Reduced to dating

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Melita Magic wrote:

I also tried to apprentice myself to a furniture designer/maker - without success.

Who takes a soft spoken girly girl seriously in the world?

You are fortunate to have had more open minded surroundings.

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I was very fortunate, Melita. I grew up in a curious family (in more ways than one ;-) I'm also not soft spoken. A good tantrum works wonders, particularly for a woman in her 40s!

I'm impressed you've tried to get into these typically boy things and disappointed they didn't open the door for you.

There is a "maker" movement growing around the world and you might find that a more welcoming space. It's like the early days of personal computing, with nerdy folks gathering together to discuss ways of making anything and everything. I got my start at home, but the guys (and a few gals!) at the local computer club seemed happy to have a young lady sharing their interests.

I recently visited a maker space down in Milwaukee. It was a run down old building filled with every kind of junk you could imagine, inhabited by people who could have been the sons and daughters of the computer club folks of 25 years ago. They all like taking stuff apart and putting it back together in new and interesting ways. And a good many of them are soft spoken!

[Kenbro Utu]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

I don't think I've answered your question. You should have asked me about woodwoorking.

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I get the drift.  When you first mentioned instruments, I have to confess I conjured up the image of elevators, forceps, retractors and endoscopic catheters, i.e., the mechanical type.  I can imagine the road blocks to creating new electronic devices, especially those dependent on current or upcoming technology.  Thanks for trying to answer.  

BTW, was the competition Philips?  They actually used to own the company I work for, one of a handful.  

While I don't have hands-on contact with the healthcare industry, my knowledge is pretty expansive because I have to have a working understanding across all specialties of healthcare, while keeping abreast of new drugs, procedures and diagnostics.  Keeps the mind young.

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Kenbro Utu wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

I don't think I've answered your question. You should have asked me about woodwoorking.

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I get the drift.  When you first mentioned instruments, I have to confess I conjured up the image of elevators, forceps, retractors and endoscopic catheters, i.e., the mechanical type.  I can imagine the road blocks to creating new electronic devices, especially those dependent on current or upcoming technology.  Thanks for trying to answer.  

BTW, was the competition Philips?  They actually used to own the company I work for, one of a handful.  

While I don't have hands-on contact with the healthcare industry, my knowledge is pretty expansive because I have to have a working understanding across all specialties of healthcare, while keeping abreast of new drugs, procedures and diagnostics.  Keeps the mind young.

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I've got friends at Philips, but I never worked with them. The competitors I consulted for after GE are all smaller companies, giving GE pain in little niches. It's interesting that you work for a company that Philips unloaded. Philips and GE, GE in particular, are known for sucking up smaller companies and grinding them into pulp. Where you there for the divestment? If so, how do you like the new, post Philips management style?

I ended up at GE due to an acquisition and was expelled when they discovered I'm a pain in the neck. My Dad was a self employed mechanical engineering consultant. I figured if he found a way to work from home, I could too. I loved the flexible schedule. I could work any 80 hours per week that I wanted.

And if you think electronic medical device design is tough, take a look at drug discovery. The minimum cost to introduce a new drug is easily in the tens to hundreds of millions!

 

[Pie Serendipity]

Women and wimps use nail guns.

Real men use rail guns

[Kenbro Utu]

I first went to work for a small transcription company in Houston about 12 years ago.  I had gone back to school while still working in construction, and finally landed my first cushy chair job.  I was incredibly fit working in construction for 26 some odd years, and I was very surprised at how quickly my hard edge softened.  That little company was bought, merged, etc.  Philips picked up 69% of it at one point, but they finally sold their shares.  There were some billing improprieties, the company was restructured, merged, renamed, and the current version is MModal.  The management is actually better than it has been in years.  I too am able to work completely from home.  It's a nice perk.  

[Madelaine McMasters]

Now that I'm out of my lab chair and climbing ladders and sawing stuff, I find myself filling with slivers and aches. I had country feet when I was a kid. Now I swear like a trucker when I walk across the stones to the sandy part of my beach. Toughening up is hard work, Kenbro!

I loved hearing people complain about their work commutes, only to replay "You think you've got it tough, my commute is two flights of stairs... in my pajamas!".

I recently read an article about Nuance moving into EHR transcription with their voice recognition software. Are they a competitor or a supplier to you?

[Kenbro Utu]

They would be competitors.  The Philips involvement was for the addition of their speech recognition software.  Nuance bought that after they got out of Medquist (former name of MModal).  What we use now is called "Fluency."   Friend today, foe tomorrow.  Speech recognition has come a long way, but lucky for me it still requires the intervention of a human mind.