Lately, a lot of people have asked me about how I like California and my internship, and I have to say that really I love them both! I still can’t express the beauty of this state, and my first week of work was really great.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about this internship so far is that I get to answer questions in a very hands-on manner. In class, I learn by listening or reading, but at work, no one necessarily has the answer waiting for me, so often I’ll have to find out for myself. Finding answers can involve any combination of measuring, researching, asking, observing, breaking or fixing. I’ve found that I especially enjoy the breaking and fixing parts, and luckily, much of my latest assignment involves those two very things.
My work has continued to revolve around the Pumani CPAP. Aside from assembling headsets and researching aquarium pumps (a key component of the Pumani’s air flow), I’ve been looking into the most common things that cause the Pumani’s to break in the field. The BTB staff in Malawi has compiled an extensive log that documents each of the machines, along with any issues and repairs. My task was to sort through the maintenance logs and note each issue, the date the problem occurred, and basic information about the device. From this, I analyzed the most common problems with the Pumani, as well as approximately when the devices are experiencing issues, and if any hospitals are having an inordinate amount of problems. With this information, we are better equipped to address and resolve the problems in the manufacturing stage.
I completed most of the data analysis using Excel. We found that most devices tend to have similar problems at similar stages. Fortunately, most of the problems seem to be very fixable and can be (or already have been) addressed in the next build of devices. In addition to the data analysis, I’ve gotten to see and dissect some of the problematic devices, in order to better understand what is going wrong and how it can be fixed.
The information gathered by the Malawi interns has also been useful in teaching us how to improve the user manual. We’ve decided to make the repair section a bit more comprehensive so that common issues can be identified and resolved easily. I spent most of Monday morning working on an easy-to-understand method of troubleshooting the pumps in the Pumani. Initially, I decided that a flowchart, in which the user answers sequential questions that lead to different responses, would be the best way for the user to diagnose the problem. The longer I worked, however, the more complex the flowchart became. Eventually, I decided to scrap the idea entirely. I had to take a step back and admit that my first idea wasn’t the solution, and though I had poured a good amount of time into it, I had to change my thinking. Only after admitting my failure was I able to take a step back and create a method that actually made sense—a step-by-step list and a reference table. It was definitely a lesson in flexibility and mistake making. And though it wasn’t a fun lesson, I’m glad I experienced it.
Tomorrow, I am travelling up to PRIDE Industries with Robert, Jocelyn, and several other of my colleagues at 3SD. PRIDE has partnered with 3SD to help manufacture the Pumani units, and I’m very excited to get to tour the facilities.
Apart from work, I’ve really been enjoying the Bay Area. The San Rafael farmer’s market was as magical as I was told it would be. There were samples of fruit everywhere, and I had some of the best, sweetest strawberries of my life. However, apparently my standards are low, as the Californians around me described them as “only mediocre.” These Californians know their fruit. Last Saturday, I went to San Francisco with one of my suitemates, where we enjoyed a music festival at Golden Gate Park. The city was absolutely freezing. Then Sunday, we stuck around San Rafael to run errands and explore the city. It was sweltering. The weather around here is surprisingly crazy, but I’ve been told many times already that layers are key.
The third 3SD intern and our fourth suitemate, Emily, arrived yesterday evening from Hong Kong. She is fitting right in already, in both the suite and at work, and I’m looking forward to working with her in the coming weeks (and exploring with her and the other girls on the weekends)!