Why did you choose to attend the Master in Drug Development and Product Management (DDPM)?
A driven, compelled attitude to solve the pressing problems faced by today’s medical industry is why I decided to pursue this Master in Drug Development and Product Management. I’ve always been amazed by the dedication and expertise behind drug development. From the narrowing down of thousands of molecular compounds to conducting laboratory experiments and preclinical research – up until the designing of extensive clinical trials on human subjects to refine conclusions towards an approval process. A single treatment represents years of research, trials, and over $1 billion in investments. Through my extensive research into programs that can offer me the opportunity to learn about the detailed process of developing drugs. DDPM is truly a one-of-a-kind program, you won’t find anything like it.
All in all, I wanted to pursue this program not only to gain an integrated understanding and practical knowledge of the sciences and ethics within this industry but also to have an opportunity to launch my product management career.
What skills and proficiencies did you gain from this program and how did it benefit your career?
One of the top skills that were developed throughout this program was public speaking/presentation skills. This program is based on mostly group projects and group presentations. Improving communication and presentation skills will help prepare me to advance to higher positions and give presentations to impact the listener. Not to mention how these skills greatly helped me with my day-to-day interactions with my work colleagues, managers, and clients – such as principal investigators and coordinators
Can you describe networking experiences that were initiated by the program?
It was such an amazing experience – we had CEOs, Clinicians, Entrepreneurs, Professors, and many more provide their information for students to connect with them. I personally connected with many of them on LinkedIn and will reach out to them for career advice or a job opening opportunity.
What did you like best about the program?
I truly enjoyed all aspects of the program but here are my top two:
1. Group projects. In my experience, it was through group work that I got to meet some of the best people and became close friends with.
2. I enjoyed the guest lectures in that we were able to give real-life examples of their work and their day-to-day tasks. This gave me an idea of what to expect if I ever want to apply for a position like theirs.
If you could give an incoming DDPM student one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take the time to enjoy projects. It is a fast pace, UCSD quarter system program so you will find yourself overwhelmed easily – especially if you work a full-time job. However, my advice is to always be ahead and try to plan your weeks. Make sure you give yourself enough time to meet with your group members. My second piece of advice is to meet with your group members… at least once a week. It is very crucial to have a good understanding of who is in your group and how they like to work/get work done. This will save you from finishing assignments last minute.