Biotech Career Panel
Oct. 29, 2017
Recently, I had the chance to attend a biotech career panel hosted by UNH. There were major pharmaceutical companies as well as Boston Children's Hospital. Initially, I went in planning on networking, handing out my resume, and getting my name into a potential job spot. This turned out to not be the case.
This panel spoke to us about professionalism and career paths. Almost all of the panelists majored in something different than their current field of work. Many advised us to not get hard on ourselves if we did not initially get the job we wanted. Everything will eventually fall together.
While this was good to hear, I found it interesting how many people had science backgrounds but ended up in administration positions. Many admin. spots can be occupied by science majors, which I never really knew before.
The panelist from Boston Children's was a medical technologist. Med. Techs are responsible for the laboratory practices in hospitals. This consists of running the blood work tests, urine tests, and other common tests.What truly interested me was that she is a master black belt in Lean, Six Sigma. Having someone who has a strong background in science, who also holds a high operations title was interesting to me. It really shows how your career ultimately shapes what you end up doing. You can start in one position, and end up in a totally different place than you ever expected. This really spoke to me.
Knowing about Lean and Six Sigma from class also made me think about how important these concepts would be in areas outside of administration roles. In a laboratory, you do not want excess "waste" that could be adding to expenses, and ultimately causing the patient to spend more. You also do not want a hectic lab that consistently runs into testing errors, because that could lead to incorrect results to the patient. I had never viewed the laboratory as this sort of system, but it is an operation and creating a smooth-flowing atmosphere is essential.
Recently, I had the chance to attend a biotech career panel hosted by UNH. There were major pharmaceutical companies as well as Boston Children's Hospital. Initially, I went in planning on networking, handing out my resume, and getting my name into a potential job spot. This turned out to not be the case.
This panel spoke to us about professionalism and career paths. Almost all of the panelists majored in something different than their current field of work. Many advised us to not get hard on ourselves if we did not initially get the job we wanted. Everything will eventually fall together.
While this was good to hear, I found it interesting how many people had science backgrounds but ended up in administration positions. Many admin. spots can be occupied by science majors, which I never really knew before.
The panelist from Boston Children's was a medical technologist. Med. Techs are responsible for the laboratory practices in hospitals. This consists of running the blood work tests, urine tests, and other common tests.What truly interested me was that she is a master black belt in Lean, Six Sigma. Having someone who has a strong background in science, who also holds a high operations title was interesting to me. It really shows how your career ultimately shapes what you end up doing. You can start in one position, and end up in a totally different place than you ever expected. This really spoke to me.
Knowing about Lean and Six Sigma from class also made me think about how important these concepts would be in areas outside of administration roles. In a laboratory, you do not want excess "waste" that could be adding to expenses, and ultimately causing the patient to spend more. You also do not want a hectic lab that consistently runs into testing errors, because that could lead to incorrect results to the patient. I had never viewed the laboratory as this sort of system, but it is an operation and creating a smooth-flowing atmosphere is essential.
Good for you for attending a professional conference. It's important to get involved early.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely kudos for attending the conference. I have an undergrad degree in English and Biblical Languages but also a Lean/Six Sigma Black belt. Everything you expose yourself to at this time will be part of your value proposition to potential employers. I also liked how you liked a good process to a good patient outcomes, that is a sign of a good healthcare leader.
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