From student to biomedical engineer: “I keep hospital equipment safe and reliable.”

Fantastic, instructive, and fun.

It was the first time I lived on my own, and I learned a lot. And with that, I don’t mean only gaining an understanding of biomechanics, cell biology, and signal analysis. It was a process of self-discovery, becoming more independent: I explored who I am, what I stand for, and what I want to achieve.

A funny one is my thesis defence. It was online because the COVID-19 lockdown had just started. Everything had to be arranged at the last minute, and we all had to adjust to using the streaming services, which we initially thought could be limited to the graduation panel. But I wanted my friends and family to join, so I got creative: I used my personal laptop to set up a Skype video call and positioned it in such a way that they could watch me presenting. In the end, dozens of people attended.

It is exactly what I wanted to do: working in a hospital to ensure the quality and safety of the equipment. That was why I chose the Bachelor’s and Master’s in Biomedical Engineering in the first place. In my current role, I make sure the equipment is set up safely, works properly, and stays reliable over time. Besides, it is crucial that nurses and doctors know how to use it, and technical staff know how to maintain it, and I help them through training. Moreover, I advise departments when they want to buy new equipment: I help them decide what would be a sensible choice.

In my team, everyone specialises in a certain area. For example, one of my colleagues specialises in radiodiagnostic equipment such as MRI and PET-CT scanners; others work with medical equipment containing high-energy lasers.

My specialism concerns hospital-wide complex systems. For the past three and a half years, I have been leading a huge project where we replaced the entire call and alarm system in the hospital. The system has many functions, one of which is ensuring alarms from medical equipment, such as patient monitors, are delivered to and handled by the responsible caretaker. We had to renovate every room where the system was installed and train around 1,800 colleagues who work at the hospital. That was a massive operation, and I was responsible for taking a helicopter view. It required not only expertise in construction processes and IT infrastructure, but also an understanding of the connection between medical equipment and healthcare personnel.

I wanted to get out of bed every morning and know that I make hospital care a little bit better. And my motivation got me here. I started emailing hospitals and asking if they needed someone with my skill set and enthusiasm. The ZGT hospital was just about to open a position. Luck played a role, but I was also proactive, and this is very important if you want to succeed.

I gained a lot of knowledge in terms of the design process: how can we implement a certain device or equipment? This includes understanding the healthcare providers’ needs and problems, translating them into clear requirements, designing concepts, choosing the most promising solution, thinking of how to implement it, and validating it.

A lot! I encountered many challenges I hadn't thought about before. For example, I might come up with a system and implement it, but the people who will use it have different views. So, I learned to work closely not only with engineers but also with those who will use the system. Besides, I have to deal with all kinds of regulations, such as the Medical Device Regulation (MDR).

I also picked up a lot about change management: how to bring people along with adopting new medical tech systems, which is a very important part of the job. The Post-Master’s programme Qualified Medical Engineer at the Technical University of Eindhoven was very helpful in this regard.

I have found my place, and I want to continue helping hospitals improve the operation and efficiency of equipment, perhaps at a higher and more responsible level.

You can take your career in many directions with a Biomedical Engineering degree, so don’t worry about making the wrong decision. If you want to work in a hospital, just know there aren’t that many available positions, so don’t wait for the perfect job vacancy to appear. Be proactive and create your own opportunities.