In search of higher education.

A s those haunting dreams of failing an exam start to fade, older Americans are heading back to school. As many as 50% of enrolled students are now classified as " those returning to education, " according to research at the University of Missouri-Rolla. This trend makes perfect sense to Guruprasad Madhavan, who, following basic engineering training in instrumentation and control systems and graduate training in biomedical engineering, is now pursuing both an MBA in healthcare management and a PhD in biomedical engineering from the State University of New York in Binghamton. " Lifelong learning does not mean 'recurrent' training, but a constant relationship with education, " he says. " We should seek advanced education out of a love and passion for knowledge and not just for a chance to succeed or to be rich. " Madhavan represents a growing number of medical technology professionals who are pursuing higher education, from bachelor degrees to MBAs, Masters, and PhDs. They return for a variety of reasons: Employers demand higher skill levels for advancement. Technological developments dictate ever-changing qualifications. And individuals, especially after a number of years on the job, raise the bar on their personal goals. Jeff Maxwell had been a biomed for five years and a CBET for two years when he went back to school for his Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. " There are two pinnacles within the electronics industry: biomedical and defense work. I had done both within seven years of receiving my associate's degree in electronics, " he says. " I knew that I had many years of work ahead of me, and I wanted to do more challenging work. Anyone can find a problem with preventive maintenance and verification checks, as I have, but only through education can someone do something to make it better. " A better understanding of the financial aspects of his organization drew Jonathan Hill to pursue an MBA. " As you advance in your career, you need a good solid educational background, " explains Hill, who has more than two decades experience in the field and currently serves as director of clinical engineering at Bayhealth Medical Center in Delaware. " If employers see that you have taken the steps to improve your educational level, they feel more comfortable allowing you to take a higher position. " Lynda McDaniel is a freelance writer based …