Clinical Engineering Intern
Company: Lifespan
May 2018- August 2018
As a Clinical Engineering Intern my main task for the summer was aiding the department with Rhode Island Hospital’s multimillion dollar switch to GE devices. In this role I was able to participate in several meetings between GE and the clinical engineering department to work out the details and terms of this large deal. I also helped to prepare the materials and paperwork for these meetings. This role was essential in my growth as a professional and provided great insight into the behind the scenes working of a hospital and how business deals are conducted in the healthcare industry.
The secondary portion of this internship was to assist with the maintenance of all of the medical devices at Lifespan’s three main hospitals. I traveled to multiple sites with the clinical engineering team to diagnose and repair medical equipment. This included routine maintenance on various models of hospital beds and helping to reprogram IV pumps. I also successfully completed a solo project to collect the documentation for all of the medical devices and create a digital organization system for these documents.
During my time as an intern I was also given the opportunity to observe multiple surgical procedures. This included being present in the operating room for stent placement and CABG procedures and extensive exposure to the anesthesia and cardiac perfusion portions of these surgeries. There truly is nothing like seeing a patient’s rib cage ripped open live and in person.
Overall, being a Clinical Engineering Intern provided me with ample and varied experiences in the healthcare industry.
