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Brief history of the Military BMET Career Field and Training
Program:
- In 1919
the surgeon general of the US Army sent a letter to the quartermaster
general (July 11, 1919) regarding a “central repair establishment
in the medical department to which surgical instruments and delicate
laboratory equipment can be sent for repairs.” (1) Since then,
the field of biomedical equipment technicians and clinical engineers
has continued to change.
- In July 1922,
the first medical maintenance shop was established under the control
of the surgeon general in the St. Louis, MO, medical depot.
- During 1939-1940,
Medical Maintenance was a function of medical supply but there
were no medical maintenance shops at the individual hospitals
or installations. All repairs were handled by the post signal
shop, ordinance, engineers, the manufacturers of the equipment,
or sent to the medical maintenance shop at the depot in St. Louis.
- By the end
of 1941, it was realized that repair shops were needed at the
medical facilities. To accomplish this, there was the need for
an organized Biomedical Equipment Repair and Maintenance Training
Program.
- January 10,
1943, the Surgeon General authorized a 3-month BMET training course
and requested the Adjutant General to publish quotas for a school
to be conducted at the St. Louis medical depot. This was the beginning
of the US Army’s Biomedical Equipment Training Program and the
first such program in the United States with the requirement to
cover a wide variety of medical equipment.
- In 1963,
due to the ever increasing advancement of medical equipment technology,
the school was moved to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Denver,
Colorado – then named The United States Army Medical Equipment
and Optical School.
- In 1999,
another historical achievement was the merging of the Army and
Navy schools with the Air Force, establishing a new training facility
at Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas.
- The BMET
career field is professional health care career field. The military-trained
BMETS, clinical engineers, and managers are in great demand.
- This is
a great career. Let's keep it professional and keep it growing.
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