I had another week full of reading, writing, and learning! My supervisors returned this week, and I had the opportunity to meet with them to discuss wrapping up the internship. Because I began working on my projects while they were still very early in their development, I’ve come to realize that it won’t be possible to see them through to completion. While I was a little disappointed that I won’t have a final, tangible product, I know that the work I’ve done will be valuable to my colleagues down the line when they take this project to the next steps.
My two main goals for this week were to:
1. Finish up documenting the research I conducted on the expansion of ultrasound catheter use
2. Continue researching and writing up documentation for my exploratory project
For both projects, I’ve been going into as much detail as possible and ensuring that I fill in any gaps. I’ve actually really enjoyed putting together these documents. It has given me the opportunity to practice my technical writing and ability to create figures and charts, which is something that I am constantly trying to improve. It is satisfying to visualize how much I have learned over the past few weeks about this technology, and I am excited to communicate this information with my colleagues.
I’ve also been reflecting on my time at Boston Scientific. This internship has been a huge stepping stone for me, and I’ve learned so much about the medtech industry, life in the workplace, and myself. As I move forward with GMI and my career, I know that the lessons I have learned in Costa Rica will be invaluable. I want to ensure that I am constantly growing, improving, and pushing myself wherever I go.
Moving forward, my supervisors and I decided that the biggest priority for my final week will be to learn as much as possible about the manufacturing and testing processes. I will be going to the product line next week to run tests, work with manufacturing engineers, and just try to get exposed to as much as possible. I’m really excited about finishing up the internship strong, and taking advantage of my final week in this environment!
Boston Scientific has been an exciting place to be this week! On Monday, the company held an event called BSCx, which was akin to TEDx events. Many Boston employees gave talks about important, relevant issues in the workplace. There were talks on masculinity and gender equality, women in the corporate world, innovation, and more. The event was a pretty important one for the company, and the enthusiasm with which the employees participated was inspiring. It was clear how integral discussion of these issues are to the company’s values. This event made me proud to work at a company that values its employees and their individuality!
This week, the GMI students at Coyol also got the opportunity to work with the English classes. We were asked to come to the classes and give a short presentation about ourselves and the state we are from. Many of the employees at Boston Scientific take English classes here so that they can continue to improve their speaking and writing, and they were excited about the chance to practice with native English speakers. These classes were my favorite part of the week. The students were so enthusiastic and eager to learn about the United States, and I enjoyed telling them all about Texas, my family, and Rice University! I was very impressed by how well they all spoke English and how comfortable they were carrying conversations with us.
This weekend, we got a chance to visit Puerto Viejo in the Limón Province of Costa Rica with some coworkers from Boston Scientific. This is a town on the Caribbean coast of the country, and it has a very unique and distinct culture, and incredibly beautiful beaches. We relaxed in the sun and got a chance to bond with our coworkers. This was our final trip for our time in Costa Rica, and it was one of my favorites!