PIPS Project - Local Biotech Company

Local Biotech Company

Sector: Enterprise, Life Sciences

Summer 2013

I conducted market research interviews on the telephone to estimate interest in some proposed products. I transcribed the interviews, collated and analyzed the data and presented the results to [the company] to help them to assess the levels of consumer interest in their products. I also conducted phone interviews with volunteers participating in a clinical trial and analyzed the feedback to help to assess the success of the trialled product. In addition, I did a literature review to assess the scientific viability of a future product. I hope that by combining the literature review with the results from the market research and the clinical trials interviews, [the company] will be able to decide how best to pursue the development of their products.

I have gained so much. My horizons have really broadened and I now know that there is a whole world out there where you can be a scientist without being at a lab bench or in an academic institution. It may sound very naive, but I had never truly believed that this was a real possibility before coming to [the company]. Now that I have seen how many career possibilities there are I feel much more positive about my future career and it is something that I am actually excited about rather than terrified of. I can also see how valuable my PhD is by having the opportunity to look at my situation from the outside and this has given me the burst of energy that I will need to finish my PhD.

I was very pleased with the whole internship. [The company] could not have been more welcoming, I was immersed into the company and I learnt so much.

This experience has had a profound impact on me. It has given me belief in my abilities and excitement about the future. I am so pleased that I did the internship, it has been such an enriching experience that has made me a much more confident person and will definitely have a lasting effect on my future.