Hands-Off: Perceptions of Biomedical Engineering Technology Internships under a Global Pandemic

Internships are an integral component of bio-medical engineering programs, as they provide students with hands-on experience working in real-world settings. To fully capture the benefits of an immersive environment, internships are traditionally conducted in person. In this pilot study, we assessed the extent to which virtual internships could provide similar benefits. We surveyed student interns (n=9) and their supervisors to evaluate the benefits of the internship experience for both the student and the supervisor/site, the learning objectives and experiences that students and supervisors find most important, and strategies for maintaining these important learning objectives in a virtual setting. Supervisors indicated that the most important objectives were real-world experience, increased confidence and working with others; while students said that getting hands on experience with various medical devices and preventative maintenance procedures and gaining experience with troubleshooting were most important. The study identified challenges associated with internships and outcomes and experiences that were important to include in a virtual alternative. The results of this study can be applied broadly to ensure that internships, regardless of modality, are worthwhile experiences for both students and supervisors.