Hosted by Lumanity
This fall, we will be featuring blog posts written by PhD students who participated in Career Services’ Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF), a program that helps doctoral candidates explore their career interests through networking opportunities with advanced degree professionals. Click here to learn more about CEF.
Describe your experience working with your host.
Camille was an exceptional mentor! She helped me set up informational interviews with several of her colleagues at Lumanity. Through these conversations, I learned about the diverse array of projects that life sciences consultants undertake, and gained a better understanding of what it takes to thrive in this dynamic field. Camille and I also had discussions where we brainstormed the strategic implications of new high-profile drug launches.
Camille and Varun (another amazing CEF host from Lumanity) set up a mini project that challenged me to advise a hypothetical company on prioritizing one of two rare disease indications. This hands-on experience was incredibly enriching. Camille and I met regularly to brainstorm various aspects of the project, including unmet needs, competitive analysis, revenue forecasting, and more. In June, I, along with two other CEF fellows, met Camille and Varun at the Lumanity workspace in Philadelphia for our final presentations.
What did you learn from this opportunity (about yourself, potential career fields, the job search, etc.)?
The CEF fellowship helped me realize that consulting is exactly the kind of work I want to do after my PhD. The challenging nature of the projects that life-sciences consultants undertake, coupled with the dynamic, fast-paced environment, make the job incredibly rewarding. The CEF mini-project was a pretty good simulation of what life sciences consulting projects are like, and very similar to the projects that life sciences consulting firms often use to evaluate PhD candidates for full-time roles through their advanced degree summer programs.
How did the CEF experience benefit your future career plans?
The CEF experience helped me decide that life sciences consulting is my top career choice after completing my PhD. It also helped me prepare for the recruitment process consulting firms use to evaluate PhD candidates.
What was the most valuable part of your CEF experience?
Working on the mini project with Camille!
Top reason PhD students should apply to the CEF program?
CEF is an excellent opportunity to explore career options beyond academia. Certain fields, like consulting, require significant preparation to transition into successfully. CEF can help PhD students gain valuable experience and insights to better position themselves for recruitment in these fields.
