Madhavraj “Maddy” Premkumar is a senior at McIntosh High School interested in healthcare, medicine, engineering and computer science. When he mentioned these
interests to the administrators of the Work Based Learning Program through Fayette County Public Schools, they found a place for him in Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s Biomedical Engineering department.
“Fayette County’s Work-Based Learning program is available to provide real world experience for our students as they prepare for secondary education, and eventually the workplace,” said Melanie Duncan, Coordinator of Work-Based Learning and Youth Apprenticeship for Fayette County Public Schools. “Our partners, like Piedmont Fayette, help our students develop the skills they will need in their future careers.”
Better known as Biomed, the Biomedical Engineering Department at a hospital installs, maintains, and repairs much of the equipment used by patients and staff. They may get called on to switch out beds, service pumps, or fix equipment in Radiology or the hospital’s lab. Employees in Biomed need to be familiar with all of the equipment being used and also have some general knowledge of electronics and computers.
Premkumar started with Work Based Learning at Piedmont Fayette in August and has spent time with various departments to learn how Biomed typically assists them.
“One of the more interesting things was getting a tour of the hospital from the team in Plant Engineering,” Premkumar said. “I got to see how the cooling system and the vacuum pumps worked. It really gave me a sense of how the equipment interacts with all of the areas.”
In addition to witnessing how antibody testing and blood bank matching occurred in the lab, Premkumar, an aspiring cardiologist, also got to see cardiac scans in Radiology, and Electrosurgery in Surgical Services.
“Maddy is just a super student and a hard worker,” said Carmen Walker, Manager of Biomedical Engineering at Piedmont Fayette. “He’s always eager to learn and our team finds some great educational opportunities for him.”
Premkumar has narrowed down his college choices and is strongly considering studying medicine. His time at Piedmont Fayette is providing a greater understanding of modern healthcare and the role that each department plays in a patient’s care.
To learn more about Fayette County Public School’s Work-Based Learning program, visit fayettecte.org.
