"Coming from India, I initially was unsure if the MS in Biotechnology from NYU Poly was the right choice for me. My Bachelors was in Pharmaceutical Development, so naturally I thought a masters/PhD next. In addition to having few practical skills and debt looming over my head, I was worried about job prospects in the US.
All this changed once the program began and my thinking, imagination, and goals redefined themselves. I was optimistic about the future and guided by NYU-Poly professors and seniors in BT, I got a volunteer research position at Columbia University Medical Center. In Dr. Arancio’s lab, I worked on Alzheimer ’s disease and epigenetics. I remember referring back to notes from the Biotechnology & Healthcare class at times when I was uncertain or needed to refresh my knowledge. Lectures in this class were based on recently published papers from leading journals and covered topics such as cloning, tissue regeneration, and gene chips introducing me to cutting edge discoveries. My Biosensor notes came in handy in preparation for my PhD interview at UNC Chapel Hill. It must have gone well, as I am now a PhD candidate in their Biological and Biomedical Sciences program. UNC is great, but I miss NYC with its excitement and bright lights, live music concert in central park, and the mixture of different cultures and cuisines.
Over the course of my studies I gained enormous knowledge. I was encouraged to think for myself, make my own decisions and take my future into my own hands. At NYU-Poly I learned that sometimes you make the wrong choices and other times you succeed, but either way, if you are pursuing your own dreams it is worth the journey."