Ben Archambault – '03
Clinical Engineer
Position Description:
Maintain operating condition of all medical devices in a hospital. Follow up on any reported failures. Design and implement software for the corporate office. Modify existing software to meet needs.
Necessary education or experience:
BMET needs only a 2 year associates degree. A 4-year BE has additional opportunities in Clinical Engineering, management, problem solving, and more.
Key skills that are necessary to be successful in your position:
- Good with people
- Being safe
- Being observant and able to record everything with detail
- Knowing electronics principles
A description of your path to your current position:
I got a B.S. in BE, then an M.Div. in Pastoral Ministries. Next, I plan to be certified in Perfusion and then use my BE and Perfusion work in the missions field.
Good (and bad) aspects of your current position:
The good: Biomedical Engineers have some of the highest job satisfaction ratings. Every day is a good day and a good challenge. There is something new and different to do every day.
The bad: Most personnel in a hospital are completely unaware of what a biomedical engineer does. We have to constantly educate hospital staff to make sure that instruments go through us before they get to patients.
What do you enjoy about your current position?
Everything. Decent pay, good work, fun challenge, great people, autonomy.
Any other advice?
No engineer is good at everything. Know what you're good at and what you are weak at. Work on what you're weak at, but perfect what you're good at.
MSOE and Biomedical Engineering
Do you think a degree in BE is a good choice?
Yes. But you can be happy with an associates, too.
Do you think MSOE is a good choice of colleges?
Yes and no. Yes - best education you can get. No - You can get suitable education for less money. Depends on what you want to be - the best or the mediocre engineer.
Why did you choose MSOE's BE program?
It was one of very few accredited programs on the market, it had a comfortable campus, and the faculty seemed aware of the newest engineering and science.
What did you like about MSOE?
Almost everything. It's a safe and secure campus, the professors are brilliant
and genuinely want you to learn, and there are tons of opportunities for large
amounts of financial aid.
What did you like about the BE program?
The professors and the students were my favorite. I also liked the program's emphasis on lab work. The classwork covers a wide variety of subjects and they are all hit very hard - you come out knowing more about mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, software engineering, and biomedical engineering than many engineers that you'll meet who've been out on the field for decades.
What did you like about the student activities and student life at MSOE?
There was also a variety of things to do. From massive boxing glove fighting to free movies, there was something to do at all times.
Now that you have graduated and are in the workforce, are you happy with the education that you received in the BE program at MSOE?
Yes. I'm one of the top Biomedical Engineers on staff in my sector of the corporation.
| For information about MSOE's B.S. in Biomedical Engineering program, contact interim program director Dr. Charles Tritt at (414) 277-7421. |