David Trow
Studied BSc Biomedical Sciences, Graduated 2010, Upper Second Class honours
Current Position: Account Executive at Prism Ideas
I graduated from Newcastle University with a 2.1 in Biomedical Sciences after three truly outstanding and inspirational years, unsure of even the area that I wanted to work in, but the support provided by Newcastle University for my own personal development in both sporting and academic interests meant that I was very employable. The support ranged from my personal tutor to the careers services as well as the relationships that developed with some of my professors, all in addition to the beneficial effects of studying and socialising with like minded peers. Biomedical Sciences offers a wide range of varied options in second and third years for your modules as well as your third year dissertation.
The skills I gained from Biomedical Sciences covered every aspect of my development providing confidence and experience in presentations, business acumen and decision making alongside world class scientific teaching.
Over the Summer I submitted my CV to a number of recruitment agencies and had a number of interviews lined up after graduation due to the opportunities offered by the university. One recruitment agency was a financial recruitment agency in Manchester who sent me on my first interview at Prism Ideas. Prism Ideas is a standalone medical department providing both scientific excellence and commercial acumen through drug development services and ongoing medical communications internationally involving consultants, PhD’s and graduates across 3 international sites. After a successful interview I was offered the position of Account Executive and started work on the 27th August. The experience and teaching at Newcastle University I believe was paramount to me being successful in the interview and subsequent work I have been involved with.
In my role at Prism Ideas I work directly with large pharmaceutical companies, universities and centres of excellence every day and the business module offered by this course has proved extremely useful. The organisational and analytical skills I have gained from studying at Newcastle are used daily e.g. in project management; ensuring that budgets and deadlines are met as well as invoice milestones are recorded. I have also used the medical writing skills improved during my time at Newcastle to check documents and write proposals for projects. There is also travel in my job, I have already been offered the opportunity to go to a medical conference in Orlando called ASH to represent my company and meet new clients. The more time I spend in the healthcare industry the more I realise how well respected Newcastle University is for world class research and well known professors who balance their time teaching undergraduates as well as carrying out their own research.
