What does a typical day at Arthrex look like for you?
As a Senior Product Engineer for the Shoulder Arthroplasty team, my responsibilities include designing and developing medical devices from concept to product launch. This involves leading a project team of engineers (from quality assurance, packaging, manufacturing, sterilization and regulatory specialists) to ensure that the devices being developed adhere to the Arthrex design control policy and quality management system.
One of the most exciting aspects of product engineering is that each day is entirely different, but with the end goal being the same: developing the highest quality of products as fast as possible. I find myself performing a myriad of tasks to achieve this goal. On any given day, I could be developing design traceability matrices, creating CAD (computer-assisted design) models and engineering drawings for new designs, or even performing verification activities such as mechanical testing and tolerance analysis to ensure that we’ve mitigated risks to as low as possible. Some days, I’ll perform design validations with our consultant surgeons and product managers in the cadaver lab, ensuring that the devices we’ve developed meet the user needs and are safe and effective for clinical use.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Arthrex gives me the opportunity to tackle the most challenging engineering problems to help surgeons treat their patients better. It’s exciting and inspiring when our surgeon customers tell us that we’ve solved the problems they’re facing clinically. Additionally, it has been a privilege to work with my core team members. It’s amazing to see how everyone is aligned with Arthrex’s mission and willing to help each other out to ensure the projects progress forward successfully.
What has been a highlight during your time at Arthrex?
I’d like to share a story that really inspired me. Early in my engineering career, I had the opportunity to fly to Chillicothe, Ohio, to see one of our consulting surgeons, Dr. Brian Cohen, implant an Arthrex primary total
knee prosthesis into a patient after our team launched a revamped total knee instrumentation set. When I reached the hospital, Dr. Cohen greeted me in the lobby. While we were conversing, I noticed that there was an older female patient with a walker and a gentleman alongside her, smiling and waving with exuberance towards us. Dr. Cohen glanced over and excused himself to go speak with the couple. After he finished his conversation with them, he came back to me and said, "She got an Arthrex total knee yesterday and says she has no pain." I was speechless after hearing this. This was the first tangible experience I had about how our work at Arthrex impacts patients’ lives. Typically, I only hear these success stories anecdotally through the business development group or our consultant surgeons.
Our core value is Making People Better. How has Arthrex made you better?
Arthrex has made me better by giving me the tools I need to be a successful leader and project manager. Prior to Arthrex, I was limited by the scope of my academic projects due to the length of the school term and size of the groups. At Arthrex, I have the luxury of leading a larger project team through the product development life cycle, ensuring successful completion of the project, regardless of complexity. Additionally, one of the most important skills that I’ve developed at Arthrex is effective project planning. This is crucial for delivering a quality product because it identifies and reduces potential risks of project setbacks, provides a shared vision between the team members and stakeholders of what is required by the project, and promotes powerful communication between all team members.
What do you do in your downtime?
Growing up in Cincinnati, I spent a lot of my time hibernating during the winter months. Now that I live in the Sunshine State, my family and I take full advantage of the outdoors. You’ll find me either on the beaches or kayaking/paddle boarding on the gulf waters. On a rainy day, I’ll lay low and learn a new song on the guitar.
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