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Industry Testimonials

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2022
2021
2020
2022
Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Carine Trazo | GOC

 GOC is a Canadian startup focused on improving the care of women with gynecologic cancer through research, advancing awareness, and spreading knowledge to practitioners, patients, and the general public. GOC’s Managing Director, Carine Trazo,  sat down with our team to share the wonderful experience she had with an intern from the MedTech Talent Accelerator program. 


Carine searches for interns that are easily adaptable, technology-driven, and have a solid understanding of medical sciences. She mentioned how her team felt very fortunate to have an intern that was a PhD student specializing in biotechnology as the student was capable of managing the company’s digital transformation. 


At GOC, building trusting relationships amongst colleagues is one of their top priorities. The company has regular weekly meetings that are designed to spark curiosity and share inspiration. To build trusting relationships, employees also have 1-on-1 meetings to discuss anything but work. Carine believes that setting aside time to discuss personal lives helps cement a relationship between the coworkers and the supervisor. 


The GOC team is very grateful for the MedTech program since they provide high quality interns that can easily adapt to the workforce. She mentions that viewing the well established caliber of students and undergoing the hiring, selection, and funding process was seamless due to the MedTech Project Managers. 


Carine consistently enjoys presenting students with the opportunity to bring a portion of a major project to life as it enhances their skillset and provides an accomplishment that they can add to their resume. Carine looks forward to hiring future PhD students from the MedTech program and is excited to give them management positions where they will be overseeing an entire research unit focusing on real world data.




Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Maria Sonicki | AMG Medical

        AMG Medical Inc. manufactures and distributes home healthcare and professional medical products. Their products aim to empower people to live a better life and feel good. Maria Sonicki works for AMG Medical, was involved with the MedTech intern program, and had a terrific experience with their intern. This was the first time Maria had worked with an intern, and she felt it was a perfect fit, as the intern brought new ideas and different perspectives to the company.


        Maria shared that the intern position had previously been held for 15 years, so it was a project for the intern to take control of, following her guidelines and instructions. As AMG Medical is a manufacturing business, one of the main expectations of the intern was to evaluate products under QAQC. This intern position's daily routine involved evaluations of new samples, including briefing, product testing, and publishing. In addition, the intern would have opportunities to assist the QA associate in product evaluation and inspection documentation. The intern had access to a lab and a workspace to complete daily tasks. Overall, the level of responsibility for the intern was the same level expected for other company employees. Based on Maria's experience with the MedTech program, she shared that she would hire interns from it in future too.


        Lastly, Maria expressed her enjoyment of the candidate portal accessible through the MedTech website, which was her favourite aspect of the Medtech program. She found that it was easy to access the available students for internships, that there were many great candidates, and enjoyed the overall selection process. In addition, Maria felt that the selection process allowed her to hire an intern who integrated well with the team and performed very well in such a short period.











Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Caitrin Armstrong and Team | Aifred Heath

      Aifred Health is a Canadian startup based in Montreal with a mission to improve the treatment of depression using Artificial Intelligence. Speaking with Caitrin Armstrong, the Chief Technology Officer, Robert Fratila, the Co-Founder, and Joseph Mehltretter, the Machine Learning Developer, we were able to learn about their extremely rewarding experience with their MedTech intern. They told us how it was great to have a fresh set of eyes and having an intern who came in to learn as much as they can. They had a really good time with the interns and were impressed with the productiveness and output that they provided for the company which will benefit them all well past the length of the internship. In addition, they told us how great it was to have meetings with the interns and learn from them while they learnt from the internship. 


 Caitrin mentioned how one of the biggest expectations for the interns coming into the company was that they participated in all of the meetings happening, that they try to join in to the culture, and also made sure that they were contributing to the quality code. She also discussed how they tried to ensure that the interns were integrated well enough to add things that actually made a difference to the company, which they were all able to do successfully. Robert also mentioned how they would have standup meetings three times a week, in addition to meetings with whomever the interns were working with generally once a day. Aside from that, their daily routines would consist of writing code, making sure to respond to any code reviews, send out any view requests if they wanted their code reviewed, and participate in data processing. At the beginning of the internship, there were a lot of onboarding activities, and over time they gave tasks based on the skill sets and preferences of the interns. 


