Biomed Roundup

Abstract

About two years ago, Lonnie Collins and the Michigan Society of Clinical Engineering (MSCE) started a scholarship for aspiring biomeds and clinical engineers.“We don't want something as simple as tuition to be the obstacle that keeps out the next great leader in our field,” says Collins, a product recall analyst for the Veterans Health Administration in Ann Arbor, MI.Some biomedical societies create scholarships as a way to both help students cover education costs and promote the field. Collins says the idea for the scholarship stemmed from his desire to give back, noting that he had benefited from grants and scholarships. “That is how I got my way through college,” he says. “I have been in the field for over twenty years and have had a great career.”He teamed up with MSCE to create the Larry Scharman Scholarship, named after a former professor at Schoolcraft Community College in southeastern Michigan. A “wonderful” professor is how Collins remembers his former teacher, saying Scharman was instrumental in encouraging him to become a biomed. The scholarship covers one full year, including tuition and books, for an aspiring biomed student at Schoolcraft.Fundraising had been a challenge for the scholarship fund, but the group was able to raise $10,000 to endow it. MSCE found other avenues for fundraising. “We've had some cooperation from manufacturers. They realize that college is the same pool that their technicians come from,” Collins says. “There are other sources beyond asking individuals or biomed department managers to dig in their pocket.”Officials with the North Carolina Biomedical Association (NCBA) say they started small with their three annual scholarships, building to the current award levels. The Eddie Whisnant and Norman “Red” Reeves scholarships give $2,000 awards to students enrolled in a two-year biomedical equipment technician (BMET) program. The Glenn Scales scholarship gives $5,000 to someone pursuing a graduate degree or baccalaureate.“If you have a well-designed program with particular attention to detail, it may not be as hard a sell as you think to secure funding,” says Scales, CBET, a patient safety specialist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, and the namesake of one of NCBA's scholarships. “The Eddie Whisnant and Norman ‘Red’ Reeves scholarships started out with much smaller awards, and were increased several times till their current level of $2,000.”Another challenge is getting applicants. “Every year, we extend the deadline to get someone to apply,” says Eddie Acosta, president of the California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA) and a clinical systems engineer at Kaiser Permanente Clinical Technology in Berkley, CA. CMIA administers the Frank Yip Memorial Scholarship, which gives out at least one $500 award annually. CMIA put its application online, which helped get more applicants, Acosta says.Another important part of a scholarship fund is setting up the criteria and selecting a winner.“Make sure there is no ambiguity in your criteria,” Scales says. “Please consider defining eligibility and exclusions that would create a conflict of interest, such as excluding current board members or selection committee members.”NCBA's selection criteria were established by its board of directors, with significant input from NCBA members and program directors at North Carolina biomed programs. “The selection criteria have been adjusted several times over the years to account for structural and academic changes at the schools,” Scales says.Collins hopes that the Larry Scharman Scholarship and other scholarships across the country will help bring an influx of younger biomeds. “When I was a biomed manager, it was hard getting young technicians,” he says. “It was not uncommon to get people who were in their late 30s, early 40s, even 50. I am not saying they haven't been good workers, but you need young people, too. You need that enthusiasm.”