Medical Engineering Internship Report: Learning Objectives (Essay Sample)

Internship reportName
Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc467487532 \h 2My learning objectives; how I was able to achieve them PAGEREF _Toc467487533 \h 2Courses I applied during my internship PAGEREF _Toc467487534 \h 4My career goals; how I was able to achieve them PAGEREF _Toc467487535 \h 5Short-term career goals PAGEREF _Toc467487536 \h 5Long-term career goals PAGEREF _Toc467487537 \h 5A specific thing I learnt during the internship PAGEREF _Toc467487538 \h 5Electrocardiography PAGEREF _Toc467487539 \h 6Use PAGEREF _Toc467487540 \h 6Principle of operation PAGEREF _Toc467487541 \h 6Interpretation PAGEREF _Toc467487542 \h 6Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc467487543 \h 6
Introduction
This report will detail my hospital internship experience. To do so, the report will try to alienate the things I learnt during the internship, and how they relate with my course work and career objectives. First, the report will present a list of my learning objectives, together with details about how each single of the objectives was achieved during the internship. This will be followed by the specific courses I applied during the internship. Additionally, information of how my shorter and long-term career goals have been achieved will also be presented. Lastly, a specific machinery among the very many I handled will be selected. Detailed information about the specific machinery will then be presented.
My learning objectives; how I was able to achieve them
My first objective going into this internship was to see the application of math, scientific and engineering principles in action in a real working environment. During the internship, I was able to handle medical machinery of different kinds. I aided in fixing and calibration of the machinery. By doing the stated, I was able to see fundamental laws of physics in action and the principles of engineering design and maintenance being used, thereby achieving my first learning objective.
My second learning objective going into the internship was to be able to conduct experiments together with analysis and interpretation of experimental data. As an intern, I was given the responsibility of calibrating machinery. This responsibility I handled diligently all through the internship. This gave a basic understanding of the important role of calibration in ensuring accuracy of experimental data. What is more, I also learnt how to factor in expected errors in interpreting data from calibrated equipment.
My third learning objective was to have an understanding of maintenance activities in an actual medical environment. By working with the repair team of the hospital, I was able to handle routine maintenance activities in the hospital. This gave me a feel of how to handle, maintenance responsibilities and scheduling for the same in a busy hospital environment. Additionally, I learnt the process of reporting maintenance issues and prioritization of maintenance activities to ensure core activities in the hospital are not interrupted.
My other learning objective was to learn how to operate and function in a multidisciplinary environment. As an intern in the hospital, I interacted with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. I also interacted with other biomedical engineers and technicians. This gave me a good opportunity to experience firsthand how it feels to work with diverse team members. In that regard, I have recognized the importance of wide knowledge in working in a multidisciplinary environment.
Another learning objective I had going into the internship was to understand professional and ethical responsibility issues in a real working environment. As an intern, I was furnished with a professional code of conduct document, from which I learnt what is expected of me ethically and professionally. I witnessed firsthand a case of negligence against a fellow employee. In summation, I was exposed to both documented ethical issues and practical ones.
A final learning objective I had as an intern was to learn contemporary issues in the medical profession and my profession too. In my line of work, I learnt about the challenge of adopting new technologies in the medical environment. Keep in mind new and machineries that are more efficient are being designed daily. Nevertheless, the absorption of the machinery in the medical environment is rather slow. In my opinion, this slow absorption represents a weakness in the medical training programs of hospitals. An improvement in this area is likely to lead to faster adoption of medical technologies.
Courses I applied during my internship
The first course I was able to apply extensively during my internship was; introduction to biomedical signals and electrical circuits. In the course, I was introduced to the application of electrical principles in medical gadgets. Working with the machines in the hospital, I saw firsthand all this principles in action. A particular medical process that uses electrical signal extensively is electrocardiography. working with this machinery during my internship practice gave me a better understanding of class notes on the topic.
A second course I applied was quantitative experimentation and analysis. In this particular course, I was trained in equipment calibration. As an intern, I put this knowledge to use by calibrating the various equipment at my disposal. Specifically, the process of assessing the performance of machinery through calibration testing was a very rewarding experience. Through this technique, I participated in assessing performance states of x-ray machines, blood pressure monitors, and pulse oximetters.
A third course I found myself using as an intern was introduction to health care technology. In the course, I learnt the various technologies in existent in the health care field. As an intern, I was very happy to see the technologies in action. The use of sound to generate images was particularly very interesting since I had already learnt the same in class. Another was x-ray imaging and equipment. The use of electrical signals was more prevalent while dealing with electrocardiography equipment. The equipment uses electrical signals to generate a heart profile for patients. This information is compared with a normal profile and medical inferences made.
Another course that was particularly interesting to see its application was biomedical signals analysis. I specifically applied this course in the use of electrocardiography. In that regard, I was able to analyze the behavior of the heart based on electrical signals emanating from it. As stated earlier, electrocardiography takes advantage of electrical signals to generate heart profiles.
My career goals; how I was able to achieve them
Short-term career goals
In the short run, I wanted to apply all theoretical knowledge I had learnt in class in an actual working environment. By seeing the application of all the class work in the field, I achieved this. Furthermore, I wanted to understand the contemporary issues of my profession. Particularly, I wanted to investigate the reason for the slow adoption of new medical technologies in most hospitals. My preliminary investigations have revealed weakne...