I studied a Bachelor of Mechatronics then completed a Master of Biomedical Engineering because I wanted to design devices that would bring benefits to patients.
I have been fortunate enough to work on medical devices throughout my career, and this work has been fulfilling in two key ways. Firstly, it allows me to apply a multitude of engineering principles to solve real‑world problems from a theoretical perspective, then produce those designs and see them perform the way you envisioned them (or not). Secondly, I can see the tangible benefits my designs have on the people who use the devices.
An example of this was when I worked on the design of a respiratory device that needed to stand out in a market already saturated with products. Designing a comfortable device that performs well across a variety of facial features was challenging, but by applying design thinking coupled with good engineering, we developed a design that balanced flexibility and adaptability with the right level of firmness. It was immensely satisfying to hear patients say they could not wait for the device to be released, as they wanted to go home with it immediately. I worked in a dedicated, collaborative team, which made the multitude of challenges easier to face.
Medical device development can be confronting, as it is not straightforward and some devices do not even exist yet. There is a plethora of decisions to be made, each with cascading consequences. At IDE, you will learn and practise techniques that help manage these complexities and empower you to provide impactful recommendations on what to do next. You will be exposed to a wide variety of work, as IDE helps clients throughout the entire device development journey, which can involve a vast array of technologies at different stages of development. There is also a variety of different disciplines to collaborate with and learn from.
I work at IDE because, at any given time, there are multiple projects at different phases, with products utilising different technologies and designed for different purposes. Even if I am not directly working on a project, I find it beneficial, as I get to learn how other teams overcome challenges and why they design things a certain way. This means I get to learn about many different things.
You will enjoy working at IDE if you have an inquisitive mind, bravery when going into the unknown, thrive on solving problems at pace, and enjoy continuously learning and applying those learnings.
