MS-MPE Student Check-In: Jana Citrenbaum

Jana Citrenbaum, a former CMI fellow and current MS-MPE student at the University of Pittsburgh recently began a co-op at Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care in January, 2026. I had the opportunity to speak with her about her co-op and discuss the things she has learned during her time at Philips.

Jana first heard about the co-op opportunity during a career fair at Pitt in the fall of 2025, where she met the Director of Biocompatibility at Philips. After speaking with him, she realized her background in biomedical engineering and medical device development aligned well with the opportunity. The MS-MPE program further strengthened her preparation for the co-op because of the program’s focus on medical device development, collaboration with clinicians, and real-world projects. She feels that the skills she has learned as part of the program helped build her confidence in speaking about various projects and experiences during interviews and networking events. 

After applying and completing the interview process, Jana was able to begin her co-op. As a Biological Safety Engineer co-op, she prepares technical reports that align with ISO 10993 and ISO 18562 standards for medical devices. She also assists in writing Biological Evaluation Plans (BEPs) and Biological Evaluation Reports (BERs) to support regulatory submissions and product safety evaluations. The primary focus of her job is to ensure respiratory devices meet biocompatibility and biological safety requirements for patient use. Beyond her primary responsibilities, Jana was also given the opportunity to collaborate on engineering projects in other departments and gain more exposure to different aspects of medical device development. 

Working at Philips, Jana has been able to expand her technical skills through collaboration with other departments. She has learned to design models and drawings for various projects using Creo, a CAD software that she had not used previously. These models and drawings were related to cleaning and disinfectant procedures, as well as respiratory blower verification testing. 

Jana says that the experience has only reinforced her passion for medical device development, specifically devices that improve patient care and safety. It also gave her valuable industry experience in regulatory documentation, engineering collaboration, and validation testing. She spoke very highly of the company culture at Philips, noting that everyone has been very welcoming and supportive, including her managers and supervisors. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with coworkers through team events, and Jana has been able to build relationships that have made the entire experience more meaningful.