Employee Spotlight: Jermel Price
Jermel Price | Senior Product Evaluation Technician | Joined Penumbra in 2008 | Alameda, CA
Q. What is your current role at Penumbra?
My current role is a Senior Product Evaluation Technician. My responsibilities include evaluating returned products for our post-market surveillance team. In certain situations, physicians may send a device, including those used in procedures, to Penumbra for evaluation. We prep, photograph, and categorize each device. Each evaluation is different based on the device and specific set of circumstances – all of which calls for a unique set of tests and inspections. As a veteran to this process, much of this has become second nature, although it did take some practice for me to get to this point.
I started helping Product Surveillance with investigations back in 2013 when I was working for R&D as a Senior Technician. I fully transitioned over and have been with the Product Surveillance team ever since. Before R&D, I worked as a Product Builder on Neuron® 070 Coil winding when all we had were two lines in the clean room.
Q. What drew you to Penumbra?
My previous company did a huge global layoff, and I was one of the selected candidates. A coworker who was also laid off had Penumbra’s information and passed it along to me. I have been here ever since.
Q. If you did not pursue your current career, what do you see yourself doing professionally?
If I was not at Penumbra or elsewhere in the medical industry, I would have probably gone to trade school for auto mechanics. I enjoy working on my car when a problem occurs. I’ve been fixing things on my own cars since I was probably 18. My uncle was an auto mechanic and helped push me towards fixing some of these problems myself. I will pay to get an oil change so I don’t have to get under the car, but, if I can get to a broken part, I will try to fix it myself.
Q. Describe yourself at age 10. What career aspirations did you have at that age?
At the age of 10, I was not sure what I wanted to be in life. I was into riding dirt bikes and go-carts around the neighborhood with the other kids. I also enjoyed WWF wrestling at the time. I didn’t want to be a wrestler, but I had been to the Cow Palace a few times to see events live.
I guess my dream career at that age was to be a firefighter. Something about the truck caught my attention every time I saw one on the road.
Q. Before working at Penumbra, describe the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had.
During a previous role in the medical industry, I worked on devices that were made for vessel closure. While testing in the R&D lab on a flow model was straightforward, I also experienced live cases with actual patients. It was very interesting to see how the devices were used in the field versus how they were used in the lab during testing.
Q. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I have 25 years of experience in the medical industry and was one of the first 50 employees at Penumbra. I like to go camping during the summer and I love spending time with my grandchildren. I’m also one of the kindest people you will ever meet in life, and a hard, dedicated worker.
