How is it already mid-October? I can’t believe how quickly this semester is flying by.
A lot has happened since my last post. Chandler and I have gone full speed ahead on our implementation project, TruVent. As a reminder, TruVent is focused on developing a system that provides feedback to the user when performing bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation. We’ve been busy analyzing all of the data from the clinical study performed by the previous team, and we’re working on a manuscript to hopefully publish what has been accomplished so far. Despite being tedious and frustrating at times (thanks, MATLAB), this data analysis has helped me learn new skills in utilizing MATLAB for signal processing, determining data trends and correlations, and presenting the data in such a manner that helps tell your story effectively. The focus of this project as a whole, and the GMI program in general, is to identify and validate an unmet need, create a solution, and get that solution to the market. By effectively presenting our data in a publication, we can show our readers that there is a need in this space, and that will help us get our solution to the market successfully. Based on several interviews we’ve done, it seems like this device will be highly valuable to clinicians. Chandler and I are eager to start designing and prototyping the second generation of the device, which will hopefully begin at the end of this month. In the meantime, I will continue to work on the manuscript and appreciate my love-hate relationship with MATLAB.
My other big project, which is focused on creating a solution to detect retroperitoneal hemorrhage following femoral artery cardiac catheterization, has also come a long way. In my last blog, we had just finished up a big brainstorming session to think of possible solutions to our need. Since then, we have developed a reimbursement plan, business model, regulatory strategy, clinical trial design, intellectual property strategy, and a low-fidelity prototype. Our prototype is an external impedance sensor that can detect blood in the retroperitoneal space.
One thing I’ve learned: I do not belong in the business world. My MBA colleagues toss out terms in our meetings that I’ve never even heard of, but that’s the beauty of working in a multidisciplinary team—everyone has different expertise and skills. Luckily, my teammates can explain the aspects of this class that are more focused on the business side to me, so that I gain a better understanding, and that works both ways. Now, we have two weeks off to prepare for our midterm pitches, which will be presented to the rest of the class and the professors. I don’t have any experience with giving pitches, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of figuring out the best way to present our information to the audience. At the end of the semester, we will give a final pitch to actual investors, as a start-up company would, which will be a really great experience. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m not ready for the semester to be over just yet.
For our seminar class, I’ve been spending some time doing short informational interviews with different people working in the medtech industry to learn more about the different roles out there and to practice my networking skills. This has been really valuable for me, because I don’t know exactly what role I want to take on after graduation. I guess that’s something I should figure out fairly soon, seeing as how that time is inching closer and closer. One of the people that I spoke to recommended working for a start-up company after graduation, because you get to experience several different roles, as opposed to a single role you would have at a large medtech company. This is another part of my career path that I need to carefully consider. Working for a start-up can be risky, because there isn’t much job security. At the same time, the experience that you can get seems incredible. Luckily, I will get the chance to experience what it’s like to work for a start-up company before I graduate. I recently accepted an offer to work as an intern for Multisensor Diagnostics, which is a start-up focused on the management and care of COPD patients at home. COPD is a chronic disease that often results in revisiting the hospital for exacerbations, and MDx wants to help patients, caregivers, and physicians better monitor this disease in order to decrease hospital readmissions and increase patient quality of life. My job will be to help validate the need and determine other potential markets that can be entered with this product. I’m really excited for this experience, and hopefully it will help me figure out what the next steps are to reach my career goals.
I mentioned in my last blog that we would also be given the opportunity to do several observations in order to identify unmet clinical needs. On Tuesday, I spent twelve hours (yes, 12) with the Harris County Emergency Corps, observing their EMTs and paramedics caring for patients in the field and transporting them to the hospital. This was a really neat experience, especially because I’d never had the chance to actually ride in the back of an ambulance before. I was also able to find several needs through observations and asking the clinicians questions about their work.
This weekend, I flew home to visit with family and friends for a few days. While I was there, I had the opportunity to observe one of my dad’s colleagues in the cath lab. He performed a left atrial ablation, which is a really neat procedure. They use a balloon to freeze certain cells within the left atrium in order to treat atrial fibrillation, which is an electrical issue in the heart that results in an irregular heart rhythm. After they completed the procedure, they showed me how the balloon works in a bowl of saline, and I loved it!
It was really nice to get away for a few days, and now I’m ready to get back to Houston and finish up the semester strong. Until next time!