and analysis of samples or the control of acoustical,
chemical, radiational, or toxicological hazards. Some
Hygienists work in administration, teaching, research, or consultation. Persons
with specialized training in engineering may work as Industrial Health
Engineers.
Work Settings
Industrial Hygienists may work alone or with industrial
engineers, physicians, or other members of an industrial team. Some may work
with governmental officials, environmental groups, organized labor groups, or
industrial managers when designing and developing systems for a healthy work
environment. They may work in industrial plants or in governmental agencies.
Physical surroundings and working conditions of Industrial Hygienists vary.
Some duties, such as collecting samples of pollutants for environmental impact
evaluation, require working outdoors. Such duties as collecting samples from a
workplace or testing the samples are conducted indoors. The hazards encountered
may include those that the Hygienist is working to control, including excessive
noise levels, chemicals, air pollution, or radioactivity.
Special Requirements
An individual who wants to become an Industrial Hygienist
should have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and health,
or environmental health engineering, physical science, or natural science.
Educational Institutions
Environmental Health:
SACC (C); UALR (B)
Environmental Engineering:
UAF (M & D)
Environmental and Occupational Health:
UAMS (M & D)
Research Scientists
attempt to learn everything possible about a particular field of interest and
training. They improve and prolong life by helping to prevent and cure
illnesses.
Work Activities
Performing
research to determine the action of foods, drugs, sera, hormones,
nutrients, and other substances on the tissues and processes of living
things
Studying
disease processes in order to find the causes of illnesses, such as
cancer, arthritis, genetic
diseases, and heart disease
Isolating
and identifying bacteria, viruses, and parasites
Studying
how the immune system works to prevent
illness
Discovering
the ways in which humans lived, worked, and died in ancient times
Developing
better ways to process, store, and use foods, drugs, and chemical
compounds
Conducting
research to find methods of transferring characteristics of one type of
organism to another,
such as in the development of disease-resistant strains of field crops
Performing
diagnostic tests and developing new tests used in the detection of diseases,
genetic
disorders, or other abnormalities
Developing
and testing new ways to treat illness
Designing
and building special laboratory instruments, space vehicles, and
underwater equipment
Writing
reports and scientific papers based on research
Analyzing
mathematical and scientific theories in order to apply them in ways that
will make life better
Career Specialties
Research Scientists may specialize in many different areas
of laboratory work and research.
Biochemists study the chemical processes of living organisms
and the changes that take place during the development of the organisms. They
explain biological functions in chemical terms and contribute to the
understanding of the structure and function of all organisms, tissues, and
cells.
Geneticists study the biology of heredity. They especially are
interested in how traits are transmitted and why they vary from one individual
to another.
Immunologists study the ways in which humans and other
organisms resist illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and communicable
diseases.
Microbiologists study bacteria and other organisms in order to
prevent and cure the diseases they cause. They also learn to use these
organisms in positive ways, such as in cleaning up oil spills or producing
lifesaving medicines.
Molecular Biologists study the structure and function of living
organisms at the most basic level. They study the chemistry and physics of the
smallest units that make up life.
Pathologists study the causes and characteristics of diseases
in order to prevent illness, ease suffering, and increase the productive life
span.
Physicists study the interactions of matter and energy in
theory and in application to our daily lives.
Some Research Scientists combine research with teaching in
colleges and universities.
Work Settings
Research Scientists may work
alone or as a member of a team. Research Scientists with advanced degrees
usually are assisted by laboratory workers who perform routine work. Research
Scientists may work under a research director or may supervise a research team.
Most Research Scientists work
in laboratories. Those who teach also spend time in classrooms. Although
Research Scientists work with plants, animals, chemicals, radiation, and
microorganisms that may cause illness or disease, usually the work is not
dangerous if proper safety procedures are followed.
Special Requirements
The
minimum educational requirement is a master’s degree. However, advanced degrees
are required for many beginning jobs. A doctoral degree is required to conduct
advanced research and to advance to many management and administrative jobs.
Educational Institutions
Biochemistry:
HU, JBU (B); UAMS (M & D)
Health Systems Research:
UAMS (M&D)
Microbiology: UAF (B, M & D), UAMS (M & D)
Molecular Biology: UAF, UAMS (M & D); ASUJ (D)
Pathology:
UAMS (M & D)
Physics:
UAF (B, M & D)
Physiology:
UAMS (M & D)
For more information, contact:
National Academy of Sciences National
Research Council
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Regional Programs
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In many aspects, the fields of science and engineering are
related closely to medicine. Many scientists work in the health field to
detect, control, or prevent disease. Environmental health specialists use
their knowledge of biology and environmental science to improve and manage
air, water, and other environmental resources. Industrial hygienists protect
the work environment by detecting and controlling disease-producing
agents.