Becoming a Medical Device Engineer, How I did it...

Before we get too much further I wanted to introduce myself, my name is David Skinlo. And I have been in the Medical Device Industry for just about 8 years. That being said, I have to go back a bit to help you better understand my path and what I have learned along the way, which I hope will serve you well on your own personal path.

For a more detailed overview of my career please feel free to download it HERE.

That all being said, I have to go back a bit to help you better understand my path and what I have learned along the way, which I hope will serve you well on your own personal path.

In the Beginning- There was a Brick

In a sense my journey to Engineering and eventually to the Medical Device Industry started with a Simple Brick. As a child my life was Legos- building, breaking, re-building it seemed an endless cycle; I was totally lost in my bricks. I struggle to define the joy I experienced playing with those simply blocks and in some sense maybe it is better that way. As I look back however, it is clear that the creation of something out of nothing, the spark of an idea was a powerful experience as a young kid.

It is clear to me now that my love of science, engineering was discovered-

From Bricks to Books

Though I would love to tell the story of a star student that went to a top engineering school that is not my story, I was an average student both in High School and in College. School did not fit very well with my learning style; school was a real unnatural experience for me! That being said, do not get the idea that I am about to write how school does not matter, or how PhD’s or Masters Degrees are overvalued! That is not going to come out of these fingers. The reason is simple; I have worked with brilliant and productive PhD’s, but I have also worked with machinist on the shop floor that could engineer rings around many of my colleagues, and if I am being totally honest, probably even myself.

My Story Continued

For me, I struggled in the beginning with what I wanted to do and how I was going to leave my mark. At a very young age I had the entrepreneurial spark, to build businesses and to follow ideas…

But I decided I needed to build my skills- off to college - first Architecture, then Physics…and then I finally landed in Engineering. It seemed an obvious choice, basically applied Physics, but once I made the choice…a whole other level of choices faced me, what discipline, what industry…too many questions and too few answers. With all of this chaos however came a bit of calm, as a working student I had the privilege of Test Driving several careers while in school. Some where not glamorous, washing dishes, fixing bikes, selling electronics, some where hard work construction, etc. All however provided some insight into my strengths and what skills I had interest in developing. Then, I answered an ad in the paper for a machinist, at a small medical device manufacturer. I had never run a mill or a lathe in my life…I figured I would give it a try. Little did I know that that decision would set in motion a whole series of events which would define my career which continues, even today!

Since that first job I have spent many years in various Medical Device Companies. Each company has been different, each had strengths and weaknesses. All have taught me a great deal about this industry. Over the coming weeks and months I will share details of each and hope that my experiences might help you. I also hope you feel a sense of belonging to Medical Device Toolbox, please feel free to make requests and to contact me with specific questions, until then.

-dms