I returned home to San Diego during my third summer of university to work at Dexcom, and medical device company specializing in wearable glucose sensors. I spent 8 weeks learning about the product, existing company technology, and experiment design to improve upon an existing test fixture to assess an important user concern. In order to make sure I could complete everything in time for the end of the summer, I created a detailed project timeline to coordinate long lead-time tasks.

My project required me to connect a lot of different skills together. I read standards and regulations documentation to decide on my factors and responses, used a load cell for data collection, and learned JMP DOE and analysis tools. At the end of the summer, I compiled my work into an official test report and presented my work in a successful presentation to around 20 coworkers. I left the project in a place where results are clear and my test method can be used as a basis for future testing.

I really enjoy working in the medical device industry. I found that the direct impact our product provides to people with diabetes really made my work meaningful. I also got to try one of the sensors myself and have first-hand experience that helped me account for user needs during my testing.