What have you been doing since graduating LSM?
After graduation, I worked at a consulting firm called ZS Associates, focusing on sales and marketing strategy in the pharmaceutical space. One year in, I transitioned to public health through an internship at the WHO and research, and am currently working towards my PhD in infectious disease epidemiology at Harvard.
How did LSM help prepare you for life after college?
LSM prepared me to effectively communicate to both science and business professionals, a skill that has been indispensable in every role I’ve held post-college. While I learned technical knowledge in the classroom, I absorbed the perspectives and priorities of these fields through hands-on experiences such as internships and the Capstone course. My continued pursuit of the partnership between methodical, data-driven science and the strategic mindset and practical application of business is what led me to public health.
What aspects of the program do you think were most critical?
Summer internships allowed me to experiment with the many possibilities that were open to us after LSM, including biology lab work, business development at a biotech startup, and consulting. These summer positions allowed me to experience the day-to-day realities of these jobs and to evaluate fit with my interests and abilities. More often than not, these positions weren’t quite what I was looking for – but that was progress towards narrowing down the field to where I am today. I would encourage students to simply ask if they see something they want to try – the LSM community and Penn in general are so rich in connections, funding, and other resources that opportunities are often accessible if you ask.
What do you think you’ll be doing 5 years from now?
I will (hopefully) have graduated and be combating infectious disease issues as an academic, development worker, and/or social entrepreneur…also open to other directions that may present themselves! My overarching goal of developing sustainable solutions to improve health among underserved populations has not changed, but my focus has been somewhat refined.