Why Should I Become Certified?
by David Braeutigam, MBA, CBET
Many BMETs question the need to become certified. Some jobs require certification while others do not. So why should a BMET consider certification?
I believe there are three main reasons for certification. One is it may be required for your current job or for a job in the future. Second, it demonstrates competency in our field. Third, it should be a matter of personal pride to become certified. I will explain each below.
If your job requires you to be certified, then it goes without saying you should obtain this if you want to keep your current job. But what if your current job doesn’t require you to be certified? My recommendation is to get your certification completed before it is required. There is nothing worse than finding the perfect job and you are short on one requirement. It could be education, certification, or someone else. We all know that you can’t get certified overnight. It takes several months of studying and applying for the certification test. So prepare for the test, fill out the paperwork for the test and pass the certification test so you are prepared for the future. Many biomed jobs now require certification as a requirement. At Baylor Health Care System, becoming a CBET is one step in obtaining a Senior BMET position. Leadership and experience are the other requirements. Don’t miss out on that new job or promotion because you have put off getting certified. Salary surveys show that certified BMETs earn more than non-certified BMETs.
We have all heard BMETs comment about a CBET they knew that ‘couldn’t troubleshoot themselves out of a bag’. This could be said for any profession. Whether you are a doctor, nurse, respiratory therapist or other medical professional, we have all seen someone who does not appear to be competent in their field. Our field is very complex and requires a wide range of knowledge. Just because someone is certified and does not demonstrate the competency you feel they should have, should not prevent you from getting certified. Take it upon yourself to demonstrate your competency by becoming certified.
Finally if you still cannot find a reason to become certified, then I hope you are in the biomed field because you are proud of what you do for the hospital. Having an external body such as the International Certification Commission place their stamp on you as certified should mean something to you and to others. It means you have passed a standardized test that covers all aspects of the biomed profession. I know some of you will say “I don’t take tests very well”. Definitely some of you take tests better than others, but we have all had to take tests to get to where we are today. You cannot graduate high school or college without taking and passing a series of tests. You cannot drive a car without having to pass a test. Not taking tests very well should not prevent you from becoming certified. There are numerous CBETs that took the test several times before they finally passed. They had many reasons for this. They could have been nervous during the test. They might not have studied enough for the test. Others feel they may have over prepared for the test and their minds were numb while taking the test. Regardless of the reasons, they finally passed the test.
So why did I become certified? My former director was pushing me for years to become certified. I put it off several times as others took and passed the test. Finally a new BMET in our shop decided to get certified. I finally decided there was NO WAY he was going to get certified before I did. So four of us took the test and three of us passed it – including the new BMET and me. So for me it came done to personal pride. I was not going to let a new BMET pass the CBET test before I did. I am glad it forced me to take the test. It is over and the only things I have to worry about now is recertification every three years.