My name is Ian West and I am the Technology Assessment Intern at Indium Corporation. This summer, I will be collecting and analyzing data about emerging technologies in the medical device field. A little bit about me: I am going into my senior year at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont; I am pursuing a degree in international business with a finance minor; I recently moved from Reading, PA to Old Forge, NY; and, for the people who ask, I am not related to Kanye West or Adam West, although “Wake up Mr. West!” is a great song.
Since I started my internship, I have been asked by multiple people, "Why research medical devices if you are an international business major?" Well, for starters, Indium Corporation has facilities all over the world, so this is a great place for me to learn more about international business. Researching medical devices is something I am very passionate about thanks to my family. My grandfather was an accomplished chemist at Wyeth, LLC. He was part of several patents held by the company. My father, who comes from a family of doctors, is a retired physician himself, and is currently the Senior Vice President of Business Development at HealthEquity. My mother is a retired nurse, my sister is a nurse, and my brothers work in health insurance. Needless to say, I have heard all about the medical field and related devices even before I was old enough to really understand them.
Although my family's legacy is medicine and science, I wanted to do something different. That's why I've decided to learn more about different aspects of business. However, I still find my interests gravitating toward the medical field. In various college courses, I have researched health savings accounts, the future of medicine, and IoT devices. Different aspects of my life have pushed me in this direction and being able to learn more about it while interning at Indium Corporation is making my summer better than I could have ever imagined.
Stay classy,
Ian West