 Lastly, Joseph talked about the candidate portal which was one of his favorite aspects of the MedTech program. He discussed how the portal allowed them to very easily compare the interns available and shortlist them based on their specific needs and criteria. He also mentioned how this type of system makes it a lot simpler for people in situations similar to him and his colleagues as they don’t have a set HR team hence they are required to go through candidates while also doing their regular tasks. In addition, they also told us how they got a really good quality intern and they are excited to have another one joining them in the coming term. 

Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Nabil Uddin | HelpWear Inc.

   HelpWear Inc. is a biotechnology startup based in Toronto with the mission of making a continuously wearable ECG technology for people with severe heart problems.  HelpWear’s Chief of Staff Nabil Uddin talked about the company’s experience with MedTech interns and how the interns were fantastic overall. Nabil spoke about the great job that MedTech has done cultivating a diverse selection of students from all over Canada with various skill sets and degrees of experience. Nabil was also happy to share that 4 of HelpWear’s full-time employees are alumni of the MedTech program.   


   HelpWear doesn’t differentiate between regular employees and interns as a startup.  Hence, when a new intern is joining, their expectations are identical to what they would be for a full-time employee. Likewise, the interview process for full-time employees and interns is  the same. It is also important to note that HelpWear generally recruits these interns in hopes of having them join the team as  full-time employees later down the line. 

   Nabil discussed how data analysis is a significant aspect of the company, so finding interns with experience in any biometric data is crucial. He also mentioned how HelpWear has never had an issue  finding interns with the required qualifications in all cohorts.

   The chief of staff, Nabil, disclosed that the most significant difference between MedTech interns and other interns that HelpWear has seen in the past is the training that MedTech provides to the students before their work term. He believes that having even a little prior training helps interns adapt to their job at least 10% faster than interns without training. And even though 10% may not seem like a vast number, it makes a difference. 

   Lastly, Nabil mentioned that as a Toronto Metropolitan (formerly Ryerson) alumnus, it is great to see the university and the community continuously trying to help students from Toronto Metropolitan University and other schools through programs like MedTech.


2021
Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Adam Melnyk and Mark Kumhyr | LFAnt Medical​

        LFAnt is a biotechnology start-up dedicated to developing technologies to detect and prevent  sexually transmitted infections. The Co-Founders of LFAnt, Adam Melnyk and Mark Kumhyr, were searching for interns that took the initiative,  learned quickly, had basic technical knowledge in their field, and were familiar with benchtop instruments. Melnyk and Kumhyr were pleased to learn that the MedTech Talent Accelerator program intern exceeded all of their expectations.


        Since LFAnt is a start-up, interns were able to work on various projects across many disciplines, including engineering, technology, and business. Melnyk and Kumhyr enjoy working with the Accelerator since MedTech Interns bring a specific skill set that prepares them for the biotech and medical device industries. With such a comprehensive academic foundation, interns can use their transferable and technical skills from academia to learn and quickly adapt to the industry.  By the end of the internship,  the intern  presented a final presentation on their main project that they  accomplished under minimal supervision.


        By hiring an intern through the MedTech Talent Accelerator, the MedTech team facilitates wage subsidies from Biotalent Canada. Melnyk and Kumhyr mentioned the benefits they received from the wage subsidies since it allowed the company to save time, stress, and money during the entire hiring process. 


    Thanks to the great work from both the MedTech Intern and the MedTech Team, LFAnt looks forward to continuing their mutually beneficial partnership with the MedTech Talent Accelerator.



Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Simon Corcos | HOP Technologies

        Simon Corcos, the Technical Director at Hop Technologies, was surprised by the interns’ output and believes that the interns surpassed their initial expectations. Simon was impressed with how helpful both interns had been and how impeccable their work ethic was. Initially, the interns were expected to complete work that was related to their respective fields. However, since the interns were able to quickly adapt to the startup environment, they were able to contribute to many projects simultaneously. In addition, Simon notes that the preliminary MedTech training gave the interns a good understanding of clinical trials and health research, which allowed them to be successful in their work.

            

    Throughout the internship, an intern’s day-to-day routine consists of working on three to four weekly tasks. The team would attend a weekly meeting to discuss the work completed in the previous week and to create a plan for upcoming tasks. Some tasks required communicating with different areas within the company, so interns would also occasionally meet with other departments such as business, marketing, and software. 


    While the interns weren’t given full responsibilities to certain tasks that they were working on, Simon says “their work was very valuable to the company and will be truly helpful even after the internship”. He also added that the biggest difference between the MedTech interns and interns who were previously hired was that they were both PhD students, and thus had a stronger sense of competency and had greater research knowledge which helped them throughout their internship. Simon looks forward to hiring more interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator program.




Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Amr Abdelgawad and Adam Elsebroek | NERv Technology Inc.​

      NERv Technologies is a company that utilizes smart monitoring to help detect early anastomotic postoperative complications. In the past year, NERv Technologies has hired two interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator Program and is pleased with their experience. 


          Amr Abdelgawad, the COO of NERv Technologies, says that both of the interns they have hired have been amazing and performed beyond expectations The expectations for the interns were reasonably related to their respective backgrounds.  . For example, the company gave a task about Mechanical design to an intern, MASc in Mechanical Engineering. The expectation from the intern was to develop housing for a new device entirely. In addition to developing the housing, the intern started working with an external vendor to begin the manufacturing process. The other intern hired from the MedTech Talent Accelerator was the first Data Scientist at NERv Technologies.  This intern successfully created the infrastructure and architecture of their data science platform for the device. Also, helped to create a platform to maintain proper data collection resulting in improving readings from clinical studies. 


          Amr mentioned that since the team at NERv Technologies is relatively small, each member of the team has some major project which they would be responsible for - including interns. Each of these projects eventually leads to the commercialization of their very first product. 


          Overall, Amr and Adam recognize that interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator are more experienced and mature than undergraduate interns that they have hired in the past. With such a successful experience, Amr and Adam look forward to hiring interns from the MedTech program again.




Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Lauren Wirtzfeld | FUJIFILM VisualSonics​

     FUJIFILM VisualSonics Inc. is a medical technology company that specializes in ultrasound technology scaled in incredibly high frequencies. Over the past year, the company has hired 2 interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator Program.


     Lauren Wirtzfeld, the Senior Ultrasound Systems Developer at FUJIFILM VisualSonics Inc. mentions that her experience with the MedTech Talent Accelerator Program has been very positive. She notes that the students are quick learners, offer a new perspective, and bring great skills obtained from academia into the company.


     When hiring interns, VisualSonics expects them to be self-sufficient, great at time management, and capable of conducting background research when needed. Lauren was happy to notice that the MedTech Talent Accelerator interns were able to work on a task without much supervision since they are graduate students and completed the MedTech industrial courses that the MedTech Accelerator Program provided.. 

     An intern’s routine varied daily. Interns were expected to attend a weekly meeting to update their managers and receive new information. At work, interns were trusted to use expensive and delicate equipment responsibly in order to complete their projects. Lauren mentions that the interns were able to work independently and not only learn about the system, but also test out the processes. Some employees at VisualSonics were pleasantly surprised to see how knowledgeable the interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator program are. Lauren recalls an intern fully understanding and recognizing images of the company’s research and development during the interview process. 


     Lauren is looking forward to continuing the company’s partnership with the MedTech Talent Accelerator program and is hoping to work with more interns in the future.




Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Thomas Cortina | Eli Health​

     Eli Health is a start-up company that enables women to take control of their health through understanding their daily hormone profile. In 2021, Eli Health chose to hire their first intern through the MedTech Talent Accelerator program and it was a great success. Eli Health has already offered the intern a full-time Research Scientist position after graduation.

     Thomas Cortina, the Co-Founder and CTO of Eli Health enjoy collaborating with the MedTech Talent Accelerator. Thomas notes that the general process of hiring an intern can be daunting, however, the MedTech Talent Accelerator program makes the process as seamless as possible. Thomas notes the benefits of receiving a list of available graduate-level interns along with information about their experiences and skills. Through the MedTech Talent Accelerator program’s simple and efficient process, the Eli Health team is able to easily hire a knowledgeable intern while saving time during the hiring process. 

     When searching for interns, the Eli Health team expects students to be familiar with the technical knowledge needed for the position. At work, the employees meet for a weekly meeting to define their focus for that week. The team goes over the key results, goals, and expectations that they hope to complete. After the meeting, the interns are able to work independently to complete their tasks. An intern typically participates in a daily call with their supervisor to go over any barriers that interfere with their project. 


Thomas is looking forward to hiring more interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator program in the near future.




2020
Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Raphael Gotlieb | Precare​

     Precare is designed to be a surgical guide and medical information for patients, utilizing evidence-based literature that can be easily understood by patients and their families. Precare’s goal is to allow optimal planning, decrease anticipatory anxiety and reduce complications.

     The company hired three interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator and had an outstanding experience with each one. Raphael Gotlieb, the Founder and CEO of Precare, mentioned that the company has already hired two out of the three interns for full time positions, as the third one decided to pursue their education. 

     Since Precare is a startup company, interns are expected to be highly motivated. Gotlieb mentions that they hire interns based on their motivation and interest in the company since hiring interns is more of a mutual partnership rather than a job. 

     Precare has high expectations for the interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator since interns are given greater funding compared to others hired in the past. Gotlieb notes that the online courses provided by the MedTech Talent Accelerator were incredibly useful for interns entering the workforce. He also recognizes that students from the Accelerator have a well-established skill set due to their experienced science background.

     Gotlieb concludes the interview by adding, “I am very happy with the program and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to work on mutually beneficial projects for students.”


Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Courtney Cole | ForaHealthyMe Inc.​

     ForaHealthyMe Inc. utilizes artificial intelligence, computer vision, and gaming technology to provide health providers with tools to address Musculoskeletal, Cardiac, Neurological & Cognitive Health Care issues. 

     When searching for possible interns, ForaHealthyMe Inc. looks for individuals with similar values and interests to ensure students have a meaningful experience.  The CEO and founder of ForaHealthyMe Inc, Courtney Cole, thoroughly enjoys his ongoing experience with the MedTech Talent Accelerator.

     Cole finds that the relationship between the MedTech Talent Accelerator and ForaHealthyMe Inc. is mutually beneficial. Since the Accelerator is responsible for all of the administrative aspects while considering the needs of the company, ForaHealthyMe Inc. saves plenty of time during the hiring process. Cole mentions that the high-quality interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator are more mature compared to other interns hired in the past. 

     Interns at ForaHealthyMe Inc. are given high responsibility while presented with clear instructions and meaningful challenges. They are expected to create a timeline that includes clear objectives, deliverables, and deadlines since their work will be utilized in clinical environments, whether it is in Canada or overseas. Since all work is project-based, interns collaborate with the team to carry out projects from the conceptual phase to design and finally, technology implementation

     ForaHealthyMe Inc. will definitely continue their relationship with the MedTech Talent Accelerator and looks forward to “bringing more people on whether it’s for interns or full time positions.”



Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Bastien Moineau | Myant​

    Myant is a medical technology company in Etobicoke, Ontario that specializes in textile computing. In 2020, Myant took on two MedTech interns and was thoroughly impressed with both of their background knowledge and experience. As an employer, Myant expects interns to have in-depth knowledge of the human body and the scientific method.

