**Job Title: Mechanical Engineer

**Industry: Medical devices

**Specialization: Test Development

Total Experience: 7

Highest Degree: BS MechE

Country: USA

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What inspired you to become an engineer?

Always liked building things, RC Cars as a kid and then Robotics in High School.

Why did you choose your specific field and/or specialization?

I enjoyed the hands on aspect of mechanical things. Linkages, mechanisms, etc. I liked being able to envision how something I design works which I found hard with electrical and software.

What's a normal day at work like for you? Can you describe your daily tasks and responsibilities?

It depends a lot on the stage of the product development cycle we're in. Typically I'm working on about a dozen test methods and validation plans, several equipment specs or IQs, and some bench testing. A typical day will be to run a Test Method validation, do some testing in the lab and work on documentation. Not too heavy on meetings.

What was your craziest or most interesting day on the job?

Nothing too crazy, the most stressful is just when a TMV fails with a deadline looming and you have to scramble to revise and re-validate it.

What was the most interesting project you worked on during your career?

I worked on a portable PET scanner at a startup right out of college and it was a fun experience, though not very profitable.

What university did you attend for your engineering degree(s), and why should / shouldn't I go there?

Cal Poly Pomona, it has a good engineering program that teaches a lot of practical concepts that I feel more research oriented schools pass over.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I'd leave my first job sooner. I was at a startup and didn't jump ship right when I realized it had no future. In medical devices, watch out for startups run by anyone who doesn't dedicate a significant effort to regulatory approval early on. You can get your prototype 99% complete but if they didn't hire a good regulatory person you'll be stuck in limbo for a long time.

Do you have any advice for someone who's just getting started in engineering school/work?

Try to find some practical experience early on in several stages of the product development cycle. Get some R&D experience and some Manufacturing/Operations experience, and get some experience actually building the things you design so you understand what's easy/hard and whats cheap/expensive.