In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medtronic announced an innovative method to deliver its internship program that would enable participants to work remotely.
"Interns are the innovators of tomorrow. With some fast thinking and creativity, we've transitioned 100 per cent of our summer interns to our first-ever virtual internship program. We're proud of how our teams rallied to keep our commitment to interns," says Medtronic.
Re-imagining the internship program
By transitioning its summer internship placements into virtual assignments, Medtronic preserves the 10-week program and continues to guide, advance and support the next generation of company leaders.
“The science and technical community really responded to make sure our interns could have a rich and meaningful experience this summer,” said Mike Hess, Vice President for Technology and Innovation, Medtronic. “With some of the more hands-on jobs that might otherwise be based in a lab, it required us to get creative. But this company is filled with innovative thinkers and we rose to the challenge.”
For some interns filling engineering positions, the company is shipping hardware to their homes so they can still conduct research. Some interns may also get to work with the company’s virtual reality platforms that can replicate surgical procedures.
Medtronic recognizes those early in their career need meaningful experiences and below we hear from two Medtronic interns who are pleased with the company's innovation to support their career journey.
Relief and optimism from intern Hanna Skuladottir
Hanna Skuladottir is a mechanical engineering and political science major at the University of Colorado.
“It was a huge relief to find out I still had this internship,” said Hanna. “Some of my friends had theirs canceled. Some still don’t know what they might be doing this summer.”
Hanna returns for her second internship with Medtronic and is working with the company’s Restorative Therapies Group on several quality management projects.
“I know a virtual internship will be somewhat of an adjustment, but I’m really optimistic,” she said. “For me, it’s really about making those professional connections and learning all that I can from the people on my team.”
Mallory Barrett gains hands-on engineering experience
Mallory Barrett had to return home to finish her junior year remotely with the University of Michigan where she studies mechanical engineering.
Now Mallory, along with 297 others across the U.S. is set to begin her virtual summer internship at Medtronic. For Mallory, the internship is an opportunity to gain hands-on engineering experience. A package from Medtronic recently arrived at her home containing an iPadTM and a device to conduct material bending tests.
“I am already thinking about how I can convert my basement into a lab,” she said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
A summer of learning
Each year, Medtronic selects interns from some of the top universities to fill roles in engineering, marketing, finance, and operations.
The company benefits from the fresh perspectives and big ideas that interns contribute to important areas like data science, robotics, and research and development.
“By developing a virtual internship, Medtronic is proving that it is a resilient, innovative company,” said Dylan Mark, Assistant Director for Internship Development at the University of Colorado. “Those are very attractive qualities, particularly for our engineers.”
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