Intern Insights: Meet Laine Chapman

From standard-line hip implants to patient-matched solutions, Laine is gaining hands-on development engineering experience while helping bring personalized orthopedic innovation to life.

What does it really mean to be an intern at Zimmer Biomet?

For our summer interns and co-ops, it is more than a learning experience. It is an opportunity to contribute, collaborate and see firsthand how their work connects to patients around the world.

In our Intern Insights series, we are spotlighting the next generation of talent shaping the future of MedTech.

Meet Laine Chapman, a Biomedical Engineering student at Purdue University and co-op working in development engineering. After spending two semesters supporting Hip NPI/Recon, she is now contributing on the Patient-Matched Implants team, where the work is deeply connected to individual patient needs.

What inspired you to apply for an internship at Zimmer Biomet?

I was inspired to apply for a co-op at Zimmer Biomet because of the company’s reputation as a leader in the orthopedics industry. I also had great conversations at career fairs, which helped me see the opportunities available here and made me excited to learn more.

What are you studying and how does this internship connect to your goals?

I’m studying Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University with a focus in biomechanics. My classroom knowledge directly applies to my projects at Zimmer Biomet, particularly device modeling, testing and design documentation. Through this co-op, I have been able to learn more about the orthopedic industry and explore what a development engineering role looks like within a large organization.

Can you describe your role and the team you are working with and what you are working on?

I first spent two semesters with the Hip NPI/Recon team supporting the development of standard-line hip implants. I worked on both femoral and acetabular components, joining project teams in different stages of the engineering process, from early design through launch and post-launch activity. This summer, I transitioned to the Patient-Matched Implants (PMI) team, where I help design custom VRS implants for patients with severe bone loss.

What has surprised you most about your experience so far?

Especially in the PMI department, I have been surprised by how much ownership I have been given over my projects. I have felt fully immersed in my teams because they treat me like any other engineer and give me real independence and opportunities to contribute.

What is one thing people might not expect about your role?

Development engineering requires a lot of cross-functional collaboration. We work with quality, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, leadership, biocompatibility and many other groups to move products forward. There is much more to it than design work alone.

What advice would you give to future interns considering applying?

Put yourself out there and embrace your strengths. You never know what opportunities could be waiting, and being able to share and apply your past experiences or classroom knowledge is key to getting the most out of a co-op.

For Laine, this co-op has been about more than building technical skills. It has been an opportunity to see how product development moves from concept to reality across different teams, product lines and patient needs. From standard-line hip implants to patient-matched reconstructive solutions, she has experienced firsthand how engineering decisions can support better outcomes and help restore mobility.

Her experience also reflects something broader about the co-op journey at Zimmer Biomet: meaningful ownership, strong mentorship and the chance to keep learning in new environments. That combination of hands-on work, collaboration and purpose is what defines the internship experience at Zimmer Biomet: real work, real impact and real opportunities to grow.

Ready to start your own journey?

Applications for our internship programs open this September. Visit our Careers page to learn more, explore current opportunities and sign up for our Talent Community to stay up to date on the latest opportunities at Zimmer Biomet.

This story is part of a series featuring our summer interns. Stay tuned to Insights in Motion to hear from more interns, like Laine.