Posted: January 27, 2016, 10:11am
Last semester as the Biomedical Engineering Department Senator, I coordinated an industry tour visit to Medtronic, a medical device and technology company. 10 students and I drove down to their facility in Irvine to take a look around. The division down there was formally Covidien, which specializes in minimally invasive neurovascular therapies. While we were there, we met up with a bunch of different representatives. The coordinator did an incredible job of gathering a diverse group of hosts: we met process and manufacturing engineers, as well as operators and project managers.
When we first arrived, we split up into two groups and toured the buildings. We also went into the cleanroom and took a detailed look into their production and manufacturing lines. We were so lucky to really see how their neurovascular devices were made. The engineers showing us around explained everything from who designed the assembly machines to how they make their catheters slick and water-resistant. This experience truly gave us a glimpse into the daily operations of a giant medical device company and the importance of the work that they’re doing.
Afterwards, we all got lunch and interacted with a panel of Medtronic employees. Everyone was able to ask all of their questions regarding internships and career paths, and the advice received was invaluable. Because this event was so successful, I am already planning to organize another trip for the end of February. Perhaps we will be able to visit Medtronic’s diabetes site in Northridge or see another company!
Published on July 27th, 2017
Last updated on August 10th, 2017