AtriCure

Engineering Co-Op

January - April 2024 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I love the work environment at AtriCure, everyone is very friendly and takes their job seriously. I was always treated with the utmost respect, and I felt my voice was never silenced. Also AtriCure allows for people to connect with each other with events, large side projects, and daily snacks. There Co-Op program is very structured and robust, making it very easy to slide into the work environment, and giving any one Co-Op plenty of peers to look to for help. I did not feel like a temporary employee, who was something a high-level engineer had to work around. I felt like a peer among a larger company, with my actual peers and with my superiors. I personally find the work rewarding and important, meaning I never have to question why I should work here.

What I wish was different

I worked as a Sustaining Product Development Co-Op, meaning a lot of my work came from current issues with the device line a worked on. This meant I ended up working primarily on projects that were very electronic based and not mechanics based. Now I know any good engineer is adaptable, and should have some knowledge in all fields of engineering. But I personally did not love that kind of work, and it heavily dominated my work term, which was not great. Also, the diversity of the products being made at the company could sometimes lead to things being isolating, I felt as if I didn't to interact with as many people as I could have because of the team I was on.

Advice

Take advantage of everything! Do all the things, interact with as many people as possible, do as much work as available. Do not sit around and wait for work and responsibilities to come find you, take action were you think action needs to be taken. Ask as many questions as you can, and never be afraid to tell people your ideas. Do it all, and truly savor every second of it.

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Recruiting Intern

March 2022 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I love the company and the people that I have met there.

What I wish was different

I was the first intern my department had had. My manager didn't have sufficient time to find projects for me since I worked faster than they anticipated.

Advice

Apply early. Earlier than you think you need to.

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Quality Engineering Co-Op

May - August 2022 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I had the ability to get pulled into many different projects and see different facets of the quality program. The semester started with hands-on experience of the quality lifecycle, from incoming inspections to packaged approvals. My mentor had projects lined up before my arrival and gave me the opportunity to focus on the projects that aligned with my interests the most. I was given the opportunity to support full-time engineers resolve issues with nonconforming parts and device complaints. I had the freedom to prioritize my work as I saw fit, and was given real problems that improve production capabilities.

What I wish was different

The major projects I was assigned were given no hard deadline. Every project helps the company and its efficiency but were not time critical. I would have enjoyed seeing some projects with deadlines, helping to know that they are important and needed pushing through.

Advice

Finding who to go to for different topics is key, as that will save a lot of time and potential treasure hunts. Coming back for a second time allowed for a quicker onboarding, letting me get to meatier projects much faster.

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Engineering Co-Op

January - April 2022 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I love the environment at AtriCure and everyone I work with. I can tell with each person I interact with just how passionate they are about their job and the mission and goal the company works towards. It has been such an eye-opening and rewarding experience to work for a company actively making a difference in the lives of thousands of patients. I have had the opportunity to work on numerous projects over the past few months within my specific role in quality and design assurance. I've been able to work with existing devices to improve them and keep them up-to-date as well as beginning stages of devices.

What I wish was different

One thing that I was unable to do as much this co-op rotation and am hoping to grow in and be able to do in my following rotations is growing my network even more with those outside of the department I work in. I want to gain an even greater knowledge of AtriCure as a whole so that my appreciation for what I do can be backed by my education. I would also like to gain more leadership opportunities. This will also help to increase my knowledge and network within the company and help me to grow in my confidence as an engineer. Overall, I want to be able to gain more experience and knowledge as time goes on.

Advice

My piece of advice is to ask questions! I am a huge question asker, and all of my questions were welcomed and encouraged by everyone. By asking questions, I was able to learn more about AtriCure, the projects I'm working on, the areas I don't work in, and how I can best perform in my role. Asking questions helps you to gain confidence in talking with others as well. Asking questions also shows that you care about what you're doing and that you want to learn and gain a more in-depth knowledge of the company.

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PD Cryo Co-Op

January 2022 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I really enjoyed my experience at AtriCure. I was able to experience many different areas of the Cryo department by working with the PD team I was assigned to but also collaborating with the manufacturing and quality engineers. I was also able to work on projects that are in development, so I was able to conduct and lead a lot of testing for their cryo products. Overall, I was able to learn a lot of technical skills, build upon my professional skills like communication with coworkers and surgeons, and see new technology and feel involved in the innovation. I am looking forward to my next Co-Op rotation this summer.

What I wish was different

I only had one main project for this semester which I worked on with two other Co-Ops. I really enjoyed doing this project and sharing our finding with the team, however most of my other assignments were short and quickly finished. I have already discussed with my mentor about having a longer, more focused project for my rotation this summer and I am excited to see what I am able to do with that. They are also under the process of moving the Cryo department to another building so that has been a minor obstacle to testing and other activities. However, all of my coworkers have kept positive and have helped me whenever I needed help.

Advice

Try to learn as much as you can! There are so many ways that you can get involved so that you can to learn new skills and ways of doing things. Also just being willing to help anyone who needs a hand is a great way to see how other areas of the company work and learn even more things. A great way to experience other areas of the company are "lunch and learns" where engineers from different departments will create a presentation on their specialty so you can learn how things you may not see everyday work. So just trying to see, do, and learn as many things as you can is going to help you and the company become stronger.

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Manufacturing Engineering Intern

August - December 2021 • Mason, OH

What I liked

Very project oriented! Getting thrown into the middle of an Engineering Pilot, there was always something to do. Everyone around you will have no issues with getting asked questions that arise. The whole atmosphere was very friendly. I was able to be deeply entrenched in the process of starting a Manufacturing Pilot, and that process taught me tons about technical writing and experimentation procedures. Overall an engaging, fun, and informative experience!

What I wish was different

Advice

Ask questions! The medical device industry has tons of rules and regulations, so understanding why a process has to be done a certain way is huge. They also have a mindset to constantly improve the process, and the only way to find improvements is to ask why the process happens that way. Every idea has its seat at the table, they won't dismiss any idea without figuring out its pros and cons

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Quality Operations Co-Op

January - May 2020 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I loved the friendliness of all my colleagues, and how committed they were to helping me develop as engineer and a young professional. I like the projects co-ops like me were given and the responsibility we were given over projects, deadlines, and tasks. I also love the culture of the company; everyone is really nice and understanding.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Going above and beyond the expectations! It gives you an opportunity to learn more about the project/area you are learning about, and show your team that you are technically and professionally capable of handling more responisbility.

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Product Development Co-Op

August 2020 • Mason, OH

What I liked

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Ask questions! Whether that's about what you are doing currently or projects you would like to do, asking questions can help you learn and do more.

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Product Development Co-op

January - August 2019 • Mason, OH

What I liked

AtriCure truly cares about you as an individual and what you want to learn and experience. If you do multiple rotations there, they ensure that you move around, giving you a large range of experience.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Cryo Product Development Co-op

January - August 2019 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I loved the atmosphere and culture of the place. Everyone there was very welcoming and wanted to help you learn and grow in your major and to succeed at AtriCure. Everyone loved the work they did and always went above and beyond when clarification or more knowledge was needed.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Sales Operations Analyst Intern

July 2019 • Mason, OH

What I liked

I really liked the projects that I worked on. They have been very impactful for the growth of the company. The analytics showed where in the world to apply sales pressure which generated more revenue.

What I wish was different

I don't think there is anything I would change. AtriCure has been awarded Top Places to Work and I would definitely agree.

Advice

Ask more questions about how you can further help. Whether that be process improvement or just getting a project done, it would be very helpful to discuss with you boss how you can further help.

1 One person found this helpful