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Clinical engineers combine medical and engineering knowledge, with career opportunities in hospitals, industry, and consulting. They oversee medical equipment systems, design and develop medical equipment, and provide information on global health organizations. Training covers medical and engineering subjects, and people skills may be required. The need for clinical engineers has grown, but job availability may be limited.
At a fundamental level, a clinical engineer combines an understanding of modern medicine with a thorough understanding of engineering. It’s often the type of work that can open up a lot of career opportunities for a person, and many of these careers rely on wildly different skill sets. A clinical engineer working in a hospital might think of him as primarily a technology manager, helping to choose equipment and manage maintenance staff. If a clinical engineer gets a job in an industrial setting, he could be involved in anything from medical equipment design to sales. Clinical engineers can also work in a wide variety of independent consulting jobs.
Clinical engineers working in hospital environments or in asset management tend to oversee medical equipment systems. They also deal with finance, data processing and staffing, particularly in the hospital setting. Clinical engineers sometimes look at new technologies and train staff in their use. Individuals in this job who work in industry help design and develop medical equipment. Those working in the private practice field can provide information and insights on national or global bodies such as the World Health Organization.
Due to the growing importance of technology to the medical profession, clinical engineers have become more necessary. As the complexity of medical technology increases, medical staff need constantly updated training to handle this equipment safely and keep it working properly. It is also believed that the rising cost of this equipment has made hospitals more cautious about maintenance and has driven them to get more specialist help.
Someone who wants to become a clinical engineer will train in a mix of medical and engineering subjects, but specific training can vary depending on specializations and other factors. The engineering portion of the training is generally extensive, covering all aspects that any other engineering career would require, as well as specialist subjects that are specifically useful for clinical engineers. On the medical side, training deals with everything from physiology to studying the operation of medical equipment. Depending on the specific job they are looking for, clinical engineers may also need certain people skills related to dealing with patients, medical staff or customers, in the case of sales jobs.
While the need has generally grown for clinical engineers, the actual number of available jobs is not necessarily extensive. Specific hospitals do not always employ as many clinical engineers and there can be a lot of competition for industrial jobs and consulting positions. Those looking to enter this career may need to be flexible about the specific type of work they want and willing to relocate if a job opening becomes available in a distant location. Even if a specific clinical job is not available, many lucrative job opportunities can often be found elsewhere.
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