The UCONN campus welcomed our arrival with a beautiful fall day. We only had one day on campus because we took the opportunity to align our Fall 2024 CE Week with the MD Expo New England conference which was co-sponsored by MD Publishing, TechNation and the New England Society for Clinical Engineering (NESCE).
Day 1 – Fall 2024 CE Week
Day 1 was our day on the UCONN Storrs campus, so we took the opportunity to get outside and take a new class photo!
The rest of the day was spent in workshop-like activities. We began by sharing our course registrations and rationales behind those choices in an effort to optimize our MD Expo experience. Our discussion was very interesting because many of the interns had never attended a conference and session titles are sometimes hard to interpret. One lesson learned – don’t rely on the title, read the description. All of us had at least one “ah ha” moment as we listened to each other’s thoughts about why they chose (or didn’t choose) certain sessions. Another lesson learned – our perspectives are formed by our individual experiences, values, and interests; therefore, we can enrich our perspectives by listening.
In the afternoon, we explored the process and concept behind forecasting medical equipment replacement needs. Most of you know this is a passion of mine and a bit of a “Goldilocks” exercise – i.e., finding just the right “fit” for determining what, when, and why to replace. The interns were randomly placed in three groups that rotated through three stations – Technical criteria, Clinical criteria, and Business/Financial criteria. Each group charted criteria they thought was important, what data was required, and how it would be evaluated. The interns were then asked to stand next to the station with which they (individually) had the most comfortable and/or confidence. Each station selected a 1st Year and 2nd Year intern to present the criteria to the larger group. A fascinating discussion ensued during which we (again) all learned something new. A third lesson learned – Forecasting is about objectively identifying what needs to be replaced at what time and why; it is not determining how to spend a defined budget; that comes later in the process.
Days 2, 3, and 4 – Fall 2024 CE Week
The rest of CE Week was spent at the MD Expo New England.
How many UCONN CE interns can you find in this photo from Hank Stankiewicz’s session on Incident Investigation?
Some of the UCONN CE interns were fortunate enough to get front row seats for the session on working with Peri-Op Nurses.
The exhibit hall was a first time opportunity for many UCONN CE interns to see so many vendors in one place. Because of our prep work on Day 1, many were able to make excellent use of the exhibit hall time to find answers to challenges at their hospitals. Some 2nd Year CE interns also used the opportunity to explore potential career paths.
We even had Exhibit Hall Vendor BINGO winners!
The interns joined in the fun at the MD Expo Young Professionals reception. This was an opportunity to meet new and rising leaders in the HTM/CE community in a more informal situation.
The next morning, it was a quick breakfast then back into networking and the educational sessions.
Recognize any UCONN CE internship program graduates?
The Octoberfest Finale Party was an opportunity to regroup and compare experiences.
With that, we wrapped up our Fall 2024 CE Week. We had an intense week of learning, networking, and even a bit of fun. I would be remiss if I did not extend a huge Thank You to the MD Expo and NESCE teams who helped make this experience possible and provided all of these and more photos on their website … MD Expo New England Photo Gallery – TechNation.
I also want to thank the host hospitals and health systems, for providing the real-world experience so valuable to our interns.
Last but certainly not least, Thank You to everyone who shared my posts with your networks! That visibility is so very important. Reach out to me if you’re interested in learning more about the UCONN Clinical Engineering Internship program or if you would like to hire one of our talented students!
UCONN Biomedical Engineering » MSBME Clinical Engineering Internship Program
Carol Davis-Smith, MS CCE FACCE AAMIF
Program Director – UCONN BME Clinical Engineering Internship Program
UCONN EMAIL: Carol.Davis-Smith@uconn.edu
President
Carol Davis-Smith & Associates, LLC
https://cdsassoc.com/ || (602) 821-4092 || Carol@CDSAssoc.com
