Name: Babak Vint
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Beck Radiological Innovations
Location of the Organization (City, State): Halethorpe, MD
Title of Your Position: Biomedical Engineering Assistant
Major(s)/Minor(s): Mechanical Engineering/Computer Science
Expected Graduation Date (Month & Year): May 20131. Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research or service-learning position/assignment, including your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities.
I work closely with a well-recognized innovator of radiological equipment to design, prototype, and build devices from start to finish. What I love about this job is that my day-to-day activities are never the same. I’ve done everything from modeling mechanical components in SolidWorks to programming a microprocessor for controlling mechatronics.
2. What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company and what have you found most challenging?
The thing I have enjoyed most about this position is the sense of having contributed to medical technology. It would be simply ideal if medical technology was cheap and accessible, because it would drive down the cost of healthcare.
The most challenging part of this experience has been absorbing the constant stream of information that is available to me. Every day, we work on a subject that is brand new to me. It is vital to remain focused and to be able to adapt as necessary to complete the task at hand.
3. What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another summer activity?
I have gained so much from this internship – it’s like five classes condensed into one experience. There are a lot of options when it comes to summer activities. To anyone who is considering a summer internship, I would say “definitely go for it!”
4. How do you see your summer work as meaningful? Has it given you a chance to work on issues or with communities that matter to you?
My work is meaningful to me because it will, hopefully, end up in the hands of a doctor, who will use it to make people’s lives longer and healthier. To me, that is more important than economic considerations. This summer internship has certainly given me the opportunity to work on issues that matter most to me.
5. How has your summer experience shaped the way you think about your power to impact the world? This might involve skills you’ve gained, information you’ve learned, mentors you’ve connected with, or projects you’ve completed.
My summer experience has made it clear to me how to go about realizing an idea. From design to implementation, I’ve experienced it fully for the first time here. This is the core of engineering, and it’s not something that can be taught in a classroom.
