Scott Troiano has spent his career familiarizing himself with all aspects of electronics, currently working in the electronic testing, certification, and inspection industry. However, he is also an Engineering Institute of Technology graduate. With EIT, Scott has earned his Advanced Diploma in Applied Electrical Engineering and has now graduated a second time with the Advanced Diploma of Biomedical Engineering.
Like many others who have pursued engineering as their career path, Scott discovered his love for the profession in his younger years.
“I have liked tinkering with things and DIY since childhood but found, after falling into my first engineering job, a real interest in technology (specifically electronics),” he said.
“Also, I love being able to use both my brain and hands to work on solving engineering problems. I believe the engineering industry is one of the few that allows you to apply theoretical knowledge to produce real-world technologies directly.”
After graduating high school in 1996, Scott embarked on a four-year Electronic Tradespersons apprenticeship program that saw him gaining his Certificate III in Electrical/Electronics. During his apprenticeship, he worked for a small electronics repair shop as a Repair Technician before moving on to work for a large electrical products manufacturer as a Quality Control Officer. There, he conducted quality inspections on end products.
In 2002, Scott joined SGS Australia as a Project Officer, which saw him evaluating and conducting safety tests on electrical products, ensuring they complied with Australian standards AS/NZS. This role saw him working on power tools, fans, wiring/cable, and air-conditioners.
Scott then stepped away from work to spend a year traveling. After that year, he joined another certification body named Enertech Australia. He was working as a Safety Testing Officer, conducting safety evaluations of various products, including washing machines, household appliances, and gas cooking appliances.
In 2007, Scott moved across the world to Japan. Proving he could port his skills from one country to the next, he was able to join another certification body named TUVRheinland Japan. Working as a test engineer, Scott was appointed as a member of the equipment calibration staff. He gained experience with evaluating and testing products for IEC, CSA, EN, ANSI/AAMI, and JIS standards working on IT equipment and medical products.
“It was here that my interest in electrical medical devices began. This is also where I first gained experience in the calibration of measurement equipment.”
Before he pursued his newly found fascination for medical devices, he enrolled for the Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering. EIT was one of the only institutions that offered fully online distance learning, allowing Scott to obtain formal qualifications while still working.
In 2012, Scott was on the move again. He was now working as a Project Engineer and Laboratory Maintenance Leader at Intertek Japan. It was in this role that he got his hands on medical equipment.
“Here, I focused on testing and evaluation of electrical medical devices and measurement equipment and gained experience with a wide range of medical equipment. Such as operation tables, X-Ray equipment, dental equipment, medical laser equipment, surgical cameras, microscopes, and ECG”.
Noticing that there was much to learn about the biomedical devices world, Scott felt that he required an academic approach to the field so he could master the industry. Equipped with the knowledge of his previous studying experience, he decided to enroll for the Advanced Diploma of Biomedical Engineering with EIT, graduating in 2019.
During that time, he managed to change roles once more. He began work for yet another certification body known as CSA Group Japan, working as a Product Safety Engineer.
“They were pleased that I was willing to study in my own time. And they were thrilled it was in Biomedical Engineering. I am studying something related to the devices we evaluate at work.”
Scott has settled at CSA Group Japan for the time being and is currently still working there. His daily responsibilities include electrical and mechanical safety testing of medical devices in a laboratory environment, evaluating technical documentation (standards, specifications, manuals), and communicating any information or findings to the medical device manufacturers. The technological development in the biomedical engineering industry is fascinating to Scott. He said:
“For me, the most amazing development in the medical device industry is to do with robotics and medical software. With these two technologies, there are numerous regulations and standards covering the evaluation of such devices.”
The multifaceted world of STEM
When asked whether he thinks people should pursue a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Scott said, “A career in a STEM industry is very rewarding - you will constantly be challenged, which helps you develop new skills constantly.”
“Also, because the skills and knowledge you gain in STEM cover a wide range of industries, there are many opportunities to discover. I believe it is really important to involve children in STEM from a young age, especially more girls, should be encouraged.”
Scott looks forward to taking on more teacher or mentor roles in his future and continuing his progress of becoming a professional in his area of expertise. We commend him for completing not one, but two qualifications with EIT and wish him well as he continues to develop his career and achieve engineering success.