I first came across this role when I was just casually browsing on the internet. The ethicon
marketing internship speaks to me because it is one of healthcare and marketing. I always liked
numbers, and quite naturally, I am good with them too. I actively enjoy using set data as tools
to plan marketing strategies for both the company and for the consumers. It is also an
opportunity to work with like-minded people to improve our country’s healthcare through
sound economic measures, rather than hailmary social welfare programs. Johnson & Johnson, I
guess Janssen, is one of the premier pharmaceutical companies around and for similar reasons
that I mentioned. It is a group of critical thinkers who can sell products in a meangingful way
and that is exactly why I applied for this role.
Currently in university, I’m majoring in the bio field with an emphasis on neuroscience. Long
story short, I know my sciences. But on the professional front, I’ve done internships at two
different hospitals in Ontario. The first was at CHEO, where I spent much of my time in the
pediatric unit. Then, it was Toronto General during the summer of 2020. At both these
hospitals, I gathered much knowledge in patient care, and further solidadified my
understanding of the human anatomy. I also did my CO-OP at SNC Lavalin under the
engineering field. Again, I like math. Right now, I teach music privately from my own website,
chezdimitri.com.
In the summer of 2019, I started my journey into medical research as a Research
Assistant for Dr. Steve Gallinger where we explored the genetic influences around pancreatic
cancer. In this respect, I helped to write the analysis section of this international clinical trial
research paper titled “The genomic landscape of recurrent pancreatic cancer is modified by
treatment” (Xie & Gallinger, 2020). In writing the analysis for this paper, I learned to analyze
and interpret complex data from multiple sources with proficiency in software. When writing, I
find that particular attention to detail is important in assuring the best quality of work. Thanks to
this experience I developed teamwork and communication skills in an international setting where
my fluency in multiple languages such as French, English, Chinese, was a great asset. Within the
context of the University of Ottawa, I have also contributed to interprofessional research
collaborations, most notably with Dr. Jane Tyerman where I further developed my teamwork
skills with a diversity of healthcare professionals.
That was a lot of stuff, but the most important thing is how I’ve learned from my
experiences, both on the academic and from previous internships at Toronto General and CHEO.
I find that when working in a team, individual responsibility is what will get us through the finish
line. When given a specific task, and an even more specific deadline, I need to use all my
resources available and produce the goods. This would also mean communicating with my
colleagues and once again, use the given data to formulate a plan. That is my answer to the
question. Thank you for the interview, bye,