Growing up in Chicago, Sarah Kim was no stranger to science: her physician father was keen on getting her interested in biology and chemistry at an early age.
So, when she enrolled at the University of Chicago as an undergraduate, she studied biology with the intention of following in his footsteps and eventually applying to medical school.
But as graduation got closer, Kim was less sure that she wanted to go directly to medical school. Instead, she wanted to explore the sciences more.
“I had volunteered at hospitals, but I hadn’t done any work in a lab,” she said. “I’ve seen how pharmaceuticals and chemotherapy get delivered, but I did not actually know how these therapies are created. And I thought I should probably understand that.”
To find out, she got a job as a research technician at a UChicago lab and applied for the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s Master of Engineering program, a one-year degree that prepares students to be leaders in engineering innovation.
As a student in the Bio- and Immunoengineering track, she learned about the latest lab and research techniques while also exploring how research actually gets from bench to bedside. Classes in patents, financial models, project management, and technology commercialization opened her eyes to “the business side of things.”
“Our classes were taught by industry professionals who have had 25-year careers, so they know what they are talking about,” she said.
As a part-time student, Kim still kept her job in the lab of UChicago Professor Marcus Clark while also learning from professors like Mustafa Guler, with whom she wrote a review paper as an undergraduate and who has become a mentor to her.
“The program has really allowed me to balance my time between getting lab experience and learning new skills in my classes,” she said. “And professors and advisors are always encouraging students to reach out and ask them questions, which I was especially glad for, since I wasn’t sure of what direction I wanted to take my career.”
With her in her classes were students from a wide range of backgrounds, including students who already had MBAs and students who were interested in quantum engineering. “I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to interact with people from these different areas otherwise,” she said. “And when we all go out for trivia night, that broad range of specialties definitely helps.”
Though she still plans to eventually apply to medical school, Kim says the program has opened her eyes to potential jobs in pharmaceutical development. “This program was really instrumental in helping me realize the ways that bioengineering can impact healthcare,” she said. “This program helped me think like a scientist and engineer, a skill I will need even if I become a physician.”