Research
It all started the night before my school’s trip to the Bucks County Skills Show. The night before was filled with intense research about some of the companies I might be interested in talking to tomorrow. After all, the show allowed secondary school students to connect with companies based in and around Aylesbury to discuss potential career options, university degrees, and most importantly, what a day in the life of an employee at their company might look like.
During my research, I discovered companies ranging from accountancy firms like Haines Watts to consulting firms like Saffery. The key thing was to keep an open mind for potential career options while honing in on the medical section of the show.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over Aylesbury, I found myself huddled in my room, surrounded by a sea of open tabs on my laptop. The Bucks County Skills Show loomed on the horizon of tomorrow, promising a sneak peek into the labyrinthine world of careers. Adrenaline coursed through my veins; tomorrow was my first chance to gain access to a whole new world—the world behind office doors and polished glass windows.
My fingers danced across the keyboard, leading me to discover companies such as Haines Watts, the accountancy firm, Saffery, the consultancy firm, and NHS GMSA, the Genomic Testing Alliances of the NHS. However, it was the medical section that captivated me—the realm of stethoscopes, MRI machines, white coats, and healing hands.
As I leaned back in my chair, I imagined a future where I was a medical detective, solving diagnostic puzzles with technology at my side. Together, we could conquer the medical world—a world of endless possibilities.
The show
Morning arrived quickly, and my school was buzzing with excitement. Backpacks bulged with notebooks; some had brought their iPads for notes, while others had opted for paper-based alternatives.
Most importantly, I was prepared with a plethora of materials about each company I wanted to talk to.
On the day of the show, we were greeted with a plethora of activities related to each company; some included DNA matching, and others featured Virtual Reality headsets to simulate controlling heavy machinery, all unique in their own ways.
However, one company’s stall stood out and piqued my interest: DeSoutter Medical. They had an outstanding collection of heavy-duty hand drills used primarily in bone extremity surgeries. On display was the first-of-its-kind robot to aid surgeons in their battle to help people. Traditionally, when an orthopedic surgeon wants to conduct an operation on the knee or shoulder, a special guide needs to be molded from a dough-type material to fit the patient’s joint shape, guiding the surgeon’s drill to the correct position. This process is lengthy, requiring a CT scan to be sent to a lab that manufactures this guide and sends it to the OR. The main problem with this method is that only one guide mold is sent at a time, so if the mold is accidentally dropped or damaged, the operation must be delayed for weeks.
Celito
This is where DeSoutter’s Celito Robot comes to the rescue. Celito can 3D print these molds on the spot within four minutes of uploading a CT scan. If the mold is accidentally dropped, no problem—rerun the scan, and the robot will 3D print a new one. No more waiting around for a mold to be synthesized in the lab.
As you may already be able to tell, this is the company where I went on to have a four-month internship. What propelled me to request an internship from Will DeSoutter was this almost futuristic fusion between computer science and medicine, an area I’ve always been interested in. Additionally, many other medical companies were only offering apprenticeships rather than internships, apprenticeships being the longer and more informative of the two, but at the cost of going to university. Hence, with my prior software and coding experience, I thought I would fit right in.
What followed might have been the longest email chain I have ever been a part of; after all, it landed me my first step towards my career goal. The email chain with Alexandra, the commercial director of DeSoutter Medical, was not just a series of messages; it was a bridge to the future. Each reply brought more insight into the world of medical technology and the role internships can play in a career journey. The first time Alexandra and I actually met was at the Bucks Skills Show, where we exchanged emails and continued our conversation.
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