FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS — Eight Purdue School of Engineering and Technology students at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis who graduated May 10 are entering a field Money magazine calls one of “The 5 Best Jobs You’ve Never Heard Of.”
The students were awarded degrees in healthcare engineering technology management. Due to the increasing demand for healthcare, the magazine cites a projected 30 percent job growth rate through 2022 for the field it dubs “medical equipment repairer” — a “still-under-the-radar” occupation.
The School of Engineering and Technology offers associate degrees in healthcare engineering technology management and is one of only a handful in the U.S. that also offers a bachelor’s degree in the discipline. The program has strong connections with four hospitals on or adjacent to the IUPUI campus, enabling it to integrate internships to promote workplace understanding and clinical experience.
Professionals in the healthcare engineering technology management field support technology that saves lives and makes a difference in the care of patients. They play a significant role in equipment planning, purchase, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and on-call technical support that promotes safe and effective patient care.
Rob Magga, one of the eight graduates, said he was drawn to the healthcare engineering technology management program because he was always curious about technology.
“A hobby of mine was fixing some of my friends’ broken screens on their phones and tablets.,” he said. “That’s when I decided where I could put my curiosity to use. I decided the degree is a good fit for me.”
Magga said he expects the internships at local hospitals that the program arranges for students, as well as the tours of different local hospitals, will give him a leg up on landing a job as he begins his search.
Matt Dimino, a 2007 graduate of the program who is employed by a local hospital, said there are lots of jobs available, particularly with vendors who provide services to healthcare organizations.
Healthcare engineering technology management is a fast-paced, ever-changing field that is particularly suited to those who don’t want to sit behind a desk from 9 to 5, Dimino said. Dimino services and provides diagnostic support for X-ray and imaging equipment and is responsible for the transferal and storing of medical images.
Healthcare technology managers work in hospitals supporting the use of technology involved in patient care, as field service engineers specializing in clinical laboratory equipment or imaging devices, as technicians who support non-profit organizations who deliver healthcare technology to developing countries and in medical device sales.