Seminars & Events > Notes from Past Events > Pathways in Bio-sciences

Pathways in Bio-sciences

Sponsored by the Minnesota Private College Career Services Offices

Science Museum of Minnesota
April 13, 2005
Format: Two panels

GROUP A: Medical Device Sales/Pharmaceutical Sales/Clinical Research

Jim Friedlander

Gustavus Adolphus College – Biology and Business Administration majors
Sales/National Account Manager, Medtronic

• Abbott Labs for 7 years - knew someone and that is how he got his job
• US Surgical in O.R. helping with procedures - Medical Software to Bus Owner- Home remodeling
• Key Advice: Failure is only failure if don’t learn from it
• Now working at Medtronic
• Negotiates deals to put Medtronic in better position. He meets with the Hospital CEO’s to discuss why Medtronic products should be the products used in the hospital's procedures
• Hires people from all industries
• Must know the field of business and sales
• Science background is not necessary
• Informational Interviewing is very important. Get contacts – professionals in a field want to help

Eric Burggraff

St. John’s University – Biology major
Account Executive, Aerotek

• His first professional position was at Patterson Dental Labs
• Aerotek is a 3rd party recruiter for Science fields. There are 10,000 individuals working through at Aerotek nationwide and Aerotek has 72 employer clients in MN. Aerotek is represented in all 50 states
• In the Twin Cities there are 300 working through Aerotek each week and most do not have experience. He thinks there is a balance between jobs requiring experience and those that don’t.

Erika Pouliot

Gustavus Adolphus College graduate
Associate Biostatistician, St. Jude Medical

• Began her professional career as a chemist
• Works at St. Jude Medical working with the Mechanical Heart Valve
• Atrial Fibulation is another concentration
• Her current function is that of project manager
• For her program skills are important because she develops presentations that are delivered to doctors
• Key Advice is to look for clinical research associate positions using Biology or Nursing majors. This position monitors sites- many opening in the field

Joy Benson

College of St Benedict, Biology major
Clinical Research Administrator, AGA Medical

• She had a difficult time getting a job after graduation and so enrolled at Anoka Ramsey Community College in a Medical device program, which requires a BA for entrance and has an internship component as well. It is a one-year, fulltime program.
• She started as a Coordinator at AGA and after a promotion is a Monitor involved in human testing of the device. Her role is to monitor performance of devices and report to the FDA. She goes to hospital, talks to Dr’s for protocol, reads medical records and reports. Her job involves 40% travel all within the USA.
• She is working with a device that repairs a hole in the heart. For career opportunity, she sees lots of opportunity, flexibility and many levels for advancement above her current position.

Jaime Smith

St. John’s University, Biology major
Sales Representative for Patterson Dental

• At school he changed majors several times
• He wanted to meet people but after graduation he went to AK for summer
• Father had a neighbor that suggested that he consider a job in the pharmaceutical field so he did an informational meeting that led to a job with Merck in Wisconsin. Contacted his former roommate, Eric Burggraff, working at Aerotek about a job change but went to work with
  Aerotek instead. While at Aerotek he did an informational interview
  with Patterson Dental that led to an actual interview
• Now in Technical Sales talking with dentists about Technical concerns
• Patterson is the 17th largest company in Minnesota
• It is a 137-year-old company that sells digital x-ray software.
• Key Advice - Lots of what he thought were useless classes have been very helpful in job
• Pros/Cons Pharmaceutical vs. Dental Sales
  • Merck-extensive training - 3 months
  • Very tough-harder than college
  • Dr. not able to take time
• Dental
  • Change is constant so new challenges access to decision makers all day.
  • Dentists are small business owners.

Tom Williams

St. John’s University, Biology major
Project Leader, Honeywell

• Did not have a career path in college
• 1st job was w/ Chem. Manufacturing and then moved into sales for next 4 years with the company. Received his MBA and now in Honeywell
• Good broad background and able to ask right questions- transferable skills
• Key Advice: Sell your skills. Develop a 30 second elevator speech, need to paint the picture of your broad value because there is no way that you will have all the possible skills
• He holds a biology major but has never worked in the field

Tony Fiola

St. John’s University, Biology major
Product Manager-Market Development, Guidant/Cardiac Rhythm Management

• Early he had aspirations to be a pilot, then a dentist but changed his mind
• Eli Lilly started there in the Pharmaceutical field in the marketing department and he traveled worldwide
• Currently at Guidant working in the area of heart failure
• Key Advice: Develop a plan- you have proven that you can learn
• Do Practice interviews. - research the field and companies that you have an interest in.
• Start somewhere in field and move up. Their current secretary is moving up to be the marketing assistant. She just had to get her foot in the door.
  

