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From clinic to creativity: An internship at Spark
Jasmijn Visser and Caitlyn Kramer (both 24) are in the final year of their Master’s in Technical Medicine and are currently interning at Spark. They share their experiences.
Creativity and innovation as a driving force
Their first encounter with Spark was at the Clinical Career Event at TU Delft, where a presentation by Spark immediately caught their attention.
Caitlyn: “What struck me right away was how quickly Spark creates a prototype for a project. They showed a photo of some boxes simply taped together, and it fascinated me. From that moment, Spark became an end goal –that was where I wanted to go.”
Jasmijn: “I am naturally creative and love working with my hands. During my studies, I sometimes missed that because the focus was mainly on the clinical aspect. An internship at a design agency seemed like a great opportunity to further develop my creative skills.”
A warm welcome at Spark
Both interns felt at home at Spark from the start.
Caitlyn: “In the hospital environment, I didn’t always feel at ease. Everything there is very sterile and hierarchical. Spark is the opposite: personal and approachable. It was a breath of fresh air.”
Jasmijn: “In the hospital, you do a ten-week internship, and by the end, you need to have a concrete result. Here, you get much more time to learn and develop yourself – and your work stays at the office. It makes for a completely different experience.”
Diving straight into ongoing projects
Both interns were able to get involved in ongoing projects right away.
Caitlyn: “I immediately took on a medical project that had been on hold. My first task was to conduct a feasibility study and get everything moving. I had to investigate the viability of the treatment and how different techniques could be combined. After that, I started creating concepts. At that point, Jasmijn joined the project.
For another medical project, I’m working in the proof-of-concept phase, which is a completely different side of the design spectrum. We work with a multidisciplinary team, which I really wanted. The weekly team meetings and collaboration with different expertise areas make it extra interesting. My tasks varied from analyzing medical research to determine where the device would be used and what added value it would have, to researching suitable materials and redesigning a component to improve functionality.”
Jasmijn: “In the project I’m doing with Caitlyn, I’m involved in concept development and setting up validation tests. Soon, we’ll be building the first prototypes. Besides that, I take on all kinds of fun, practical tasks. I mentioned that I like working with my hands, so I’ve already learned how to 3D print and use a step drill. I’m getting quite handy!”
Growing technical skills
Caitlyn: “The projects suit me well. I love variety and find it super interesting to work with technical people. A big advantage for me is that I’ve been able to really learn SolidWorks here. During a previous internship, I tried it, but the period was too short to master it. Here, I get the time to really dive into it, which is very satisfying. I can see myself making huge progress and applying it directly to projects.”
Jasmijn: “You really get the space to learn here, and that’s exactly what an internship should be. I’ve already picked up a lot, both with SolidWorks and with practical skills. If I mention that I have time, there’s always a small task to tackle. The variety makes the work extra fun.”
From intern to valuable team member
Caitlyn: “What struck me at the beginning was that my input was taken seriously right away. People trusted what I had researched without triple-checking everything like they do in the hospital. It felt like an equal playing field, very different from my experience as a medical intern.”
Jasmijn: “I also had to get used to that. During a meeting, they explicitly said that my contribution was valuable. It’s really motivating to feel that you’re making a meaningful impact.”
From theory to practice
During their Technical Medicine studies, Jasmijn and Caitlyn built abroad knowledge base. At Spark, they’re discovering which skills are most useful.
Jasmijn: “Literature research is incredibly valuable. We’ve learned to systematically search scientific articles and read them academically. Because we’ve done it so often, we can quickly and efficiently find the right information. Plus, thanks to our education, we have access to three university licenses, which makes it even easier to consult reliable sources.”
Caitlyn: “For me, the broad medical knowledge base is a huge advantage. I immediately understand how the human body works and can translate that knowledge to my colleagues. I’m used to quickly linking the information I read to medical devices: how do you apply it and what structures are involved?”
Their technical background also plays an essential role.
Jasmijn: “The physical principles we learned during our studies are surprisingly applicable here. Take blood flow in vessels, for example: it has a certain vascular resistance, which you can compare to the flow in pipes and tubes. The same principles that apply inside the body can be translated to technical designs outside the body. In essence, a blood vessel is not so different from a pipe.”
Creativity on and off the job
Outside of their work at Spark, Caitlyn and Jasmijn have different hobbies that help them relax and unleash their creativity.
Caitlyn: “I like to stay active. I play field hockey and go windsurfing in the summer. But I also love creative hobbies, like crocheting –making sweaters and blankets. Honestly, I’ll try any hobby I can get my hands on: making candles, clay modelling… It’s the perfect way for me to unwind and clear my head.”
Jasmijn: “Dancing has always been a big passion of mine. I used to dance intensively, about eight hours a week. Now, I do one hour of show jazz per week, but I still enjoy it just as much. I also picked up horseback riding again. Photography is another hobby that got out of hand – it takes time and good equipment, but I love taking pictures, especially when I travel.”
Building a future
For Jasmijn and Caitlyn, their internship at Spark is an experience where they can apply their academic knowledge in practice, develop new technical skills, and freely explore their creativity. The experience they’re gaining here is helping them build a strong foundation for their future as technical physicians – and who knows, maybe even at Spark.
