The Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering students are spending the summer as Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs co-ops with ACE Medical Company, an ISO 13485-certified manufacturer of surgical instruments and medical devices based in Cincinnati.

One of the highlights of their internship was attending the 35th and final Cleveland Spine Review, hosted by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Edward Benzel at Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital. The annual conference brought together surgeons, physicians, medical students and industry professionals to explore advances in spine surgery through lectures and hands-on training.

For both students, the weekend provided a rare opportunity to move beyond the classroom.

Katie attended presentations on emerging spine surgery techniques before participating in her first cadaver laboratory, where she observed a laminectomy and gained hands-on experience placing screws and cages used during spinal procedures. She also represented ACE Medical, demonstrating the company's specialized spinal and neurosurgical instruments, including Kerrison rongeurs and bipolar forceps.

Mihika said one of the most valuable aspects of the experience was seeing how the instruments manufactured by ACE Medical—including Kerrison rongeurs, bipolar forceps and pituitary rongeurs—are used by surgeons during procedures. She also observed craniocervical fixation and dorsal cervical instrumentation, gaining a deeper appreciation for how engineering, clinical expertise and physician education work together to improve patient outcomes.

The experience reinforced for both students that biomedical engineering extends far beyond designing medical devices. Understanding how surgeons use instruments, how products are evaluated in clinical settings and how quality and regulatory processes support patient safety are all essential parts of bringing new technologies to healthcare.

Throughout the summer, Mihika and Katie have worked with ACE Medical's Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs team, gaining insight into the development, manufacturing and evaluation of surgical instruments used in spine surgery.

Experiential learning opportunities like this are a hallmark of Purdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Through co-ops, internships and industry partnerships, students apply classroom knowledge in real-world clinical and industry settings while building the technical and professional skills needed for careers in medical devices.

For Mihika and Katie, the experience offered something few undergraduate students have the opportunity to do: learn directly from surgeons, handle the instruments they help bring to market and witness the connection between engineering innovation and patient care.

As they continue their biomedical engineering education, the lessons learned this summer—and the professional relationships they've built—will help shape the next steps in their careers, whether at ACE Medical or elsewhere in the medical device industry.