This is it. The home stretch. The final countdown. The last stand. The last week in Costa Rica. It has been an experience unlike any other I’ve had.
On the internship side of things, I am pulling out all the stops to wrap up my work and hand it off to the next Establishment Labs extraordinaire. I am putting the finishing touches to the design control process, and it’s turning out great. But alas, the design control process is greater than any one person and relies on a coordinated longitudinal effort by teams of people, and so the design control process will be further refined by the fine folks at Establishment.
Speaking of longitudinal efforts, Costa Rica has not seen the last of me yet. The Consultika and other GMI implementation teams will return soon to work on carrying out projects developed by previous GMI cohorts. We hope to come back and use the knowledge gained from our internship and coursework experiences to make differences just like the companies we worked for.
On the reflective side of things, these past two months have been some of the most impactful in my life. I entered excited for my internship in a foreign country, and I leave with a greater understanding for the unique and wonderful country that is Costa Rica and its fast-paced medical device world. The food has been a novel experience for my palate, changing the way I think about plantains and tortillas. Time itself seems more dynamic with the mindset of Pura Vida and the unique medical device frontier.
But, perhaps, the most important part of my Costa Rican experience has been my interactions with people. From street vendors to coworkers to neighbors, the Costa Rican people have been nothing short of extraordinarily hospitable. They shared their meals, laughs, and thoughts with us, people from a land far away. Even the drivers were courteous. (Houston drivers take note!)
It really speaks to the spirit of the Costa Rican people. They are people who constantly look towards the optimistic future. You can see it in their actions; they are dedicated to the betterment of their communities. That’s why the Costa Rican medical device industry is as strong as it is. That’s why the literacy rate is nearly 100%, and why education is widely available. That’s why they greet each other with “Pura Vida.” The Costa Rican pure life revolves around people.
I hope to embody half as much “pura vida” as the Ticos I have met. It will serve me well in my personal and professional lives. The medical device development process can be challenging, so it’s important to keep in mind “pura vida” when the going gets tough. With this, I am sure we can accomplish new heights in the medical device frontier to revolutionize the healthcare of people across the world, from Ticos to Americanos. I know the GMI team is already implementing “pura vida” in their everyday lives, and we hope we can bring the spirit back to the people of the United States.
¡Hasta luego, Costa Rica, y pura vida!
