Summer has set...

Two weeks into June and I feel I've been pretty productive in terms of meeting the goals I'd set in my last post. I've done a ton of reading about different start ups, accounting/finance, venture capital and corporate finance/investing.

I've recently been thinking more intensely about really starting up a business so have been reading of MBA type fodder. I stumbled upon a woman blogger who is piecing together her own MBA using online courses-MOOCs and I think it's a fabulously innovative idea.

I'd like to identify the MBA curriculum I'd want to base my own nopay MBA off of so that's the first step. Then it's identifying the most worthwhile courses to invest my time into.

I've been busy with work so not much else is new other than frisbee and soccer have started again. Time off in fact has not hurt my skill set or endurance.

One year down!

I write this post coming off the weekend in which my second semester of my first year has just wrapped up. What a whirlwind it has been, full of stress, exhaustion, lots and lots of writing, but also much learning and growth in my public speaking abilities and confidence.

This second semester was far more manageable given I'd a semester under my belt and two fewer classes. Biotechnology Operations and Molecular Technologies II really tied together and complemented the content learned and made for a theoretical and hands on approach to many of the concepts of operations. Constant writing assignments allowed for synthesis of the content learned in class and would build up to the final product development plan. A poster presentation, class group lecture and final product development plan presentations allowed for more public speaking experience and ability to hone confidence in conveying information to an audience.

While I found myself often confused during biotechnology operations, I was able to synthesize the information learned each week and obtain A's on every assignment I turned in. Despite some group dynamic drama , I also received an A on my class lecture presentation assignment and on the final development projects our team received an AB on the paper. Have yet to learn my presentation score...Found out I rocked it with A's across the board!

The first semester was a lot to take in, never having experienced graduate school before. We had four classes and the workload was not terribly difficult until the end when we had a 30 page paper due as well as a opportunity assessment paper. But I had a good group and was able to lean on my teammates especially when Grandpa passed away.

Now that summer is here, I hope to really take this "free" time and hone some additional skills that I am lacking in, think hard about what my capstone should be, and identify where I'm going next. I'd like to enjoy my time off but also be constructive in pursuing my final end goals once next year is over and I graduate.

I'm still confident this was the best decision I could make. If I so choose to continue I have the option but I can certainly try to make a lateral move career wise as well.

Til I write again...

Prepping for the beginning!

Last week was orientation. I was nervous the first day but that soon dissipated after I realized I just needed to jump into it with both feet. My cohort is about 20 people, and everyone seems very nice and motivated. The next day I felt very comfortable around them so this should make for a very pleasant next two years.

There will be more to come but just a few updates and observations.

Kal who works across the hall from me did the program in 2012! What a great resource to have and to discuss the program in detail if needed.

While daunting and intimdating when reviewing the course content, I do not think the work load will be so difficult I cannot do it. With good time management as they stated in my interview, and by being proactive I should be able to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.

Meeting with a patent attorney

My Meeting with Melissa went very well. Not only did I learn lots about the field and her story but I also received a free lunch out of it. But I digress...

 She was very open about what she did, how she got there and in sharing opinions about many related items.

I learned that she took the PLI patent bar exam course and that the studying was in fact around the 200 hours that I had read about. She also mentioned considering a law degree in that it would ultimately amount to more money for doing basically the same thing as a patent agent.

She also recommended perhaps auditing the patent law course after I took my course through the graduate school and also told me about a Women in IP group that is like a net working get together organization here in Madison.

She also mentioned that a patent agent position is essentially an apprenticeship for the first year, as you are brought up to speed on the job with the duties you are expected to carry out.

Many of her reasons for transitioning including not wanting to go into academia or being in a lab are similar reasons that I am interested in the field at this point in time.

I am planning to  connect with some more people at the WARF and see if I can't pick their brains about their jobs and how they got a position there.

Upcoming meeting

I will be meeting with an actual patent attorney on Saturday to glean more of what it is like to work in the field. I also want to figure out how she prepared for the bar exam and what she thinks of the position.

School is starting soon and I am looking forward to entering the realm of organized learning once again. I am hoping this is the right decision for myself.

Some people to contact who graduated from the biotechnology masters program are the following with the end goal to see if their participation helped or helps them in where they are now.

https://www.warf.org/home/about-us/employee-directory/detienne-andy.cmsx

https://www.warf.org/home/about-us/employee-directory/bauer-emily.cmsx

Updates and charting a career path...

Many updates to provide, one of the most exciting being that I was accepted into the masters in biotechnology program here at the UW.

Now comes the part where I need to determine what direction I want to go with this new degree and set of skills.

As of recent, I was looking at some of the positions at the WARF , many involving commericalization of technology and intellectual property. One of the employees had this Patent Agent thing behind their title and so upon further research, I discovered that having a hard science bachelor's sets me up nicely for becoming a patent agent if I so choose.

There is a challenging exam akin to passing the law bar which a patent agent must study and sit for, but if you pass you become able to process patents and carry out the duties that come with it.

I think that would be a nice segue from what I do now and while it would not be in the lab science, it would still be getting to work at the forefront of that field if I so chose.

The preparation!

I finally got my writer's to submit their letters and two days letter I was invited for an interview!

The big day is this coming Monday and I will be meeting with three people. Bryan Husk the assistant director, Natalie Betz, the Associate Director and Karin Borgh Executive Director of the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center (BTCI).

They have some very diverse backgrounds and it will be interesting to interact with them.

In other news, a paper I am a co author on has been submitted to the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism. I am also included as a co author on a paper Burcu Darst is submitting so that is also very exciting. I am now included on three!