David Smythe participated in DxD’s inaugural Pathways in Health Technology program in 2023. In the fall, he was invited by DxD partner AdvaMed to attend The MedTech Conference. Here, he shares how the experience impacted him.
Attending The Medtech Conference with DxD, thanks to AdvaMed’s support, was an eye-opening experience for me. Attending enabled me to meet people who had tons of experience in the medtech field and network with them. In such a connected industry, meeting people is the most valuable thing you can do. Instead of feeling like I am alone in my career path, I now feel like I am fully supported by all the connections I have made, as well as by those at Diversity by Doing.
I grew up in the Central Valley, which is very underserved in the medical field. I always felt that there were not very many opportunities available. Even those few opportunities that were available were not for people like me. Most of the medical professionals around me were all white men, and coming from a Hispanic family, I felt like I did not belong. Going to the AdvaMed conference allowed me to see that there was a place for people who came from the same background as me. Meeting people there that shared similar experiences helped me feel like I belonged. Everyone there was so supportive and welcoming. For the first time in my career, I felt like I belonged in the field — like I have people that I can reach out to if I ever feel lost. The connections I made during this conference have drastically changed my career trajectory and I could not be more thankful for that. DxD has given me the tools to succeed in a way that I never felt was possible.
Thanks to the skills that DxD has helped me develop I feel that I am now equipped to go and make a difference in the medtech industry. I plan to transfer to from UC Merced and join the industry with the goal of improving the health of everyone in the valley.