Dave Scott, CBET, president of the Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians (CABMET), talked about CABMET’s successful certification study group program and offered tips for others interested in forming study groups of their own, during the second annual Biomed Society Roundtable. The roundtable was held this month in Baltimore, MD, during AAMI’s Annual Conference.
Scott noted that the following are important points to consider when organizing a study group:
- Start early. Our study group starts seven weeks before the test date. This gives everyone plenty of time to study each area.
- Organize into subject-based sessions. CABMET organizes its study group into subject areas based on the Applicant Handbook. Our class meetings are: Anatomy and Physiology; Safety in the Healthcare Facility; Fundamentals of Electricity, Electronics, and Solid-State Devices; Medical Equipment Function and Operation; Medical Equipment Problem Solving. The classes don’t have to be in this order.
- Get help. CABMET has received help from other professionals willing to help our group. Don’t try to have one person teach everything. We have an RN teach the Anatomy and Physiology session. We have a retired electronics instructor from one of our local community colleges teach the electronics section. Spread the knowledge around. See if your hospital safety officer will teach the Safety in the Healthcare Facility section. Try to get people who specialize in the subject areas, and show them the content of the exam from the handbook. This should help them set up their class. This is a good way to interact with other medical professionals, and most of them are honored that you would ask them for help. Sometimes honorarium pay helps too.
- Ask others. CABMET has asked other people who have taken the test what they remember about it. That way you don’t have to start from scratch. A lot of the information needed to study for the test is available online as well. There are many websites dedicated to specific areas.
- Develop practice tests. We have a series of practice tests that a few of us have gotten together and made. We update them from time to time. We try to go over different items from notes or items from the handbook on our practice tests. This gets members used to taking multiple choice tests. It also teaches them to read the questions and answers thoroughly.
- Hold a post-test meeting. We always hold a post-test meeting, where we discuss what was on the test and what questions we were unsure of. We take notes on this and incorporate it into our next study group. Most people feel they have barely passed or barely failed the test. This is normal, and they are very willing to talk about it. We usually take extensive notes during this discussion and sometimes record it and make notes to be used in later study groups.
Scott provided the following example of CABMET’s November 2005 study group schedule:
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9/21/05 |
Fill-out applications to take the test. Go over highlights from the handbook and the requirements to take the test. |
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9/28/05 |
Safety in the Healthcare Environment |
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10/5/05 |
Medical Equipment Function and Operation |
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10/12/05 |
Fundamentals of Electricity, Electronics and Solid State Devices |
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10/19/05 |
Anatomy and Physiology |
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10/26/05 |
Medical Equipment Problem Solving |
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11/2/05 |
Test-Taking Skills. Practice test questions. |
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11/5/05 |
Certification exam |
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11/5/05 |
Post-Test Meeting |
Scott told roundtable participants that he also encourages people in the study group to form smaller groups to study outside of the formal study group sessions. These groups might be made up of co-workers or other neighboring hospital BMETs.