    When an intern arrives at work, they begin their day with active reading. Then, they typically spend a lot of time with data acquisition and experimentation of different materials and electronics. Throughout the process, they must document their work, while providing evidence and creating a conclusion. Interns are expected to attend meetings and collaborate with the team to test out other devices. Working with the team allows interns to explore different areas of the company.

    At Myant, interns are treated as junior engineers. Interns must always communicate, ask questions, and be methodological while being responsible for specific projects, but never at risk.

    Bastien Moineau, the rehabilitation and physiotherapy specialist at Myant, thoroughly enjoys hiring interns from the MedTech Talent Accelerator program. Since the Accelerator is exclusively available to graduate students, Myant personnel noticed a large difference in the maturity level compared to other interns in the past. Moineau mentioned that students from the MedTech program have more expertise and can work independently. He added that time is valuable and hiring a student from the MedTech Talent Accelerator saves precious time since these students need less training compared to others. He also commented that students from the Accelerator are self-motivated and capable of executing tasks without employers having to break down every step.

    Moineau ended his interview by saying that he would definitely hire an intern from the MedTech Talent Accelerator again in the future. He says, “For us, bringing interns at this level of training is our kind of pre-interview for a full-time position."



Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

André Tremblay | Agile MV​

    Agile MV is a medical device company based in Montreal, specializing in catheters and probes. André Tremblay, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), is also a Ryerson alumnus. Agile MV employs about 40 people, mostly consisting of engineers and product development specialists. The company has so far hosted one intern from Ryerson and one from McGill. Both students have earned high praise from the CTO as “very bright and excellent individuals; very charismatic and good with people.” At Agile MV, interns can expect to learn how to develop a medical device: how to assess and understand each step, and how to contribute along the way. André describes his company’s collaboration with the MedTech Talent Accelerator as a valuable experience. The program trains students to arrive at their internships industry-ready, and excited about MedTech. In addition, communicating with program managers at Ryerson and McGill allows a white glove approach to finding the right student-intern
        
    Agile MV believes in exposing students to the MedTech industry at an early stage. This gives students context to make important career decisions. André speaks from experience when saying “the real learning happens when you actually start working and you relearn everything you know.” Interns at Agile MV are expected to lead projects, set daily goals, and are given the freedom to implement their plans and execute.. André takes the approach of “give them the leeway that they need, and you let them go”.

    At the end of the day, Agile MV strongly believes in the notion that quality, not quantity, is what matters most. As their motto goes, “Agility, speed, and safety go a long way”.



Ali Mehrkish | PhD Candidate

Andressa Lacerda | Synex Medical​

Synex Medical is a biotechnology company developing miniature, non-invasive technologies used in magnetic resonance. The company of 13 employees is uniquely organized, where employees form squads composed of individuals from different domains to reach daily and annual goals. Each employee is given ample freedom to reach their goals, but takes full accountability for their work.

        When searching for interns, Synex Medical looks for individuals who hold certain values: curiosity, ambition, innovation, integrity, and initiative. Andressa Lacerda, the company Vice President, is a fan of the internship placement process with the MedTech Talent Accelerator. She sees benefits in the time-savings and cost-effectiveness for startups in particular. Furthermore, internships allow students and companies to evaluate each other for a long-term fit. Andressa admits the on-boarding process for a new employee is much easier after they just completed an internship.

        Synex Medical does not treat interns and employees differently. As soon as an individual is hired, in any capacity, they become a member of the team. Interns are expected to always communicate with others. As an intern at Synex Medical, your day begins by understanding your goals. This occurs at a standup meeting where achievements, goals, and any current challenges are acknowledged. Other employees are ready to assist and help resolve issues that you encounter.

        Synex Medical describes their current intern as very bright and a great collaborator. He was noted as one of many quality candidates, so Synex decided to recommend the Accelerator program to other companies, to the benefit of even more students and industry members.

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We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).