When the
discussion rolls around to certification, it always brings comments from every
end of the spectrum. Recently, writer Greg Thompson spoke with Biomedtalk
listserv founder and a member of 24x7’s editorial advisory board Michael Kauffman, CBET,
assistant director of facilities at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Reading,
Pa, and got his views on this subject. We invite you to comment on this blog
and add your ideas on the topic—is it important as the profession moves
forward? Can the profession come to a unified agreement?
24x7: In these
economic times, is certification, or credentialing, a good use of scarce
resources?
Michael Kauffman:
I support credentialing and I like to see it. We actually pay a little bit more
to credentialed personnel. It is one of the steps that an employee here has to
reach prior to getting to the top of the payroll. I think it is important, and
I think biomeds are wrong for not uniting and agreeing on that fact.
24x7: Some
biomeds say credentialing is overrated. How do you respond to that?
Kauffman:
Credentialing is certainly more book study than anything. You could just book
study to become a certified biomedical technician. It’s not the same as being
trained to repair a ventilator, for example. You can’t learn that from a book.
24x7: What is
the general feeling among biomeds about the value of credentialing?
Kauffman: I run
one of the biomed list services in the United States, and whenever that topic
comes up it gets insane. There is just a group of people out there who have a
difficult time passing theoretical tests, because that’s what it is. And there
are some people who have the ability to mechanically fix things without the
theoretical knowledge base that the CBET test is. I try to see that side of the
game, and I just can’t.
I can only speak
for the side of why you should get certified, and that is because to folks that
don’t know you, unfortunately, alphabets behind your name mean something, and
it shows a level of education that you obtained—a minimum level in my opinion.
Its sets you apart from somebody right out of high school that is going to go
fix medical equipment, and I have a hard time seeing why someone would not
support it.
24x7 would like
to thank Mike for his time and we again invite your response.
