3D printing is a technology that I have never known a whole lot about but

have always been fascinated by. I knew 3D printers had immense potential for

artists, students, and entrepreneurs, but had never really consider the overall

economic impact they could potentially have. The guest speaker we had last

Monday gave a perfect, concise breakdown of ways 3D printers can be used

practically, and how people are currently leveraging the technology. I am

legitimately interested in reading John’s book as I believe he is correctly predicting a

trend that is slowly finding its way into the mainstream. The biggest takeaway for

me was his statement “Everyone has the potential to be a maker”. This was

astounding to me because in the near future, we could have households with 3D

printers where homeowners simply print anything they need at any time,

eliminating the need for massive manufacturers, which would in turn create

massive ripples in the world economy. I think its incredible that the university gives

us an opportunity to get our hands on this technology and gain skills that will very

quickly grow in importance.

Additionally, I’d like to learn about how 3D printing will impact healthcare. It

seems like every other day there is news of a new type of organ printed by a 3D

printer. I am working for a healthcare tech company this fall, so I am sure that 3D

printing will have an impact on my career as well. Specifically, my firm creates

software used in hospitals across the world. As demand for 3D printing increases,

I’m sure the demand for 3D printing healthcare software will increase. I believe it

was even mentioned by one of our med students in class. I’m sure learning about the

potential health benefits of 3D printing this semester will help prepare me for

success at my new job this fall.