Nicolás Selman
Chile

"As an engineer without a medical or biological background, I never felt lost. When biological knowledge was necessary, it was clearly introduced at the beginning of each unit."

Nicolás Selman is an electronics engineer from Chile. He participated in the online course Biomedical Equipment: Repairing and Maintaining Biomedical Devices.

What was your motivation for enrolling in this course/program?
I’m an electronics engineer, and I’m interested in maintaining and developing medical equipment in my country, Chile. Here, medical equipment and its maintenance are expensive, and the delivery of replacement parts can take at least a week due to the country’s geographical location. I want to contribute to this area in order to strengthen the healthcare system and improve medical services.

How did/will this course impact your career or life?
This course will enable me to perform better maintenance on medical equipment. If I eventually move into developing medical devices, I can apply what I’ve learned to design more effective preventive maintenance routines, by understanding the most common failure points of each type of device.

How was your experience of learning online?
I appreciated that the course is asynchronous, which allowed me to progress at my own pace whenever I had time. I also liked that it wasn't heavily focused on medicine or biology but instead emphasized the operational theory behind each device. As an engineer without a medical or biological background, I never felt lost. When biological knowledge was necessary, it was clearly introduced at the beginning of each unit.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of taking a similar course?
I definitely recommend this course to anyone who wants to get started in the medical equipment field. It provides a solid introduction to the theory of operation behind various devices. The course is not difficult, so if you're considering it—go for it!