Digital transformation in healthcare offers new career options!

While university candidates evaluate vacant quotas during the YKS additional preference period, technological transformation in the healthcare sector also highlights new career options. Programs such as Biomedical Device Technology, Electroneurophysiology, and Health Information Systems Technicians bring together health, technology, data, and artificial intelligence in the same professional field. 

The additional preference process, which will begin after the YKS placement results, offers a new opportunity for university candidates who could not be placed in their desired program or did not make a choice during the first placement. When creating their additional preference lists, candidates are evaluating not only today's professions but also those that will gain importance in the coming years with technological transformation.

Instructor Eyser Kılıç, Head of the Biomedical Device Technology Program at Üsküdar University, explained that thousands of medical devices are used in diagnosis and treatment in healthcare services.

Eyser Kılıç explained why the need for biomedical device technicians in hospitals has increased:

“Thousands of medical devices are used in diagnosis and treatment in healthcare services, and with developing technology, the operating principles, technical specifications, and usage advantages of these devices can change. For medical devices of vital importance to operate continuously and correctly, they require regular maintenance and calibration by biomedical technicians with sufficient expertise in this field. Furthermore, if a possible malfunction or problem occurs in these devices while healthcare services are ongoing, expert biomedical technicians in the field must quickly intervene and initiate the necessary processes. Therefore, the place and importance of medical devices in medicine are undeniable, and biomedical technicians are needed for the continuity of operations throughout the process, from their installation until they become unusable and are scrapped.”

They undertake critical responsibilities from MRI to intensive care

Kılıç emphasized that biomedical technicians are not merely technical personnel who intervene only when a device malfunctions, stating, “Biomedical technicians are responsible for the periodic maintenance and calibration of medical devices, starting from their installation in the relevant units. In case of any malfunction or problem in medical devices, they identify the fault and carry out the necessary work to resolve it. Their duties include maintaining an inventory of medical devices in hospitals, carrying out the necessary procedures for scrapping devices when they become inoperable, and determining the technical specifications of a new medical device in collaboration with specialist doctors.”

Domestic medical device production can provide new opportunities

Kılıç noted that biomedical technicians can work not only in hospitals but also in R&D and production processes, stating, “Biomedical technicians can take part in R&D activities and medical device production processes. Therefore, domestic medical device production provides an opportunity for biomedical technicians to be employed in the production stages in our country.”

Health and technology meet in the same education

Kılıç explained that the Biomedical Device Technology program brings together health sciences and technical sciences, and stated that students take fundamental medical science courses such as anatomy and physiology, in addition to electrical-electronic based courses.

Kılıç stated that students learn the operating principles of imaging, life support, and laboratory devices and added, “For individuals interested in technical fields such as electrical-electronics or machinery, and who want to work with devices used in medicine and healthcare, the Biomedical Device Technology program is a very suitable and enjoyable option.”

Kılıç stated that graduates can work in the biomedical units of public and private hospitals, as well as in technical service, sales-marketing, calibration, quality, and certification departments of medical device companies, and also mentioned the possibility of transferring to related engineering programs with the DGS (Vertical Transfer Exam).

The electrical language of the brain and nervous system is measured

Instructor Cansu Özbay, Head of the Electroneurophysiology Program at Üsküdar University, stated that electroneurophysiology is a healthcare field that measures the electrical and physiological activities of the nervous system with medical devices and assists the physician's diagnostic evaluation.

Özbay noted that electroneurophysiology technicians are involved in applications that measure the functions of the nervous system, primarily including EEG, EMG, and sleep studies, under the supervision of a specialist physician, and pointed out that functional measurements, alongside anatomical imaging such as MRI and CT, are important parts of the diagnostic process.

“A critical bridge between patient and advanced technology”

Özbay emphasized that in epilepsy, sleep disorders, and nervous system diseases, the technician does not make a diagnosis but carries out the technical part of the diagnostic process, and spoke as follows:

“Here, the technician's role is not to diagnose on behalf of the physician, but to correctly execute the technical and applied part of the diagnostic process. The technician's job is to build a critical bridge between the patient, advanced technology devices, neurophysiological recordings, and physician evaluation.”

