Biomedical Engineering Student Co-Op

As per the current Public Health Orders (Long Term Care/Seniors Assisted Living Provincial Health Order and the Health Sector Order), as of October 26, 2021, all employees working for Providence Health Care must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required.

Are you a student of biomedical engineering looking to put your skills into practice working alongside experienced biomedical engineering technologists and clinical engineers who are eager to share their knowledge?

Do you want to be part of an experienced and diverse interdisciplinary team with a fantastic culture in a hospital setting, gain valuable hands-on experience, and make a real difference in people’s lives by doing impactful work in public healthcare?

The Lower Mainland Biomedical Engineering (LMBME) consolidated group under Providence Health Care is currently accepting co-op applications for our Biomedical Engineering Student Co-Op. You will be assisting with preventative maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs of electronic medical equipment, following established procedures and documenting your work. You will have the opportunity to work on a variety of medical devices and systems, from infusion pumps and patient monitors to ventilators and x-ray equipment. This is an excellent opportunity to apply your classroom learning in a real-world setting and gain valuable experience that will set you apart when you return to school. LMBME is a consolidated group that supports a wide variety of sites and clinical settings from hyperbaric chambers to operating rooms, allowing you to diversify your experience and work with a range of interdisciplinary teams from Fraser Health Authority, Providence Health Care, Provincial Health Services Authority, and Vancouver Coastal Health. 

As a Co-Op Student, you'll be able to see how our Biomedical Engineering Technologists play a crucial role in medical device maintenance, ensuring our clinical teams are able to provide the essential services that make up the robust public health care system in our province. Being a Technologist with Providence and LMBME means joining a tight-knit and supportive departmental working environment that fosters a sense of community amongst professionals dedicated to patient care. As a member of our Technologist team, you have access to incredible opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, mentorship, and professional development. Technologist roles with Providence also offer a very competitive benefits package for eligible employees, from medical/dental benefits (including unlimited massage and physiotherapy) and pension plan to paid vacation and the stability and job security of a unionized position.

If you'd like to be considered for and learn more about our student co-ops, apply today! No cover letter required. 

Please note that this is a hands-on, medical device maintenance-focused co-op and not a clinical engineering co-op. We post openings for clinical engineering co-ops separately.

LMBME - who we are:

Lower Mainland Biomedical Engineering focuses primarily on health care technology management by providing a wide range of technical and engineering expertise. Under Providence Health Care, LMBME serves four health organizations in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia:

• Fraser Health Authority (FHA​)
• Providence Health Care (PHC)
• Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
• Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)

LMBME acts as the technology resource and manages medical devices throughout their entire life cycle; starting from the planning for purchase and development of specifications stage, through the purchasing, implementation, maintenance, and finally, end of life and disposition stage. LMBME's 190+ technologists support more than 100,000 medical devices spread across 27 major hospitals and additional sites such as correctional facilities, dialysis units, etc.

LMBME also plays a key role in technology management related to patient safety. It conducts medical equipment incident investigations, monitors medical equipment recalls and alerts, and identifies potential hazards with medical technology.

Curious about what life would look like after graduation? Here's some of what we offer our Biomedical Engineering Technologists:

• Great life-work balance, with a standard Monday to Friday 8AM-4PM schedule instead of shift work and weekends 
• Competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefit package for eligible employees 
• Opportunities for hands-on training with vendors and experienced mentors
• As a single-point employer for all public hospitals throughout Greater Vancouver, opportunities to transfer sites and explore a wide range of medical devices, clinical settings, and specializations
• Pathways to leadership and specialization in networked medical devices/cybersecurity/data integrations

Providence - who we are: 

Providence is a non-profit healthcare provider with over fifteen sites, including a large tertiary hospital in the heart of Vancouver’s beautiful and vibrant Downtown, a smaller community hospital in the idyllic Mount Pleasant neighborhood, one of the largest referral centres for rehabilitation in British Columbia, and five long-term care facilities, as well as other clinics. 

As a leading teaching and research organization, and the provincial referral center for Cardiac, HIV/AIDS, and Renal Care, we provide services ranging from acute and long-term care to leading substance use and addiction treatment supporting some of BC’s most marginalized communities. Guided by the motto “how you want to be treated”, delivering exceptional patient and family-centered care is our mission.

Why Providence and LMBME?

Curious about working in public health care, the culture of our teams, or what a future as a Technologist with LMBME would actually be like? Check out the video below to meet some of the members of the team you'd be working alongside and see the spaces you'd be working in:

Working at PHC

The BMET Student will work alongside Technologists at various sites throughout the Lower Mainland Health Authorities. Students will take part in technology management initiatives including:

• Installation and commissioning of medical devices
• Clinical workflow integration and implementation
• Demand or corrective service/repairs
• Preventive and scheduled maintenance
• Cybersecurity
• Software/Hardware upgrades
• Decommissioning and disposal

General activities and experiences include:

• Picking up pending work orders and associated equipment
• Completing inspections on vital sign monitors, infusion pumps, bedside patient monitors, etc.
• Participating in training/in-service
• Cleaning/organization of project and storage spaces
• Orientation and training on the provincial CMMS database
• Interaction with healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, etc.
• Exposure to LMBME business processes (alerts management, incident investigations, capital procurement, etc.)