At Trine University, we always emphasize the value of CPT (Curricular Practical Training) paid internship opportunities. We highly encourage our international students to participate in CPT as this is the gateway to high-level, highly-paid employment post-completion in the USA.

Angela is a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Engineering student from Nepal who took this opportunity, and here's what she had to say about it:

This summer I am interning at Cook Polymer Technology in Bloomington, Indiana. Cook Polymer Technology is a plastic manufacturing division of Cook Medical, which manufactures and supplies the Cook Group companies with components and sub-assemblies required to manufacture medical devices. 

During my time at Cook Polymer Technology, I am supporting the Quality and Validation Department. I work alongside other quality and validation engineers to ensure the manufacturing process consistently operates within parameters while producing results that meet set specifications. This enables us to deliver a high-quality product that meets customer expectations. One major project I have been working on is creating Inspection Control Plans (ICP) for different product families. ICP is a documentation method that lists functional elements of quality control like parameter information, risk assessments, inspection instructions and sample size for each parameter. This helps engineers implement quality controls on the products and provide assurance that quality standards have been met. I have also been working on evaluating process failure mode and effects. The goal of this evaluation is to identify potential failure modes, perform risk analysis and implement necessary controls to alleviate risk when the product reaches the end-user. I also work alongside my mentor to draft protocols to create new product families while outlining process capabilities. I have also been working on the production floor, in insert molding, to provide extra help in the production department. 
 
This has been a great opportunity to learn about processes and regulations involved in the medical device industry. I am excited to work on new projects and gain more experience in this field.