Category: Camille

Assessing oneself on their performance is difficult, but it’s important to know one’s own faults in order to correct them. During my internship, I believe I do well in my organizational tasks, reporting the material testing and organizing the company’s database. The company was lacking some organizational structure in certain areas, and I feel I was able to provide a more solid example and physical templates. I believe I mainly need to grow in confidence, as that would’ve solved certain issues much quicker. Normally I get tasks done relatively quickly by myself, I just go for it and finish. Here I’ve noticed that the feeling of not wanting to bother anyone, or the fear of being annoying, got in the way certain times delaying some of the tasks I could’ve accomplished a bit. It was never anything serious and I do get more comfortable as time passes, but I need to learn to speak up more often and from the beginning in order to be fully competent at work.

In terms of professional development, this is my first internship, so I got the experience some part of the workforce. Despite it being in Vietnam, it’s important to know some aspect of the industry. A different culture might not prepare me for the American industry, but it does help me establish what I would like in a job or company that I could eventually find either in America or outside. I’ve only ever interacted in groups in clubs and organization with fellow students, here I’ve been able to interact with a wide variety of people, from diversity to age; as a result, I’ve been able to develop some interpersonal skills. Vulcan Augmetics is a prosthetic startup and working here has made me realize a few things. One, I am ok with working in a startup in the future. The idea always scared me; I thought the environment was too small, I wouldn’t be able to contribute enough as they imagined, and maybe the company won’t take off. All fear I come to realize don’t actually matter to me anymore. Secondly, I do want to continue to work in prosthetics, I want to get more involved in field and hopefully can do so back at UF. Thirdly, I do want work in a different location and travel more. I’ve always said I never wanted to work in Florida, and I was always open to working outside of the United States. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know one of these will happen because that’s what I want out of my life. Personally, I’ve also learned to enjoy the moments and people you have, even if they’re short-term, because they’ll always be with you.

I planned to take this program last minute. Last summer I spent it at home, understandable for the freshman year. This summer I wanted to do something, but I was indecisive and a bit scared of doing something large scale, most of family has never traveled so far at such a young age. Something inside me just ended up picking this internship, signed up without telling my parents, and figured I’ll worry about the money later. This program wasn’t even meant for Vietnam, it was originally China. I interviewed for my company at 2 a.m. the day of my flight. So many things seemed to change or seemed uncertain. While the advice might not be directly related to any one experience in Vietnam, it’s about the whole of it. I’d say if you want to do something, just go for it, and if plans change, just go with it. This has by far been one of the best decisions and experiences of my life so far, and it’ll only open it up to better ones.

The best moment at my internship so far as been when we fitted two of the prosthetics. I’m apart of Generational Relief in Prosthetics at UF, but I help in the single-handed controllers not the hand group; either way it’s always exciting to see people get the products and have experience it for the first time. I’ve never got the chance to see an actual prosthetic being fitted; it was fulfilling to see the genuine intrigue and interest in the product from the user. Having a limb difference generally makes you adaptive in everyday life, so they adapt to the device given to them and use them in ways we wouldn’t have thought of. All of it simply reassured me that I’m on the right path for my future, and I still want to do something related to this field.

During my internship, I’ve done a couple of tasks and was always kept active; they have been smaller roles since most of the work and roles have been established beforehand. I’ve helped with 3D material testing, modifying the waiter module, and now establishing the database for all previous designs. The last task helps me get an in-depth review of the progress at Vulcan, and I am the proudest of this and modifying the waiter module. I helped progress the designs of the waiter module and making it a functional product. Naturally further designs will make the product better; this is just one step, but it broadens the type of work available to amputees. Organizing the database helps more so the company in future endeavors. It’s an easy access point to review old designs and able to share with new employees, instead of having all designs scattered throughout the current employees.

After living and working in Ho Chi Minh City for the past two months, I come to realize certain things I would like for my future life and to not settle for less. Sometimes this trip I would forget that I’m in Vietnam, a whole other country, a place not many people from my family have been to or will probably ever go. I’ve always said I want to travel and not stay in the same city I grew up or studied in, and after this trip it made it seem more possible. My experience here reassured the idea that you anything is possible if you try and care enough. There are limited resources in Vietnam, and this start-up required certain technical skills and materials, but they still make it possible. Another thing, I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous journal, is that I’ve solidified previous philosophies that I’ve found hard to truly implement before. That is taking breaks and enjoying the moment because it’s necessary to be functional and productive later; essentially work hard when you need to and not feel guilty when a break is needed. Part of the I feel is enjoying your surroundings whether it be the people or physical surroundings, and here are some of the surroundings I’ve experienced here.

