Today was our last full day in Spain and it was quite bittersweet. We started our day back in the Bilbao School of Engineering and learned about the design process and the steps to actually see an idea reach industry. Our first presenter was Mikel, a colleague of Saioa’s at the school of engineering. His presentation focused specifically on the steps to first design and then make a medical device. The one point of his presentation that really stuck with me is the need to work directly with nurses and doctors to understand the problem before even starting to design a solution. In his presentation he said that the first step in medical device design is to “talk with a doctor!”. I found this insightful because it truly shows how intertwined nurses/physicians and engineers must be to create a successful and, more importantly, practical device.

The next speaker we heard from is the CEO of Ventijet, a startup company created by an alumnus of the Bilbao school of engineering. His product was started during the COVID era, as many people died because the ventilators they were on were not tailored specifically to their needs. So, the device that Ventijet is working to create is firstly a different type of ventilator. But also create a device that tells the physician specific readings and measurements in the human body so the physician can alter how the ventilator is needed/used on a case-by-case basis.

Finally, we ended the day with our final group meal and singing happy birthday to Dr. Borovetz! Overall, these past 2 weeks have been incredible. From meeting so many new people on this trip to understanding the unique Basque culture and being able to see medical device research with my own eyes, this trip has been once in a lifetime! I want to thank Nora, Dr. Borovetz and Dr. Saioa Herrero for creating such a welcoming environment and planning/enacting this entire trip! I learned so much about the medical device industry not only in Spain but also in the US. Being able to see real research and interact with engineers and just hear about their daily lives allowed me to truly see if I could envision myself being a biomedical engineer. Not to mention all of the culture, history and great food I enjoyed on this trip. I truly could not be more grateful for this global experience and thank you Plus3 Spain for 2 unforgettable weeks!!!