(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Texas State Technical College alumnus Armando Ortiz Jr. has fond memories of when he and his father walked the stage at TSTC’s spring commencement in 2013 and received associate degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology from TSTC’s Harlingen campus.
Ortiz’s father recently retired from Toyota, where he performed maintenance on an assembly line. Ortiz himself worked in the biomedical equipment field for 12 years and this fall returned to TSTC as an instructor in the Biomedical Equipment Technology program.
“I’ve been an instructor for four months,” he said. “It’s been my privilege to coach our students to be the best biomedical technicians in the country.”
Before Ortiz graduated from TSTC, he had an internship at General Electric in Houston that transitioned into a full-time job as a biomedical equipment technician with the same company in Corpus Christi. Before returning to TSTC to teach, he helped open and operate a Harlingen medical facility as its chief technology officer.
Ray Longoria is team lead for TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program in Harlingen.
“Armando’s teaching approach emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world scenarios,” he said. “By having his students troubleshoot medical devices under realistic conditions, he equips them with technical and critical-thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, which are essential for their careers.”
Ortiz said his new role provides him with a new kind of fulfillment.
“I have a passion to make a difference with my students,” he said. “I am transparent about the kind of events and repairs they will experience. That will prepare them for their career success.”
TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology at its Harlingen and Waco campuses, as well as an Associate of Applied Science degree in Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization at the Waco campus.
According to onetonline.org, the average annual salary for medical equipment repairers is $50,600 in Texas, where the number of jobs in that field was forecast to increase 18% between 2020 and 2030.
Registration continues for the spring semester at TSTC. To learn more, go to tstc.edu.