One major thing I’ve learned about the industry is that the work is mostly trial and error. It’s something we are used to hearing, but never fully grasp until you start working in the industry. While measurements, dimensions, and precautions are taken every day, once applied in real life scenarios, they never work one hundred percent. It just goes to show you don’t have to be perfect, simply willing to modify and try again, even if it means abandoning any ideas you have. It teaches you to be flexible in every way possible and comfortable with failure to the point where it seems like second nature. I was always comfortable with failing, but usually when it applied to myself, if others were relying it felt almost impossible to let myself fail. I began to let that ideology go as long as in the end I don’t fail; failing in between doesn’t count, it’s simply a means to an end.

My company’s strength lies mainly within its employees. The amount of passion and care they have for their product and each other is inspiring; I only hope wherever I work in the future carries those same qualities because it truly feels like a family that’s growing together. They are not ashamed of failing and continue to be creative. Some of the main weaknesses come from the fact that all the engineers are part-time, not being able to fully commit their time to Vulcan hinders the speed, and occasionally quality, of their products. Resources are also an issue, but that comes from any start-up. They have time and room to grow, especially since Vietnam is growing in the tech industry as well. Vulcan has won multiple contests in order to gain recognition, and therefore resources, that they will continue to do so and improve throughout the years. They will be bringing in new fabrication engineers, particularly a manger, which will also help ensure the pieces used in Vulcan are done in time and reducing the worries on the current fabrication engineers. Robotic prosthetics aren’t that popular in Vietnam, essentially making my company one of the leading figures in the area. There are not many internal threats because of this; additionally, they are providing their service at an affordable price in a medical industry that doesn’t currently provide to many solutions. Outside of Vietnam, however, robotic and bionic arms are more advanced and making slow strides in becoming more affordable.

My Ho Chi Minh life is similar to my regular life, except I am eating out more. I am naturally a person who focuses more on my experience with other people, particularly those who I encounter every day, hence my co-workers and supervisor. As a result, what I may find amazing might just seem simple to others. One moment was having dinner with everyone from my company. This past week was considered a more relaxed week after the chaos of creating the arms needed for last month; my company wanted to do an outing with everyone from the team because usually everyone works separately, only interacting with each other here and there. It was just great to be apart of such a lovely group of people, hanging out, and truly seeing them. Being at a company for two months is, but also isn’t enough time to truly get to know someone, so it was nice to see a different side of them. Afterwards, we went bowling, which was a ball (I’m going to point out the pun so it’s not missed). Another moment happened today. I decided to help out at one of the community services events CRCC plans each month. It was at an orphanage with about 50 kids, we cooked food (I learned how to make spring rolls, and may I add I am a natural) and played games with them to help them practice English. All the kids were absolutely adorable and sweet, it just warmed my heart and made me happy; one of the kids even made each of us a little craft. Here are some photos from that event.

One of the most challenging aspects of my internship isn’t based on technical skills, but rather soft skills. It’s been taking my own initiative on tasks and not relying so heavily on my supervisor. It’s been slow establishing; there was some expectations on my end to figure out certain smaller aspects in order to complete my task. It seems like a given, but it wasn’t verbally established at the beginning of my internship; as my tasks grow more independent, the more I must do on my own. This provides me with the opportunity to grow more autonomous and begin to feel more comfortable seeking out my co-workers for help instead of relying so heavily on my supervisor. It helps me in developing interpersonal skills in a calm, welcoming environment. It’s important to develop more soft skills in a real work environment with varying degree of skills and personalities. University mainly teaches technical skills, and you gain some soft skills working in clubs or groups, but it’s never truly the same as the work environment.

The best features of my internship are honestly the people. From the CEO to every level of the company, they care about the work they are putting out, but also care about the people they are working with. It’s a nice balance between putting time and effort in to push out a product within the deadline and ensuring everyone is alright along the way. This is my first internship so I can’t really compare it to anything else I’ve experienced. They each have their flaws, but they are truly a family.

I have a couple of favorite dishes and snacks I’ve discovered in Ho Chi Minh City. At one of the offices there’s a food court on the last floor, every lunch I have there I try something new. There’s a lot of other Asian restaurants including Thailand, Japan, and Korea. The most common Vietnamese dish everyone knows is Pho, so I’m not going to say that one, but it is a classic and all around great. My top favorite Vietnamese dishes include bánh xèo, bánh mì, bánh bao, and gỏi cuốn. Bánh xèo is a giant omelette/crepe looking thing filled with a variety of choices, but commonly uses shrimp, pork, onions, and bean sprouts. Bánh mì is a classic breakfast food; essentially it is a baguette filled with loads of vegetables and chicken or beef. Bánh bao is a giant dumpling mainly filled with pork or beef but can include other ingredients. Gỏi cuốn are called fresh spring rolls; they have all the aspects of a regular spring roll, but commonly uses shrimp and a wrapped in rice paper. In regard to fruit, since that’s eaten a lot here, lychee and dragon fruit are phenomenal.

