Surgeons from around the world visit our lab to practice surgeries on cadavers. I get to help with the surgery and explain our tools and implants.
Name: Bridget Howvermale
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Employer: K2M
Location: Leesburg, VA
How has this experience enhanced your engineering education at Maryland? This experience directly applied my classes from UMD. I used my CAD knowledge to design parts and my knowledge of product development, design for manufacturing, and problem solving skills every day at work. This experience brought my education at Maryland full circle and motivated me to continue learning every day.
What new skills have you learned on the job? (Technical, interpersonal, communication) I’ve learned how to use so many different cool machines. I’ve been trained on using a scanning electron microscope, an optical comparator, and an all-electric dynamic and fatigue test machine for bio-materials. I’ve learned all about spinal disorders and the methods used for complex surgeries.
Describe any exciting or challenging projects you’ve worked on so far. Surgeons from around the world visit our lab to practice surgeries on cadavers. I get to help with the surgery and explain our tools and implants. The surgeries are part of a validation process to confirm our designs work in a real body before they’re put on the market.
How have your career or academic goals changed as a result of this experience? Being a mechanical engineer, my options for a career are so broad. I had never considered the medical industry as an option until I interviewed for K2M. Learning about the body and the spine excites me and now I plan to pursue a job in the medical device industry.
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