Brain-computer interfaces can change the future

Özbay, stating that developments in neuroscience are directly reflected in the field of electroneurophysiology, pointed out that brain-computer interfaces, AI-supported signal analysis, neuromodulation, and wearable neurological devices will gain importance.

Özbay stated, “As brain-computer interfaces, neuromodulation, AI-supported signal analysis, wearable neurological devices, and advanced neuromonitoring systems advance, the importance of technical competencies for collecting and interpreting EEG and other biosignals may increase. The advantage of an electroneurophysiology graduate here is learning both human physiology and how to work with biomedical devices.”

Neuroscience and technology meet in the same profession

Özbay stated that the program offers a different option for young people interested in both the brain and technology and said, “If you are interested in the question 'How does the human body work?', there is the neuroscience aspect. If you ask 'How do I measure this system with technology?', there is the device and application aspect.”

Özbay stated that electroneurophysiology graduates can work in public and private hospitals, neurology and neurophysiology laboratories, sleep centers, and neuromonitoring units, and mentioned that students, upon graduation, possess not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience with specific devices and clinical applications.

Digitalizing hospitals seek employees who understand both health and informatics

Asst. Prof. Burcu Dündar Ertemiz, Head of the Health Information Systems Technician Program at Üsküdar University, stated that a large portion of healthcare services, from appointments and patient records to examinations, reporting, and billing, are now managed through digital systems.
Ertemiz stated that knowing only information technologies is not enough in the healthcare sector, and spoke as follows:

“It is also necessary to understand how healthcare services operate, the terminology used by healthcare professionals, their needs, and the quality of the data used. Health Information Systems Technicians are precisely at the intersection of these two fields. The need for human resources who are familiar with the healthcare sector and also understand information systems and technology is becoming increasingly visible with the digitalization of healthcare institutions.”

A bridge between healthcare professionals and IT teams

Ertemiz stated that the scope of work for Health Information Systems Technicians cannot be limited solely to technical support and added that graduates can work in various digital processes such as Hospital Information Management Systems, electronic health records, data management, and user support.
Ertemiz emphasized that the profession creates an important bridge between healthcare professionals and IT teams and said, “There is a need for individuals who can understand what a healthcare professional needs and evaluate it in terms of IT processes.”

“Accurate and reliable health data is needed for artificial intelligence”

Ertemiz noted that artificial intelligence, big data, mobile health, remote healthcare services, and wearable technologies are becoming increasingly widespread in the healthcare sector and stated that data forms the basis of these technologies.

Ertemiz said, “To get accurate results from an artificial intelligence application, you first need correct, organized, reliable, and secure health data. For this reason, the importance of employees who understand health data, can use information systems, are conscious about data security and privacy, and can adapt to new technologies is constantly increasing.”

An alternative for those who prefer working with technology over patient care

Ertemiz stated that working in the healthcare sector is not limited to only medicine, nursing, or direct patient care and emphasized that hospitals also need a strong technological infrastructure.

Ertemiz said, “For a student who is interested in healthcare but says, 'I want to work with technology, computers, and data rather than direct patient care,' Health Information Systems Technicianship offers a different option,” and added that young people who are curious about technology and love problem-solving could consider the program.

“Two years is a considerably long time in terms of technology”

Ertemiz, drawing attention to the speed of change in technology, stated that some applications currently discussed as new could become part of the daily operation of healthcare services in two years.

Ertemiz said, “Two years is actually a considerably long time, especially in terms of technology. We might see some applications that we talk about as new today become part of the daily operation of healthcare services in two years. Therefore, we believe it is more important to equip students with competencies that allow them to adapt to different fields, rather than approaching them with a specific position or job guarantee.”

Ertemiz noted that graduates can work in hospital information systems and IT departments, as well as in health software, digital health, data management, system integrations, and AI-supported health applications, and stated that new areas of work will diversify further in the upcoming period.

Ertemiz emphasized that students should not view the two-year education solely as a diploma process; they should support themselves with internships, IT skills, and sectoral developments, and said, “The healthcare sector is changing, and a significant part of this change is happening through technology. For young people who want to work in healthcare but feel closer to technology, informatics, and data, this program is an important alternative.”