Job Placements- December 2016 Graduate Students
THOMAS EDWIN SCHEURICH III
Thomas starts working with MedStar Innovation Institute, Washington DC as a Usability Analyst, this February. MedStar is a healthcare system with ten hospitals in the DC-Baltimore region. They operate as a nonprofit Institute for Innovation providing decision support for selection and use of technology in MedStar hospitals, and consulting services for innovators.
In his new role as a project manager in the usability division, Thomas is assigned to lead FDA Human Factors Evaluations for consulting innovator teams and also provide analytical support for internal situations and decisions.
“The key thing the MPE program has given me is the ability to walk into this job confidently. Also, in classroom project work, I experienced first-hand how crucial it is to design for usability. This allowed me to shine in the interview.” -Thomas. Thomas was one of the outstanding students in his class of the MPE program and CMI strongly believes he will excel in his future endeavors.
SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND
Samantha is currently working as a Human Factors Engineer for Bayer AG, Pittsburgh. In her current position, it is critical to interact with users, understand their perspectives and practices as they interact with their current medical devices or systems and then to translate that information in making the products safer and more effective.
Samantha explains, “The main take-aways from the MPE program that helped in this line of work consisted of interacting with physicians, performing clinical observations, and becoming familiar and versed in FDA and international regulations.”
Samantha was awarded the 2016 Spirit Award by CMI during the Fall 2016 end-of-semester celebrations. CMI wishes Samantha success in her career at Bayer AG.
THOMAS WESLEY MCDOWELL
Thomas has been selected for an R&D Leadership Development Engineer position with DePuy Synthes, a Johnson & Johnson company.
Thomas got in touch with Johnson & Johnson through the career fair at the University of Pittsburgh. He recommends all future students to attend these career fairs. He was able to get job opportunities through the MPE program with companies like Zoll LifeVest and Philips. He received a job offer from Zoll LifeVest for the position of Human Factors Engineer.
“The program actually caught the eye of companies in the Pittsburgh area and put me on the short list for candidates to be interviewed. The program enables students to get in front of many potential employers in the area for internships.” -Thomas. CMI wishes Thomas a bright future at DePuy Synthes.
PRIYA RAVI
Priya is currently working as a Software Engineer at Philips Respironics. More specifically, her role entails Mobile Application Development. Priya got her job interview through the co-op fair held at the University of Pittsburgh.
The background in medical devices that Priya gained during the MPE program helped her during her interview. Her undergraduate background combined with a master’s education in Bioengineering with MPE specialization made her a perfect match for the job. “While my full-time offer was purely based on my performance as an Intern, my manger was also pleased with my contributions to Philips project (Robotic assistive device for proper inhaler use) which was taken as part of the prototyping class. Being a part of the Robotics project enhanced my programming skills thus helping me achieve my career goals.”-Priya. CMI congratulates Priya on her new position and wishes her a bright future.
DOUGLAS ROBERTS
Douglas works as a Design Quality Engineer at Philips Respironics. His job responsibilities include supporting new and sustaining product development programs and leading proactive design assurance activities facilitating the development and release of high quality products. Doug also ensures standards and process compliance providing guidance and support during investigation and resolution of product quality or compliance issues.
“I definitely attribute much of my success with landing a job to the CMI/MPE program. Before starting my Masters, I came from a non-technical background with a degree in biology and found it difficult to get a job. The MPE program opened up a lot of doors and gave me hands on experience through various projects. I gained valuable experience that allowed me to build my resume and made connections that helped me to land an internship at Bayer (Medrad). This additional experience, both in industry and in school, helped me to land my job at Philips.” -Doug. CMI wish Doug a bright future at Philips Respironics.
ADAM S. CZIBUR
Adam is working as a Human Factors Engineering at Bayer Healthcare, Indianola. In his line of work, Adam has to interact with users, understand their perspectives and try to accommodate their needs in the medical devices. During the MPE program, as part of his courses, Adam had the opportunity to interact with clinicians and medical professionals. He performed clinical visits, observed procedures and analyzed unmet clinical needs. This prepared him for his for his job as a Human Factors Engineer. CMI wishes Adam success in his career at Bayer Healthcare.
JOSHUA FROST
Joshua was offered a job as a Software Developer at Health Monitoring Systems (HMS) Inc. HMS Inc. is a healthcare company that aims at providing Public Health officials with the tools that enhance their ability to safeguard the health of the communities they serve. A master’s education in bioengineering through the MPE program helped Joshua gain the skills necessary for getting this job. His background in software engineering and the knowledge gained in bioengineering made him a perfect match for this job. The program helped him get an internship at Philips Respironics resulting in full-time employment. CMI wishes Joshua success in his career with HMS Inc.
Written by: Yash Mokashi, CMI Fellow