Mechanical engineering major follows curiosity into medical device space

July 22, 2026

Ashlyn Ohlms credits her Mizzou Engineering experience in and outside the classroom — as well her parents — for preparing her for her summer internship.

Ashlyn Ohlms is currently an intern for the fluids management team at Cardinal Health’s R&D facility in Hazelwood, Missouri, where she works on documentation and testing of medical devices like yankauers, suction tubing, suction canisters, needles and sharps containers.

“I’ve tested the force required to break a needle’s safety guard and checked tubing connections for leaks,” she said. “I’ve also gotten to work in the machine shop to help pour resin molds, look into state-of-the-art lab measurement methods to improve time efficiency, and research new product discovery ideas to present to marketing.”

Ashlyn Ohlms loading hay onto a farm trailer — From a young age, Ohlms has loved diving into complex problems and figuring out solutions. “Growing up on my family farm, I was taught to make do with the resources I had around me,” she said. “That forced me to think critically in a pinch to come up with creative solutions.”

Ohlms grew up on the family farm, where she learned to think creatively and make do with the resources she had.In addition to farming, Ohlms’ family members also work in healthcare and as firefighters.

“Hearing about the problems impacting real people they’ve encountered with medical devices in the field inspired me to want to engineer better, safer and more reliable solutions for them and their patients,” she said.

Ohlms credits Mizzou Engineering with pushing her to think critically through and proving the resources to explore engineering outside the classroom through clubs like IMPACT. She also credits Mizzou Engineering Career Services for helping her prepare for interviews and adjust her resume with feedback from industry professionals.

Ashlyn Ohlms testing medical tubing in a Cardinal Health laboratory — “A big part of my job is helping to improve the documentation and processes for how we test these devices,” Ohlms said. “I help optimize current test methods, document those methods and then run them in the lab to make sure the tests are easily replicable and the results are consistent.”

For other students interested in interning in the medical device space, she recommends investigating regulations, medical devices and companies’ product lines.

“If you don’t have prior internship experience, build it!” she said. “Reverse engineer something. Fix random mechanical objects using your engineering knowledge. Or talk to people who work in healthcare to find out what they like or dislike about the devices they use.”

Ohlms said her love of learning, fostered by her parents, continues to be her biggest asset.

“An internship is such a great opportunity to learn about the industry,” she said. “Stay curious and ask questions whenever you get the chance.”

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