Currently I finished the material testing last week. Hopefully offered some insight into post-processing and possibly considering other 3D printing methods besides Fused-Deposition Modeling (FDM), which is the most common and shows the layer lines. Each material or method has their pros and cons, and I helped to establish and clearly define that list a bit further. As for the waiter module, I fixed the current model and spoke on my design ideas. Naturally there’s some issues with every idea, but for now they want to continue the same route with some small modifications to keep things simple. Next week I will attach the module to the waiter try to prep for testing. Everyone else is focusing on finishing the basic arms needed for this month, so there’s not much room for me to help with in that aspect; everyone has clear and specific tasks with deadlines fast approaching. In the next few weeks I want to fully understand the components of the arms, the assembly, and the process of getting to the finish product. Right now, I’m getting different pieces at a time from the different engineers and I want to be able to connect the big picture. It’s bit difficult to interact during the design discussion in improving the arm because all the engineers are Vietnamese and easily converse with themselves to get their ideas across. By the time they translate they’ve already decided certain things and the middle part of the conversation is where all the ideas bloom. Therefore, realistically speaking I know I might not have a greater impact in the design of the arms, but I do hope to contribute with refining the waiter module and in other smaller ways. It helps expand the company’s consumers and put people back into the work field.

Each co-worker has their own strengths and seemingly very different from each other. Each member is valuable in their own way from being a pro at manufacturing to being the brains behind mechanical design to developing truly difficult parts in SolidWorks. Everyone is always open to help me out, teach me some machines, and show me different things they are working on. My supervisor keeps everyone on track and steps in to resolve any issues, regardless of what it may be. I speak to him most of the time to understand where I fit in everything. He always finds projects that have been neglected for the time being and I step in wherever that additional assistance is needed. I’m technically their first intern (and their first female engineer) and this is my first internship, so I feel there’s a bit of trial and error on both sides. I’m happy with being the first if it means more women get the opportunity to work in engineering; plus, it’s a great experience on my end considering I’m working in a whole other country.

Surprisingly I’ve learned to enjoy my meals and to take breaks every so often (I’m still trying that last part out). The work culture here is very different from America, it’s far more relaxed yet still productive. The first week working I was looking for something quick to eat and only seeing food as something to get through so I can go back to work. I quickly realized I was rushing for no reason; food seems to be thoroughly enjoyed here and every place to eat was more of a “restaurant” type rather than fast food. Lunch was whenever I decided and no time limit, not to say you can take half a day. There’s also no shame in breaks and naps as it does produce a more workable environment. On a more technical level I’ve finally learned the names of some dishes, so there is some progress with my Vietnamese.

My supervisor is Akshay Sharma, one of the co-founders of Vulcan Augmetics. His additional of title is CTO (chief technology officer) and converses more with the engineers. During meetings he expresses new ideas, addresses certain issues with designs, and ensures everyone is following their technical tasks; essentially, he is involved in all the technical roles despite not being an engineer himself. The other co-founder, Rafael Masters, is the CEO and focuses on the business operations more. On the specifics of my supervisor’s schedule, I can’t really say much. Akshay has other ventures, one of them being real estate, therefore he does many things I’m unaware of. Ella Trinh, the general manager, informed me that even with all his other venture Vulcan is his true passion. I know on some days he visits the workshop (we call it the Batcave) to check in, and I’ve noticed on Wednesday’s he comes to the office to meet with investors and start-up mentors. He checks in on me weekly to make sure everything is going ok and speaks to me about my tasks, being very understanding in general. Similar to the engineers, he likes to joke around but is still respected. Now to introduce the engineers and their titles. We have Vũ Tuấn Anh the fabrication master, Đỗ Quốc Thắng the chief designer, Lê Huy Thông the electrical engineer, and Quan Le the mechanical engineer. We also have Lê Tấn Việt Linh the CPO and prosthetist, and Phạm Văn Được R&D associate and recently looking to be the influencer/face for Vulcan. Everyone tends to work independently, sends each other their completed tasks, and meet of Saturdays to discuss everything.

My role is mainly to assist wherever necessary, as a result my days vary a bit. Some of my days are spent in the Batcave. Occasionally I help with manufacturing/fabrication and hopefully will learn how to operate their CNC machines. Until recently I’ve worked with the lathe and drilling machine making small parts for the prosthetic. Eventually I will help with the assembly as soon as all the parts are made. Other days I spend in the office working on specific projects. I was put the task of researching different post-processing method of 3D printed parts. I focused mainly on two methods, and despite them not being completely effective I have now started a report that the company can hopefully extend as they search for different materials and printing methods. My other project is working on a job specific module for the prosthetic arm. It allows the user to be able to hold a tray and serve normally. The idea was already in motion when an engineer left; I’m helping to refine the dimensions and ensure it works properly. Saturday meetings are essentially a catch up with the whole team and defining the task for the next week.

