About the Society

What is CMBES?

The Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society is Canada's principal society for engineering in medicine and biology. It is a member of Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) and affiliated with the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE).

The Society's aims are twofold: scientific and educational: directed toward the advancement of the theory and practice of medical device technology; and professional: directed toward the advancement of all individuals in Canada who are engaged in interdisciplinary work involving engineering, the life sciences and medicine.

The CMBES organizes national medical and biological engineering conferences in various cities across Canada. In addition, the CMBES conference sponsors seminars, which include peer-reviews, technical paper presentations, exhibits of current medical devices, a continuing education program, workshops, symposia, and networking opportunities.

The CMBES Clinical Engineering Standards of Practice (CESOP) was published in 1998 and revised in 2014. These guidelines outline criteria for health care institutions on the management of medical devices, promote the professional development of its members, and outline the education and certification requirements for clinical engineers and biomedical engineering technologists and technicians.

The Society actively represents the interests of biomedical and clinical engineering to various government agencies by providing advice, submitting briefs, and reviewing documents. These agencies include:

  • Accreditation Canada
  • Health Canada
  • Ministries of Health
  • Canadian Hospital Association
  • CSA Health Technology Program

The CMBES facilitates communication among its membership and other agencies by regularly publishing a newsletter and the proceedings of all conferences and seminars. A career booklet is also available for guidance counsellors and employment centers. The Society also maintains an information document pertaining to biomedical engineering education available in Canada.

CMBES Strategic Directions 2015

The first phase of our strategic planning process has been completed. You can find the "CMBES Strategic Directions 2015" report at the members only section. The status of the prioritized initiatives will be updated continuously.