Waterloo co-op students vital to medical device innovations at MOLLI Surgical
By: Krista Henry (she/her)
Waterloo co-op students bring excitement, high-tech skills and passion for the field to the MOLLI Surgical team.
MOLLI Surgical is an award-winning medical device company that produces wire-free localization technologies for surgery. These technologies provide better precision during procedures when marking lesions for surgery.
According to the white paper Bridging Skills Gap in the Medical Devices Industry: Strategies to future-proof your talent, digital transformation is driving growth in the medical devices industry. There is a high global demand for both tech and non-tech talent in the industry.
MOLLI Surgical recruits co-op students to get ahead of the talent crunch. The company hires students from programs like Biomedical, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering each term.
“We’re looking for talent that is passionate about the industry and wants to gain experience in medical devices,” says Michael Giannini (BASc ’16) (he/him) senior electromechanical engineer at MOLLI Surgical.
“I’m impressed with how enthusiastic and excited Waterloo co-op students we’ve hired are. Many of them may ultimately have a career in the industry.” Giannini is a former Waterloo co-op student. He got his start with medical devices during a co-op work term.
I know from experience that when I post a job at Waterloo, we’re going to interview students with multiple work terms. They are passionate about the work they do and usually have related experience.
Michael Giannini (BASc ’16) (he/him), senior electromechanical engineer at MOLLI Surgical
Students assist medical device development from end-to-end
Co-op students work as research and development engineering interns at MOLLI Surgical. Students often work on all phases of the development projects. The project work can start with prototyping new designs and 3D printing different concepts to bring to surgeons for input. Once they have a viable prototype, students also work on developing test protocols and executing extensive testing.
Next, they might assist with design for manufacturing of the devices, documentation and regulatory requirements to create the product.
“We’re a small company so students get to work outside of their comfort zone and learn new skills,” says Giannini. “We look for students who aren’t afraid to tackle work they might not have prior experience with. They must be okay with making mistakes and learning. Ontario is the largest area for medical device development and students are excited for the opportunity. They want to make an impact on the team.”
Giannini sees students as an integral part of the team at MOLLI Surgical. The experiences that Waterloo students gain through the University’s co-op program sets them apart from other students.
I find that Waterloo students have the equivalent of one year's experience when we hire them. After going through our training, they are ready to hit the ground running and know what it’s like to work in a professional setting. We find them to be very beneficial for our company.
For Giannini, a bonus of working with co-op students is that they are very familiar with the latest technologies and know how to use them well. “If a student is open to taking on challenges and developing innovation in the medical device industry, it’s a great place to work,” he says. In the future, the company hopes to start hiring seasoned co-op students into full-time positions after they graduate.