Some of experiences I’ve had that stand out, which isn’t surprising to me now because it’s representative of the culture, are based on the generosity and hospitality of Vietnamese people. One day I was heading out to lunch by myself, but two of my co-workers came rushing to meet me at the elevators. I usually eat downstairs in the mall food court when I’m in the office, but they wanted me to go with them to have some street food. One of them paid for my meal even though I had brought my wallet along and we are roughly the same age, and the entire time he was genuinely interested in talking with me. It’s not that big or crazy of an experience, but it did genuinely warm my heart and it’s always the little things you remember. Similar to how I’ll remember the Vietnamese pair who handed me their fan to keep as a souvenir at Black Lady Mountain during cultural week.

The company I’m interning for is called Vulcan Augmetics. The name Vulcan was from Roman mythology were the son of Jupiter and Juno was thrown or dropped from Mount Olympus and forced to limp afterwards. He became known as the patron of mechanic arts. The company is a start-up, with only about 9 people, focusing on developing functional and modular prosthetic arms. Their focus is on making an arm that is affordable so people here in Vietnam can have access to them. Prosthetic arms aren’t so prevalent in developing countries due to the high costs. Up until now only one person within the company, named Được, has used their arm, photographed below. He is an amputee and helps with research and development along with web design for the company. This month they are putting three to four arms on people outside of their organization.

I will be helping with manufacturing and some design aspects in order to provide the four arms this month as the team is still relatively small. Operations are underway to bring in more people next month. My main project is in surface finishing for the 3D printed cover in order to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Research went underway on my part in my first week and next week I will be testing out the different methods and hopefully providing a step closer to a solution. My first week I was able to meet everyone on the team in their environment and work a little more closely with the manufacturers in their workshop. Their workplace environment is different from the United States, I believe part of it has to do with it being a start-up in Vietnam. Everyone is very friendly and comfortable with each other, so there’s a lot of casual conversation and jokes in the middle of design conversations. Depending on your task you are scattered throughout the city; the workshop and the office are on two different sides of the city, and Saturday meetings are held in a different office, making a total of 3 locations. Most of the engineers are part-time workers or students so they don’t hold normal job hours for the most part. Essentially you have a task for the week, and you get it done whenever you can. Overall it feels unstructured compared to American customs, but I’m pleased with the company and the group of intelligent people who are very passionate about the product they are providing.

By far one of my favorite activities was traveling on the Mekong Delta and visiting the Cai Rang Floating Market. It was an experience of the smaller aspects of Vietnamese culture and nature such as production of honey, some of the more peaceful waterways and islands, and an interesting way of purchasing goods. United States version of producing honey is different in a surprising way; Vietnamese people are more open with the bees and beehives by not using protection, but rather the natural flow of bees and their relationship with the queen to empty a hive. Once the honey is collecting the consume it with tea, which is served with almost any meal in Vietnam, and create another product called royal jelly that has some interesting health benefits by ingesting or topical use. Visiting each small island on the Mekong Delta provided another experience, such as tasting catfish and elephant ear fish, both of which were new to me. There was a smaller river we rode that was so peaceful you almost don’t mind the heat and sun; it was dead silent except for the creak of the boat and the paddle against the water. Through this all most of us began to understand the functional use of the conical bamboo hats as they truly provided relief from sun. The floating market was an interesting take on any normal market, where fruits and cooked foods were served from a boat. The idea of cooking on a little boat still baffles me and the fruit was delicious. Before this trip I would’ve never thought of something like that as a common thing.

I was expecting Vietnam to still be developing and maybe have some regions more advanced then other. Strangely enough it’s a mix of both within the same areas. You look up at the sky to see skyscrapers, while below there are a mix of restaurants with street vendors right on the sidewalk. There is also a lot more visual French influence than expected. Another surprising thing was the number of temples and the number of religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, etc.) that can be found in just one region. Overall, it is what I expected in some sense; the layout and livelihood of the Ho Chi Minh City was different, but impressive. During my stay I would just like to know more about everyday life including festivals/holidays and recreational activities. I already got a taste with National Children Day and all the activities that were planned throughout the city for them, which isn’t so common to see as tourist in the United States. I don’t have many specific cultural questions; I mainly just want to experience their city. New cultural experiences are sure to pop up and I’m excited to try it all.