Medical Technology is an interdisciplinary field of study. It has made incredible strides in the past few years. The annual growth of medical technology is projected at 5 percent for 2022. The development of technologies like organ-on-a-chip, mechanobiology, and high-tech wearable devices have changed the way we look at healthcare.
The World Health Organization defines Health Technology as the “application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.” In short, health technology is a merger between medicine and technology to cure, prevent and slow the onset of multiple pathologies.
If you’re keen on getting into medical technology from an engineering background, you won’t need to worry too much about its technical aspect. But if not, you might want to take a look at online certification courses for mechanical engineers to get the hang of the basic concepts of mechanics applied in MedTech. Along with that, you would want to narrow down a subdiscipline in medical technology as it’s a vast field of work.
Let’s look at some certificate courses on medical technology to give you a better idea of what an entry into this discipline might include. The certifications involved in medical technology can be divided into four broad categories:
PATIENT-FACING TECHNOLOGY
Anesthesia Technologist Certifications – Important for graduates looking to become anesthesiology technologists. The certification has to be renewed every two years to ensure the candidate is up-to-date.
Cardiovascular Technology Certifications – This certification allows candidates to conduct diagnostic tests on patients with the least possible invasive techniques.
EMT & Paramedic Certifications – EMT and paramedics are part of the critical healthcare structure. They must be evaluated in critical response measures and life-saving emergency services. There are various certifications available under this category.
Neurodiagnostic Technology Certifications – These certifications are taken to ensure the technologist is proficient in conducting least-invasive diagnostic tests on patients suffering from brain and nervous system disorders and their symptoms.
Phlebotomy Certifications – Phlebotomists must draw blood samples and run diagnostic tests.
Radiation Therapy Certifications – Radiation therapists are part of the oncology department and must conduct radiation therapy on cancer patients.
MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY
Cytotechnologist Certifications – Medical technologists run tests on tissue samples to diagnose malignancy and infectious diseases.
Histotechnician Certifications – Histotechnicians ink thin slices of tissues and run diagnostics on them to detect abnormalities.
Medical Lab Technician Certification – These are rather generalist technicians working on immunology, hematology, dialysis, urinalysis, and other healthcare disciplines.
NATURAL & CLINICAL LAB SCIENCE
Biomedical Science Certifications – This certification will qualify you to devise tests and experiments to learn more about viruses, pathogens, and biological agents. Doctors later use this data to innovate and develop new cures for diseases.
Chemistry Technologist Certifications – They must run chemical tests on tissues and bodily fluids to analyze DNA and cells.
MEDICAL IT & ADMINISTRATION
Health Information Management (HIM) Certifications – Healthcare deals with a mind-boggling amount of data concerning patients. This certification qualifies you to store, maintain and find insights into the data.
Biomedical Equipment Technician Certifications – Hospital staff and researchers work with so many biomedical equipment day in and day out. These technicians are experts who help them maintain these devices.
These are significant certifications available for medical technologists, but the list is hardly exhaustive. To be honest, there never has been a better time for people of all applicable disciplines to take note and contribute their skills to the betterment of healthcare.
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