When speaking with the leadership team of the Georgia Biomedical Instrumentation Society (GBIS) for an upcoming feature, each was adamant that the biomed field is growing, a sentiment that seems contrary to the constant refrain of “Do more with less” that many biomeds that I speak with lament. They pointed to the increasing specialization of the field, including networking and facilities dedicated to specific modalities, as reasons for the growth.

In my discussions with biomeds, many are frustrated with the lack of personnel available for required tasks. In addition, most find it necessary to continue their education into areas like networking, which they previously were not required to know.

According to responses from the 24×7 2011 Compensation Survey “Among the biggest concerns expressed by respondents was the workload ‘creep’ that has many technology management professionals working longer hours. While it is still not at an epidemic stage—65% said their workload is still acceptable, down from 67% last year—it is an immediate issue for some. Those who answered ‘no’ to workload acceptability overwhelmingly complained that there is not enough staff for the amount of equipment they are expected to maintain.”

What are you impressions of the growth of the industry? Have you seen or do you anticipate the biomed industry to continue growing like the GBIS members assert or do you believe that workloads will increase for a largely static—or diminishing—number of biomeds?