The majority of programs offered are associate degrees, which qualify a candidate to obtain employment repairing equipment. Options for learning include traditional on-campus learning and distance learning. Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) also offers a bachelor's degree, one of the few such programs in the country. A bachelor's degree qualifies candidates for management positions. The Association of Advancement of Medical Instrumentation offers certification for bio-medical equipment technicians, or BMETs.
Biomedical Engineering Equipment Technology programs are accredited by either the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Training (ATMAE). ABET has granted accreditation to 15 programs throughout the United States. ATMAE has granted accreditation to two programs.
After degree completion, biomedical technicians continue to learn under close supervision. Biomedical technicians learn to maintain and troubleshoot different pieces of medical equipment. Informal education continues throughout the technician's career. Biomedical equipment technicians are employed by hospitals, medical equipment wholesalers, electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance companies and consumer medical rental companies. According to the United States Department of Labor, BMETs held 41,100 jobs as of May 2008, with projected growth in the field being "faster than average." A list of accredited programs is available through ABET and ATMAE.
Biomedical equipment engineering, or biomedical engineering technology, is the repair of electrical, electromechanical and hydraulic equipment used by hospitals and health care practitioners. BMET is often confused with two other professions: biotechnology, which is the use of plants, animals and their cells to develop products for human consumption; and biomedical engineering, the study of complex medical conditions and creation of engineering methods to eliminate them.