Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Alum Profile: Brianna Mascaro keeps local hospital running as a biomedical equipment technician

Photos and Story by Misty Bouse

Within one week of her Portland Community College graduation in 2022, Brianna Mascaro found her calling.

Mascaro was hired as a biomedical equipment technician at Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital in Vancouver, Washington. Her dream job involves life-saving duties such as maintaining and repairing medical equipment like defibrillators, sonograms and monitors to ensure optimal patient care.

“I love my job,” she said. “I swear it was built for me. I love helping people and having challenges. I love walking through the hospital and people stopping to ask me about a device. I can help them feel more comfortable with the equipment.”

A mother of three, Mascaro initially struggled to decide on a career path but was drawn to the biomedical field after learning about it from a friend.

“I was never a person who thought about college growing up,” Mascaro said. “Deciding what I wanted to be was an extreme challenge. I knew I needed to have a job where I was physically active and somewhat independent. I have great people-skills and love being part of a team, but I didn’t know where I could go.”

Despite initially postponing her dream due to family responsibilities, she eventually pursued her education with PCC’s Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) Program, fitting classes around her children’s schedules. PCC’s Biomedical Engineering Technology option offers comprehensive training for aspiring biomedical electronics technicians, both in the classroom and through practical learning experiences

“I wanted to work in a hospital but not as a nurse,” she said. “I’m good at puzzles, and I’m good with tools and equipment. So, it fit all the categories and I went to school during what I call ‘mom hours,’ meaning I took classes during the kids’ school hours. Then in my last year of school COVID-19 hit.”

When pandemic forced classes online, she adapted by setting up a lab in her garage and learning virtually, developing strong troubleshooting skills in the process. Mascaro emphasized the satisfaction she finds in supporting others and the fulfillment of helping healthcare professionals provide reliable equipment for patients.

“This field is special to me because I love being behind the scenes helping my community,” Mascaro added. “I feel good knowing that when a patient comes into L&D (labor and delivery) or the ER, they will have equipment that the nursing staff and doctors can rely on.”

Her PCC education equipped her with the fundamentals, although she acknowledges the value of hands-on experience in the field. She recommends biomedical equipment tech careers to those who enjoy problem-solving, teamwork and working with equipment, especially encouraging women to consider it as a rewarding career path. At Legacy Salmon Creek, Mascaro said the biomedical degree from PCC prepared her for all the basics.

“There are things you can’t learn from books and you have to learn with boots on the ground, or in on-the-job training,” Mascaro said. “But from the equipment testing side, the program taught me a lot of terminology and techniques that will always be helpful.”

Mascaro also highlights the program’s preparation for the industry’s Certified Biomedical Technician exam and encourages more young people, particularly women, to join the field.

“I highly recommend this job to strong, hard-working females,” she explained. “We are outnumbered but highly capable. Women are great for places people don’t want men to go, such as labor and delivery where sometimes patients are more comfortable with a female in the room. I also hope more young people get into this field as well.”

For more information about options in electronic engineering, visit the Electronic Engineering Technology Program webpage.