As a biomedical engineering student, I was drawn to Charta Health because I wanted to make a tangible difference and contribute meaningfully to the modern healthcare system. I was looking for an opportunity to build real-world solutions that immediately impact how care is delivered. At Charta, that meant working on AI-powered systems that automate chart reviews and alleviate the overwhelming documentation burden placed on medical professionals.
What made this experience completely unique from my past co-ops was the opportunity to work in a forward-deployed role. Once I shipped a feature, I had the chance to demo my work directly to our customers and witness the fruits of my labor. Hearing their feedback and understanding their daily workflows bridged the gap between writing software and seeing its human impact. It was incredibly rewarding to watch the features I built translate into real-time relief for medical staff.
Backing up that hands-on experience was an incredible internal support system at Charta. I was partnered with a dedicated mentor who guided and encouraged me throughout my entire internship. Beyond my mentor, the rest of the engineering team constantly went out of their way to make me feel truly included and valued. They were always easy to talk to and incredibly generous with their time, whether we were casually chatting or they were helping me through a problem. That welcoming environment, combined with the chance to work directly with users, has shaped me into a much more thoughtful engineer as I head into the next chapter of my career.
Mekhael Thaha is a third-year biomedical engineering student at the University of Waterloo who is passionate about using technology to solve complex healthcare challenges.