After years in the making, Rend Lake College will soon be offering a new Associate in Applied Science degree in Biomedical Electronics.  With the degree, technicians can work behind the scenes in the health care field to maintain vital medical equipment.  The 64-credit-hour program will take two years, or four semesters, to complete and includes seven new biomedical electronics courses alongside 12 health care and general education courses.  The new biomedical electronics courses were developed to provide students the skills and training to install, maintain, and repair medical equipment in hospitals, medical equipment manufacturing and service businesses, physicians’ offices, and other health care facilities.  Specifically, these courses focus on electronic fundamentals, including AC, DC, and digital electronic principals, coupled with several biomedical-related courses.  Students also will be required to complete two biomedical internships at medical facilities.  Kim Wilkerson, Dean of Allied Health, said the Biomedical Electronics degree is one that has been in the works for years.  Thanks to funding from the Title III grant, RLC was finally able to develop curriculum and purchase equipment for the program.  Wilkerson also added the degree is a good option for those who like helping others, but who aren’t interested in working one-on-one with patients as a nurse or physician.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for medical equipment technicians are expected to grow at a rate of 30 percent by 2022 – adding more than 12,000 jobs to the market.  Median pay for a technician in 2012 was $44,570.