(HARLINGEN) – For Portland native Matthew Murphy, volunteering at a local hospital this summer helped him discover that the biomedical field was his calling. So, he said goodbye to his hometown to pursue his passion at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen.
The 18-year-old said that there were many institutions he researched, but only TSTC offered him exactly what he was searching for.
“I was looking for a school that had Biomedical Equipment Technology as a major and this was one of the only ones in Texas, so I decided to come down here,” he said. “It’s only two hours away, I figured I can manage. I’m excited to be somewhere else.”
Biomedical Equipment Technology is designed to be 70 percent hands-on and teaches students how to repair medical equipment that is used in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.
“It was a blessing to visit the school,” said his mother, Diana Murphy. “The tour of his room was awesome. My son is very excited about coming to school here.”
Watching your child leave the nest can be difficult, but Murphy’s father is happy that his son isn’t too far away.
“It’s always hard. Matt
hew’s our youngest,” said Larry Murphy. “Him being here isn’t too bad, and we are thankful that it’s close enough for us to be able to come down on a weekend if we want to.”
Biomedical Equipment Technology Interim Program Chair Ray Longoria makes sure that incoming students know that the program is challenging and requires student commitment.
“This program offers students the opportunity to work in one of the most rewarding fields. They will also get the chance to get hands-on with some of the most sophisticated equipment designed to improve and save lives,” said Longoria. “One of the most satisfying aspects of this field is when you get to see a patient being worked on with a machine that you helped repair. It’s one of the greatest feelings to see the accomplishment of your skill.”
TSTC students learn biomedical equipment maintenance and repair on state of the art medical equipment used in hospitals and clinics.
Biomedical Equipment Technology is taught at the Harlingen, Marshall and Waco campuses. For more information visit http://www.tstc.edu/programs/BiomedicalEquipmentTechnology.