GROUP B: Pharmaceutical Science/Biotech/Food Science

David Gohl

University of St Thomas, Chemistry major
Senior Scientist, Research and Development, Ecolab

• Ecolab hires lots of MIAC candidates - extra money spent at private college will really pay off
• Only job since college-liked it so much he decided not to continue for M.D.
• Went back to grad school part-time
• Ecolab paid for his MA program
• Key Advice: Find something you are passionate about, get work experience when in college - Networking is key - Other classes are helpful-writing skills are very important
• Must be able to work with others in teams-strong communication
• Ecolab has 400 scientists in MN and offices worldwide
• Mission of Ecolab is to keep world clean and safe
• Currently hiring biology, microbiology, chemistry majors
• Happy to pass on resume

Karl Hokanson

Bethel University and U of Minnesota, Physics major
Mechanical Engineer, Medtronic

• Started in pacemaker production then went to the Neurological area with Medtronic where is a Program Manager. He is in a multidisciplinary team of professionals
• Develop drugs to spinal cord - Biologics-delivery drugs to brain – used to treat Parkinson’s
• Field will have incredible opportunity in near future
• Key Advice-continuous learning or field will pass you by
• Be willing to try new things-don’t say no to new opportunity right away
• His role is getting product out which requires those with a BA or MA
• Those in Research hold the advanced degree
• Communication is key-always more important to look good than be good-
• In other words, you must present well or best idea won’t move forward

Jennifer Bankers

College of St. Benedict, Biology major and Chemistry minor
Research Scientist, Mayo Clinic

• Summer internship at 3M was the most important experience because she learned she enjoyed discovering – it was not at all like the cookbook chemistry she has in school labs
• Earned a PhD in Immunology and did allergies and asthma research
• Now independent research where she’ll look at problem, find funding money from Mayo andother sources
• 60% of her time is spent looking for money. The researchers under her are doing the lab work
• She also does some teaching at Mayo
• She was always told she could do anything. Choose a job you love.
• There are jobs for any science majors at places like Mayo or the U of Minnesota
• Differences between the University and Industry
  • University - BA degree will only take you as far as a technician position. Individuals need a PhD to be the lead or to be the principal investigator
  • Within industry BA or MA can lead to great job

Pamela Helms

Concordia College, Chemistry and Economics majors
Director of Research and Development, Caldrea

• She went to Europe after school and was exposed to a French cosmetics company. When she returned she went to work for Redken in quality control-test products.
• Wanted to get to product formulation and fragrances and moved to New Jersey to work for Loreal but preferred small company where she would be a generalist
• She then went to work for a Swiss Co. working with fragrances used in everything from candles to cat litter
• Five years ago she moved to Caldrea where she began working with hard surface cleaning products
• There are five people in lab and a total of 22 people
• Key Advice: Communication skills are very important and training. Seems to always be employment in engineering, packaging, and applied sciences.

Jim Elvecrog

Gustavus Adolphus College, Chemistry major
Manager, Analytical R & D, 3M Pharmaceutical Division

• He has held many jobs in division (6-8 jobs)
• Went to grad school for MA and was hired Analytical Chemist
• Food and Drug Administration is very challenging to please
• In pharmaceutical research you must like to work in labs and be very team oriented
• Key advice: Must make career plans – do not drift but rather think and research.
• MA or PhD very important if you want leadership positions
• 3M hires chemists, engineers, pharmacists, statisticians, immunology
• Communication is key-writing is very important

Dana Dronen

St. Olaf College, 1999 and completed PhD 2004
Scientist 2 – Baking Products Division, General Mills

• Got an internship through friends of her parents-as a chemistry intern with a food company. (2 internships)
• Food science is a very applied science
• Cross-functional production-now working for Brownies
• Loves to see product on shelf
• Key Advice: Internships are extremely important for making decisions
• Work way up-must be patient and build rapport to earn bigger assignments
• More temp to hire for BA’s at General Mills
• Key places to find work are through Lab Support/Lab Staffing

Alex Hill

Gustavus Adolphus College, Biology. Went on to PhD
Biomedical Engineer, Medtronic

• Wasn’t passionate about school and applied but didn’t get into Med School
• Pursued bio med engineering. Needed more classes and got PhD
• Grad School was good but internship would have been helpful to know if it was his area of interest. Dissertation was Cardiac Mechanics
• U of M is prototype testing ground for medical products
• Key Advice: Communication is key skill. Writing for science is learned and it’s very valuable
• Try things out-internships

Special Guest: Mayor Kelly of St. Paul

• More colleges in St. Paul than any US city other than Boston
• Healthcare employs 24,000 in St. Paul
• Bio Sciences - Medical devices, agriculture and industrial application
• Bio Science Corridor in St. Paul 1000 West Gate Site
• Expect to grow thousands of workers funded by $25M bond for BioScience.