The step from PhD student to data scientist

Martijn and Roel both studied biomedical sciences, pursuing a master's degree in fundamental neuroscience and a PhD in neuroscience. They got to know each other during their PhD research. 

As a PhD student, you spend a long time at university and immerse yourself in a very specific field. This makes a PhD graduate very valuable to a company. Roel knew this better than anyone from his own experience. He had several conversations with Martijn about switching from university to business. Roel's enthusiasm, and the challenging projects and clients convinced Martijn to join Mediaan Conclusion. They now form a close-knit data science team with colleague Rick, who was also recruited by Roel. All three have the same background, speak the ‘healthcare language’ and together contribute to the digital transformation within healthcare.

Martijn: ‘The advantage of referral is that you end up in an environment where you already have one handle, in my case Roel. Because I already knew him, it was also easier for us to talk about my own development. That was very nice, especially since data science was completely new to me. I talked to Roel a lot about how I could best make the transition. He has a similar background and that made those conversations extra valuable. As a newcomer, it is nice to have someone who already knows you and can introduce you a bit. You end up in a somewhat warmer bath and that makes it easier to make connections with others.’

Roel: ‘As a PhD student, you bring good baggage from a broad base, from your PhD and experience with coding. Martijn has that background and I already saw during the PhD trajectory that he can take the lead and be the link between IT and business. He would be very valuable to our team. Moreover, we got on well together. That made me recommend him. For the referral, I got a cash bonus, which I used for our house. I also won a dinner voucher for my second place in Mediaan Conclusion's ‘referral challenge’. I used this to celebrate my two-year wedding anniversary with a dinner at a castle.’

Would you also like to work at Conclusion?

Then take a good look in your own network too! Who knows, maybe you know someone who works at Conclusion. Talking to him or her will already give you a good idea of the company culture and working environment. Or drop by at one of the Open Drinks we organise a few times a year.