This week, I was excited to start my internship at Boston Scientific in Heredia. On Monday, all of the Boston Scientific interns in GMI traveled to the Coyol site to complete orientation. I learned a lot about the company mission statement and how Boston Scientific makes quality and patient care a top priority, which are both really important to me. After listening to a few presentations and completing some paperwork, we were able to take a tour of the facility. My favorite part about the day was touring the clean rooms, where we saw many catheters and guide wires being assembled. I had never been in a manufacturing environment before, and it was really amazing to see how quickly all of the employees worked together like a well-oiled machine. I had heard that Boston Scientific in Costa Rica had some of the best manufacturing lines in the world, and seeing them work in-person was a really great opportunity.
Later in the week, Annie and I were able to start our internships at the Boston Scientific in Heredia. The Heredia facility is right in the valley, surrounded by mountains, and you can even see the ocean through the mountains on a clear day. I am working as a Design Assurance intern in the Interventional Cardiology and Peripheral Interventions department. Prior to starting work, I did not have a very good understanding of what design assurance was. As described by one of my new coworkers, it is “Quality R&D.” From what I learned last week, my department manages complaints about our products from people in the field and makes the necessary design changes to correct those problems. Specifically, I will be helping the department sustain guide wires, micro catheters, embolization coils, and lead placement catheters. I have always been really interested in cardiology, so I am very excited to learn more about interventional products from an industry perspective. I had a great first week meeting the team, learning about the products, and reading lots and lots of SOPs and WIs. While I still have a lot of training to complete, I am looking forward to working with an amazing team of engineers, improving my technical skills, and hopefully contributing something meaningful to the company.
Yesterday, we took a day trip to Irazu Volcano near Cartago. I had never visited a volcano before, so this was a new experience for me. Once we arrived after navigating the winding, mountain roads in our huge bus, it was almost like we were on a different planet. The fog had rolled in across the dark craters, and we couldn’t see more than a few yards in front of us. Once the fog cleared, we could see a bright blue lake at the bottom of one of the craters. It was uniquely beautiful, and I’m happy we made the trip up to see it. We also visited an amazing tortillería and an abandoned, “haunted” sanitarium in Cartago on our way back to Escazú. After a fun weekend, I’m looking forward to another week at Boston Scientific, learning more about working for a large medical device company.
Crater at Irazu Volcano
Abandoned Sanitarium in Cartago