Building Success: CorVent Medical’s Internship Program Journey

_{Pictured (left to right): Jericho Limke, Abby Nelson, Cole Sunde, Ellie Goldberg, Evan Seeger, and Tara Treml. Not pictured: Dan Leidner & Srilakshmi Gayatri Gundlakunta}

At CorVent Medical, we understand the immense potential that lies within the bright minds of college students. By sourcing interns from North Dakota State University, we aim to foster a work environment that allows NDSU students to gain hands-on experience, engage in the world of medical devices, and contribute to groundbreaking projects. We hope to bridge the gap between academia and industry by equipping NDSU students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their chosen career paths. Now, as we enter the 2023 summer, the second year of CorVent Medical’s Internship Program, we strive to evaluate the progress of the program as well as the growth of our interns.

In 2022, we encountered multiple obstacles while developing our first internship program. We were late to the 2022 internship game, the medical device industry was an unfamiliar space in North Dakota, and CorVent Medical had only recently been established in Fargo. However, we persevered and attained six interns in engineering and marketing positions.

_{Pictured: Interns learning about the RESPOND® Ventilator}

Our internship program is not solely focused on short-term gains. We believe in fostering long-term relationships and creating a pipeline of talent. Therefore, as a testament to the culture of CorVent Medical and its commitment to the growth of talent within North Dakota, we achieved a 50% retention rate within the program. Currently, one intern moved into a full-time position, and two others have earned the title of “senior interns” as they help us bring on a new cohort this summer.

Additionally, as most have learned, what you study in school may not always correlate with the job in which you excel or for which you develop a genuine passion. A prime example of such is Abby Nelson, a senior biotechnology major at NDSU, who joined our team as a marketing intern last year. Initially, she had no prior knowledge of marketing, which was understandable and not an expectation on our part. At CorVent, we adapt to the company's needs: Abby wholeheartedly embraced the role, displaying a willingness to learn. Ultimately, that's all we ask of our interns. Now, Abby has progressed to become a senior intern, taking on the role of Technical Product Manager. The growth she has exhibited within a mere year is truly remarkable, and we have aspirations that the new cohort will undergo a similar transformative journey.

_{Pictured: Technical Product Manager Intern, Abby Nelson.}

As we fast forward to this 2023 summer, our team hand-selected six new interns from the more than 200 applications we received for the various positions. These chosen students will join us on our journey to submitting our ventilator for 510(k) approval, and they will get an up-close look at what it’s like to work at a startup in the medtech industry. We were able to learn from last year's shortcomings and develop a formal onboarding process, engage with students as early as the Fall for NDSU’s career fair, and seek funding upwards of $35k from North Dakota programs to support our internship program.

_{Pictured (left to right): HERO employee, HERO volunteer, Evan Seeger, Tara Treml, Dan Leidner, Abby Nelson, Cole Sunde, Ellie Goldberg, Jericho Limke, and HERO employee.}

The CorVent Medical intern lineup for the summer of 2023 consists of six NDSU juniors and seniors including Jericho Limke, Tara Treml, Evan Seeger, Ellie Goldberg, Dan Leidner, and Cole Sunde. They are taking on positions ranging from engineering to marketing to finance. The newcomers are being guided by our senior interns, Abby Nelson as Technical Product Manager Intern, and Srilakshmi Gayatri Gundlakunta as Electrical Engineering Intern.

_{Pictured: Joe Lewis presenting on mechanical ventilation}

During our kickoff into the summer, the interns have participated in a wide variety of orientation activities. The group took a trip out to Fargo’s Health Equipment Recycling Organization (HERO) and did volunteer work such as device testing, cleaning, and repair. To help the full-time staff learn more about the students on an individual level, each intern gave a presentation about their background, education, and personality. Lastly, with almost the entire CorVent Medical team in Fargo for the quarterly board meeting, we attended a Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks baseball game. The group activities and events held this week served to foster the connectedness and supportive climate CorVent Medical prioritizes.

_{Pictured: Interns working on electric scooters with Keary from HERO.}

This is just the beginning of our internship journey, and we are eagerly awaiting the opportunities, success, and growth that lie ahead for both the interns and program itself. We are filled with anticipation for the promising future it holds.