HERE'S WHat THE FELLOWS ARE SAYING...

 

I participated in the Fellows program to learn more about the opportunities in the biotechnology industry and to build a lasting relationship with my mentor.

The Fellows program definitely met my expectations by exposing me to several different sides of industry. Not only did I learn about research opportunities, but I also found myself learning about new areas in which I could use my degree that I never thought about before, such as in licensing and acquisitions and patent law.

In addition to learning about career options that I may want to pursue in the future, the Fellows program taught me how to network and make valuable business connections.

I would suggest those considering participating in the Fellows program to be open to meeting new people and be ready to present yourself and talk about yourself willingly. Asking questions and relating your own experiences makes you stand out and memorable.

I would absolutely encourage others to participate in the Fellows program. I feel this experience was life changing. I was able to learn more about career opportunities, made network contacts, as well as made several new friends.

Vanessa Small
3rd year PhD candidate and graduate student researcher University of California, Riverside
2006 Fellow

The Biotechnology Institute's Minority and Indigenous Fellows Program has been instrumental in not only providing me with a mentor, but also by helping me narrow down my career focus and establish my career goals.

I attended UCLA and received a molecular biology degree. I wanted to be a doctor when I was in college, but took some courses where I was exposed to biotechnology, which sparked my interest in biotech. I did well in those courses and became interested in the field as a career option.

After undergraduate school I worked as a laboratory technician at a lab that tested blood plasma. Then I went to graduate school at the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI). I was attracted to KGI's master's degree program because of the focus on life science with business training. I learned about the Fellows Program during graduate school. Kate Farrell of Amgen, who became my mentor, came to KGI and spoke about her career at Amgen. She left behind brochures about the Institute's Fellows Program. I picked up a brochure and then a staff person in the Career Placement office sent out an email to students about the Program, so with that additional encouragement I applied.

There are several great benefits to the Fellows Program. First, you are matched with an industry mentor. This relationship continues throughout the year. I can't express how important it is to have someone in the industry to tell you what the industry world is really like. My mentor, Kate, has been the biggest help to me. She encouraged me to go on a lot of informational interviews so I could identify what I wanted to do. During my time at KGI, I found many different areas and careers interesting, but by going on informational interviews, I was able to narrow down my career focus to quality assurance, which I do now, at Amgen.

Second, you are able to attend the BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) Convention. I had always heard that BIO was "the convention" to attend in the biotechnology and science fields. Being there, I saw that it was true; BIO was the top of the top. All of the power players in the biotech industry are there, and you're able to interact with them on a business level. At BIO, I was able to see more than just academic science. I saw the process of how knowledge obtained from scientific research is converted from ideas to commercialized products.

As a Fellow I also learned how to network, which I hadn't done before and I formed a lot of friendships and relationships with other Fellows and Mentors.

Marcus Fairly
Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA
2003 Fellow