Track: Bioinformatics
Undergrad: Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR - Chemistry
Internship: ThermoFisher Scientific
Current Job Title: Scientist II, Bioinformatics at ThermoFisher Scientific
How did you find yourself at Oregon? What about the program attracted you?
A recruiter from the other tracks within the Master’s Industrial Internship Program informed me that there was a bioinformatics track. The program incorporated research within the coursework and an internship opportunity, which was huge for me because I would have 9 months of work experience underneath my belt upon graduating. The program also required no standardized tests. On top of all of that, I discovered that we would be able to utilize a very powerful supercomputer (Talapas).
What was the intensive summer like for you?
The summer was very intense, but is definitely feasible. There will be great amounts of information and curriculum provided which may or may not be new, depending on individual background. Be sure to do your due diligence outside of the classroom.
Where was your internship?
ThermoFisher Scientific in South San Francisco.
What was your internship like? What are you responsible for? What is a typical day like?
My internship was my first experience to what working in industry was like. Took a while to get used to things, and I’m guessing this is company specific and will happen at the next company I join if there is intellectual property involved. I was responsible for delivering custom panels for customers interested in specific loci on any reference genome. Most of my time was spent running a pipeline within the command line.
Do you feel the program prepared you for the internship? In what ways?
The program prepared me very well for my specific position. I knew my way around the command line very well and was experienced with working simultaneously locally and with a server. I learned things within the program that I was able to further teach members within my team at work to improve their everyday workflow.
How did your internship prepare you for your current position/career path?
The internship allowed me to get my foot in the door which in-turn lead to being hired on as a full-time employee on to the team I was interning for. I was able to experience what an industry environment was like and decide if it were something I’d enjoy moving forward or if I wanted to pursue some other type of work.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
Be ready to work hard and learn a lot. It is a very exciting environment to be a part of.