TOOLS are not required. Our Training Center has all required tools.  Though not needed, if you want to bring your service manuals for your lasers to the course you can do that and we can cross reference it with the procedures we teach to see any differences (if any at all).

AFTER THIS COURSE, THE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER WILL:

Faculty Ken Karst (far right)
going over Argon Laser

WHAT CAN YOU REASONABLY EXPECT AFTER ATTENDING?

As a recent attendee stated: "This Course gives a very good overall view & familiarity with all types of lasers and PM's 
- Service tips associated with all. Good Background".

You’ll be able to perform routine Preventive Maintenance on all of your hospital’s laser systems and perform the power calibrations which are required at six month intervals. This includes procedures such as changing filters and deionizer water, replacing flashlamps, checking alignments, power outputs and failsafes, and cleaning optics, among other things. You’ll also be able to perform most front line troubleshooting and basic repairs - including arm and near/far alignments, and power "tweaking". Remember that even these are going to take you longer in the beginning than someone with more experience. You will need the service manual for each of your lasers which the FDA REQUIRES be provided by the manufacturer. You should NOT expect to come away as an expert on every system you have, or to be able to fix any laser problem as soon as you get home. More complicated problems and in-depth repairs will still require service backup for a period of time. There is a several month learning curve in order to get up to speed on progressive levels of repair. This course give you the core skills and knowledge to get started learning, and the rest you can pick up with periodic practice. The more often you work on the equipment doing routine PM’s and "easy" alignments, the sooner you’ll be able to tackle more difficult problems on an incremental basis. Some of our students have even gone on to become independent laser service engineers within a year or so of attending a course, but this is rather exceptional. A more reasonable expectation would be to perform all the PM’s when you get back, and with 6-9 months of practice, to be able to perform moderately complex repairs. The program is an exceptional primer if you plan on attending a manufacturer’s specific model school - you’ll get MUCH more out of their program. You should keep in mind that even experienced laser engineers need technical backup from time to time, but you should be able to keep this to a minimum. The more in-depth portions of the course in days 4-7 provide more detailed information on specific lasers, but the adage of 6-9 months of practice still holds true. This program covers all the core content of the standardized testing of the NCLE Laser Certification exam to better prepare applicants for this test.

AAMI CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS: This program qualifies for credits for certified technicians. You maintain a logbook documenting this training along with the number of hours (we also provide certificates) and your employer or supervisor will sign off on this logbook. The log is then submitted to AAMI for the credits. Contact AAMI for details.

REFUNDS: Due to the limited enrollment of the course, the program is noncancelable. Click on the link for more information.

Course Dates & Locations - (this takes you to our schedules page for all courses, not just this one)
Courses are held at the Laser Training Center in Columbus Ohio 3 to 4 times per year. Click on the Course Dates & Locations for the listing of all of our programs.

MORE INFO ON TRAVEL, HOTEL, GROUP FUNCTIONS AND GUESTS, PLUS OTHER LINKS

You'll have a letter waiting for you at the hotel upon check-in so you'll know about pickup in the morning, and about the group dinner.

HOTEL: We'll automatically make your room reservations on our reserved block, so you don't need an individual reservation #. Room and Tax will be added to our master account, you'll be responsible for your incidental expenses like parking, phone calls and room service. Check in time is 3pm. When you check in you'll have a letter from us telling you where to meet the next morning and about the program. Click on the DRURY INN & SUITES for more information and pictures of the Hotel. The meeting itself is at the Laser Training Center about a 15 minute drive west of downtown. We'll supply a map & directions when you check in to the hotel, but you'll also see a map up on the hotel page. You'll have a letter waiting for you upon check in that says when & where we'll meet in the morning and about the course. The hotel serves breakfast each day and is included with your room. The first day we'll all meet in the Lobby at 8am, confer about car pooling, and then head out to the Training Center.  In your welcome letter you'll get our Course Director's cell phone number in case you have any problems. After the first day we'll all know each other so you can probably car pool with other students right after breakfast. We start about 8:30 am each morning so if you leave the hotel by 8am you should be OK

AIR TRAVEL, & Rental Car:  You'll make your own flight arrangements.  Port Columbus International Airport has the identifier CMH and is only 10 minutes or so east of downtown where you'll be staying. If you're making your own travel arrangements try these links:  Travelocity, Orbitz.
You can check with any of the standard national car rental companies including Avis, Hertz, National, Budget, Thrifty, etc.. They all have agencies at the airport.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM PORT COLUMBUS AIRPORT TO THE DRURY IN DOWNTOWN. It's a 10 minute quick trip. You will depart the airport, leaving from International Gateway Drive - go straight out west on this road and take I-670W within a short distance from leaving the airport. (If you're picking up a car at one of the off-airport locations, have them tell you how to get on I-670W). Take the US23 (North 3rd Street) exit into downtown, which is only about 5 miles from the airport. Turn right at the first light. Then turn right again at High Street about a block up (dead ends here). Go another block and turn right onto E Nationwide Blvd. The Drury hotel is a  block up on your left hand side, right after the convention center parking.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM THE DRURY HOTEL TO THE LASER TRAINING CENTER:  It's about a 20 minute drive. Turn left out of hotel onto Nationwide Blvd. Turn left at the first light (this will be North onto N 3rd St, or US23), and stay in the left hand lane. Follow the signs to I-670 West and take it. Stay on that and it eventually merges into I-70 West (no turn required - just keep going). You'll get to the West side of Columbus and will take the outerbelt, I-270, to the North. Then take the first exit. This is Roberts Road, Exit #10 from I-270. Turn left onto Robers. On the other side of the freeway you'll see a large Marriott Courtyard on the left hand side and will go just past it. You'll turn left onto Westbelt Road at the first traffic light just past this Hotel & the freeway. This is the Westbelt Industrial Park. The second drive on your left is Diplomacy Drive and you'll turn left there. That dead ends in a short couple blocks at the freeway - turn right at that stopsign. Look on your right and we're in that building at the end - you'll see the sign for the Laser Training Institute. (Yes, I know the street sign there says O'Brien, but the address is still listed as 4243 Diplomacy Drive for some reason).

MEALS: Our group dinner on the second night (subject to change) of the course is provided as part of the course. The location will vary with each course, but it should be one of the restaurants right around the downtown area within walking distance. Lunch is provided each day of the course. Hot breakfast is included with your room each day at the Drury Hotel.

SPOUSES / GUESTS:  These courses are very informal and generally small. Your wife or guest is welcome to meet us for lunch every day and to go to dinner with us (they can even hang around some in the training center if they like). We would ask for their meal costs to be covered. Make checks payable to Prof. Medical Education. Assn., or just give the cash to Greg Absten or Dan Little.

DRESS: All Casual. Definitely NOT formal. Forget ties and jackets. Socks are optional. Wear shoes during course times. You are perfectly fine wearing T-shirts, shorts and sandals for this course. We believe that your intellectual and technical capabilities are a separate issue from the way you dress. We plan on taxing your intellectual and technical capability. Relax with your dress. Watch for the weather however and dress appropriately for the temperature. The group dinner is also casual dress.

LINKS TO COLUMBUS RELATED WEB SITES:  - Just for the fun of it . . . 
(you'll also find a LOT of links of places close by to the hotel on that web page)

Short North District

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