Sean
Systems Engineer
Neuromodulation
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Joined Medtronic: 2007 summer internship; 2008 full-time
Why Medtronic: I wanted to work for a company that contributes to improving the lives of people. Medtronic has a great reputation in the medical device industry and is a technology leader in many therapy areas. As an engineer, it's exciting to think about the possibilities for personal growth.
Current role: I'm responsible for high-level design of our deep brain stimulation systems for the treatment of movement disorders. We take proven concepts from technology and research, build and test them into commercialized systems, and then make them available to patients.
Internship role and your impact: I was a reliability engineer in the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management business, developing an innovative accelerated life test system to assess the long-term reliability of our implantable devices. It was very rewarding, because I was able to work both independently and with the support of a great team. Now the test is used to improve future devices.
Most rewarding internship experience: I suggested the idea of College Night, where Medtronic interns represent their school at a college fair for employees' high school-age children. I thought it was a great way for interns to give back to Medtronic by providing firsthand information on their schools. Leading the planning efforts for the event stretched my project management and leadership skills, which has helped me in my current role.
Advice to prospective interns: Take every opportunity to network with employees across the company. Everyone is very willing to meet for informational interviews, and share their insights and personal experiences. I built a network of employees who taught me about various roles across the company, which helped me determine where I ultimately wanted to work. In fact, I was fortunate enough to meet my current manager through networking as an intern.
How your current role supports the Medtronic Mission: Systems engineering is the hub that facilitates the design and development of products all the way through, from design to testing to customer training. We help drive the effort to commercialize products to fulfill Medtronic's Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.
Contributing factors to Medtronic's innovative culture: Innovation is a key priority from our CEO on down. We're all driven to develop best-in-class solutions for improving patients' lives, so we work hard at it. There's a real sense of collaboration toward that common goal and the Mission.
Education:
University of Michigan, bachelor's and master's degree in Biomedical Engineering
Medtronic is committed to providing accessibility to employment opportunities for people with disabilities. If you need technical assistance with the on-line application process, please call Medtronic at (800) 328-2518 (toll free within the US) or (763) 514-4000 (worldwide).
Medtronic is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to cultural diversity in the workforce.
