This interview is part of a series of interviews of people in different professions. These interviews are intended to assist teens in finding the profession that would suit them in the future. This specific interview is with David Cuccia, a biomedical engineer who currently owns a business. This interview will dive deep in all of the different parts of being in this profession.

The Interview

Natalie: Hello it’s so nice to meet you!

David Cuccia: You too!

So first of all, could you explain what you do for your job?

David Cuccia: My job, I am the chief technology officer or CTO. I work in biomedical engineering and medicine. I also do a lot of software. There’s also some physics involved. 

Natalie: So, what kind of projects are you currently working on?

David Cuccia: Right now, I am working on the next-generation of our medical device, called Clarifi.

The current device that we sell is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which means it is okay for doctors to use already.

The new device will be much smaller – we’re going from a system that’s over 100lbs (a cart system) to one that is handheld, so just a couple of pounds.

Natalie: Very interesting! Could you explain what your device does?

David Cuccia: Sure!

It is a camera system that takes a picture of how much blood is beneath the surface of skin, and the level of oxygen in that blood

So, it can be used to see if there is good circulation.

we’re focusing on using it to help people with Diabetes stay healthy.

Sometimes, if someone has Diabetes for a long time, they have bad circulation in their limbs, especially their feet.

That means, if they get a minor injury, like a blister or other small wound, it might not heal, or will take a very long time to heal.

A lot of the time, that means that they might have to have surgery.

Natalie: In the profession, is there an option to join a company?

David Cuccia: 

I’d say, for our company, over the years, we’ve hired maybe 30-40% of our people straight out of school (we were their first job)

Yes! There are so many different jobs for someone in my profession! Some people work at hospitals keeping the medical equipment running smoothly, some people do research their whole lives at a University, some people go into business to develop biomedical products (devices or drugs/pharmaceuticals). I’ve done a little of each, I guess! And the world needs those doctors that like doing surgery, because that’s definitely not me!

Natalie: Me too! I originally wanted to be a doctor, but I do not work well with blood either.

David Cuccia:I feel you 🙂 But you never know, that might change again! Just never be afraid to change directions if you have new information…that’s what a good scientist or engineer does.

Natalie: So, why did you choose to start your own company?

And what are the pros and cons of working independently?

David Cuccia: I’ve been REALLY lucky to hire and work with some awesome people.

But, yes, there’s lots of hard things about starting a business, running it, and managing people. Two times, we’ve had to let someone go (fire them) because it wasn’t a good fit. But that’s by far the exception to the rule. We’ve probably hired … I’m guessing here…45 people, over the years. Sometimes, they move on to their next great stepping stone or opportunity. Sometimes (like during the pandemic) we have very little money and have to let a group of people go. That was the hardest. But, we stay in touch with those people…it feels a bit like a family…everyone is still very supportive of each other!

Natalie: Is there a good work life balance in your profession? 

David Cuccia: One thing in smaller start-up companies is that if you are a founder, you’re always thinking about the next steps of the business. It’s not really something you “clock out” of at 5pm every weekday, so there’s often the extra stress of not being able to fully “turn off”. But the flipside of this is that schedules can often be very flexible. I’ve really enjoyed being able to opt-in to family activities that would be harder with a more rigid schedule, which is often the case in a larger company. Certainly, there have been times that have been very busy, such as when we would have a grant proposal deadline, scientific presentation, or product trade show/demo to prepare for. But, it can be very gratifying when one of these goes successfully!

Natalie: What are some common misconceptions about this profession?

David Cuccia: For me, a misconception was that as I progressed in my career, I would become more of a specialist, i.e. someone that would improve my skill in a particular area. My experience in entrepreneurship and project management has been that, while my knowledge and experience in specific areas/fields has grown, my work has been more and more varied and interesting! I have learned how to work with a diverse team, each with diverse skills in engineering, science, computer programming, project management, marketing, business development, finance, human resources, legal support, etc. I really have enjoyed connecting the dots between all of these fields and communities to communicate and accomplish a shared goal.

Natalie: Thank you so much for finding some time in your schedule to make time for this interview! I am sure that it will help many teens to determine what profession they would like to work towards, and I wish you the best of luck for your product and your business!

Dave Cuccia: My pleasure!