 |
|
||||
|
|
Sample Reports
George K. Larger, III On my last days employed at Philips Medical Systems, I thought of little more than taking a few weeks off before returning to lectures and coursework. The last subject on my mind was my thoughts eight months before. I think and feel completely different about my Co-op than I did the week before I began it. I have but one semester remaining at Case, and my thoughts extend toward what I will be doing after I have earned my degree in mechanical engineering. I no longer ask myself how I will be an engineer, but rather where. I do not consider myself just another undergraduate student who has the same engineering coursework under his belt as everyone else. I feel I am a student who has had a long and thorough employment experience, unique among all others, which has provided me with invaluable knowledge and skills I would have been unable to get at a university. Primarily, I look forward to being an engineer. During the second half of my Co-op, my responsibilities and duties became a little less numerous and a little more structured. I had one main task beginning in September, lasting until the end of my Co-op. Under the direction of a co-worker, I assisted in the construction of a test stand, on which we would conduct overspeed testing on a CT gantry according to existing safety regulations. The test stand and gantry were assembled as one unit in-house, and the whole setup was transported to a local test site Philips rents for such tests. The tests themselves lasted for hours, but months were spent installing and configuring the system. Another project consisted of doing some onsite work to a new system that had been installed in a local hospital. I and several co-workers were asked to visit the site and evaluate progress thus far. Besides such involved tasks, miscellaneous duties continued. My supervisor would come to me with a small task that he or someone needed finished, and I would complete it immediately or when I had time, depending on the urgency of the job and my current workload. Ironically, several of the greatest influences my Co-op has had on me are those skills and knowledge I barely notice. I am no longer a stranger to hands-on work For example, I have actively fixed various maintenance problems around my fraternity house when it was not my job to do so. Furthermore, I have begun to purchase my own tool set and look forward to my using them to create and repair. I consider that an important milestone, because my father is very tool savvy, and he was unable to instill in me any sort of appreciation for applied work. However, my having seen Philips' CT scanners in action at local area hospitals probably had one of the greatest and most poignant effects of working at Philips. I felt empowered and gratified knowing my work positively affects people in need, and I was fortunate to see firsthand the fruits of my labor. During my last few weeks employed at Philips Medical Systems, I really began to understand everything that comes with being employed. I knew what it meant to be part of a team. I felt the pressures and stresses of strict deadlines and responsible managers. Principally, I experienced fulfillment as a dependable employee to whom many came when they need a task completed. Doubtlessly, my term at Philips will be a basis against which I will compare choices I make concerning my occupation. I developed skills, experiences and even friends working for Philips, and I will keep them fresh in my mind as my career unfolds. |
||||
