I currently work as a Case Manager at a child abuse clinic. I was torn between pursuing a PHD or MD, so I decided to get my Master in Biotech first with the hopes that I would have a better idea of whether I wanted a long term career in academia or clinical medicine. Being that I am halfway through this program, I have definitely gained more respect for academia; however, I have decided to further my education after this degree to pursue a degree in medicine. I think I have a deeper love and passion for the clinical side of medicine and would love to either become a child psychiatrist or radiologist. I am still unclear as to what specialty I will choose, but I definitely feel as though my calling is to become a physician. 

Throughout my academic career, my professional career was very closely related, except now. I have a degree in ECE and I worked as a private kindergarten teacher for a few years. Then I went on to pursue a bachelor's in psychology, which lead me to being an IEP specialist. I then pursued a graduate degree in clinical psychology and continued to work as an IEP specialist and an RBT. Now I work in a psych ward part-time and as an RBT part-time, but now my major is biotechnology. I can say my passion for psychology remains, but also my love of genetics and neuroscience, and I feel like I can have a career in biotech focused on one of my passions. Honestly, it feels great evolving through it all. I am confident in myself and my abilities but I would be lying if I said entering a different field of work isn't terrifying. However, I know I am just one step closer to pursuing my doctorate which is my ultimate goal and hopefully, I'm within a career that will allow me to grow. I always encourage people, no matter their age, background, upbringing, etc., they do not have to settle and always have time to follow their dreams. It may not be the traditional route but you will reach the finish line.

I learned the difference between academia and industry in terms of everything we learned in this class. I've never been interested in going into academia. Still, I was very excited to hear about the industry side and how you can have an academic background and transfer into the industry perspective, which biotechnology is all about. I understand both sides are critical, but my viewpoints reside with industry more because it is more evolutionary to the world. I realize that academia is crucial because, with academia, you can get to the next level of the industry. This summer, I will be working for GSK, which is industry-based, but we will be doing a lot of work based on academia taught by people in the academic field. I feel it is very typical to transfer from one side to the boat because both have to exist to elevate the sides of academia and industry. Since I am pursuing my master's in biotechnology, I feel both sides will intersect at some point, and I'm looking forward to it!

I've had a variety of experiences as it relates to changing careers. During my undergraduate career, I began as a nursing major and quickly realized that it was not exactly what I wanted to do and more so what my family wanted me to do. After coming to that revelation, I decided to switch to middle grades education. After doing field experience at various middle schools, I realized that I was not working with the demographic that I wanted to work with and switched to elementary education. I ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and still had no idea what I wanted to do. I enrolled in nursing school after completing my undergraduate degree because it was a place of comfortability for me and dropped out 5 months later. Feeling like I was a failure and being very confused about what I wanted to do, I applied for various jobs and ended up in the world of tech and biotechnology. I got a mentor in the field and began to build my professional network. That is when I realized my love and passion for the intersectionality between science, healthcare, and technology. Changing careers and pivoting can be a very scary process. The ambiguity can be quite uncomfortable. I am thankful that I had all of those experiences because they brought me to a field that I am very passionate about and care about deeply. In those moments of uncertainty is where we are able to learn the most about ourselves and who we are as a person. I am fortunate to have a professional network of individuals who are extremely supportive in offering resources to gain access into the medical device and pharmaceutical industry. 

Changing careers can be challenging at times but with the right education and training programs it can be executed. In my medical devices class, we researched Medical Device Development Professional programs and important topics that should be included. When looking at programs to apply to, it is best to be a part of programs that have a broad array of topics within the curriculum. Currently, I am working towards a position in regulatory affairs as a consultant for the FDA or pharmaceutical company. Some important courses for that line of work are FDA policy, GDP/GMP/GLP compliance, quality management systems, and clinical research processes. 

I think changing careers is a great idea. We have been asked since grade school, "What is your dream job?" or "What do you want to do when you grow up?" Hardly ever do we consider more than one career choice. I think changing careers allows us to always grow, explore interests and expand our skillset. When I realized that I would spend 40 or more years working, I asked myself why wouldn't I change careers within such long period of time? With the growth of biotechnology and natural progression of society, we are bound to see many new paths that we may take interest in. I look forward to being happy in my careers and retiring knowing that I left no door unopened. 

I was in the Navy for 4 years and then pursued my undergrad in Biological Science. I started working in a research and development for 3 years. I changed careers because I was a bit tired of the constant desire to optimize processes based on company goals. I changed my major to Electronics Engineering and started working for a biotech company as a Service Engineer. It was definitely a change of pace that I was looking for. I spent only a years as a Service Engineer because I was referred to another department in my company that blends my technical skills and background in science. I enjoy the variety of support I am able to give to clients.

As a high school student and college undergraduate student, I had always believed your major would define your future career path. However now as a master’s student who recently graduated with a B.S. in BME, I see that no one is quite a permanent fixture in their chosen field of study when it comes to their career. It is possible to explore other avenues in the field. Learning about the jobs in industry and academia in class emphasized the range of career paths open to someone with a BME degree. Dr. Simon’s explanation of his job history opened my eyes to how an individual’s career path can pivot to different directions based on the experiences gained and interests discovered while working at a company or while at college. Similarly, Becoming, First Lady Michelle Obama’s memoir, she retells her decision to switch careers and the events that followed. After she finished law school, Mrs. Obama went straight into corporate law but didn’t feel fulfilled and set out to explore other options. Her career path took different turns through both networking connections and advice she received through many conservations she had. She set out to speak to other people about what possibilities lay ahead based on their own experiences. Dr. Simon and Mrs. Obama’s stories are examples that enabled me to change my mindset about the flexibility of a person’s career path. Changing careers can be a daunting decision but experience and connections are major tools that should be used when doing so. By gaining experience, an individual can better understand what work and work environment they are best suited to. By reaching out to your network, your connections can both offer advice based on their own career journeys. Both can open the door for potential job offers as well. Other than the two actions mentioned, I am interested in what other initial steps can a person contemplating a career change take?

I am in a similar boat as I had always thought I would want to be a Veterinarian and even did my bachelor's in pre-vet, but I actually enjoyed developing and creating ideas that would benefit people (and maybe animals) in the medical field. After watching the first week's video, it was really eye opening to see the difference and pro's/con's of academia and industry work. I know I definitely want to work in the industry, but I found it so interesting that there is such a need in the field. I am hoping to someday develop devices that help aid doctors/patients, as I know from shadowing doctors how truly stressful the job can be. Hopefully my career change will make a big impact, eventually, to doctors, patients, and healthcare workers around the world!