MSc Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management Student Spotlight: Ran Mo

Why did you choose to apply for the MSc Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management? 

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the global aging trend, the health industry is becoming more and more important, especially the role of biotechnology in healthcare. This cutting-edge MSc in Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management in this fastest-paced sector in health can expand my knowledge and skills at the forefront of health and business. 

Is there a particular area of biotech or pharmaceutical management that you are interested in? If so, why? 

I am interested in the 'generic' sector as I have found that some generic versions of some commonly used drugs in supermarkets and pharmacies are becoming more popular than the originals. I think in this case the commercialisation of commonly used drugs is quite high, and just like with skin care products, a higher price does not mean that the drugs are more effective. I would like to further explore the commercial logic of generic drugs and the R&D process.

What value do you feel this programme will add to your career moving forward? 

As a student with an undergraduate degree in economics, I believe that my biggest strengths lie in economics as opposed to sciences, so I would like to be more of a health economics business researcher, and my knowledge of biotechnology and health is key to being able to gain a unique competitive edge in business. This combination of backgrounds will allow me to work in consulting firms, pharmaceutical companies, equity research institutes, with a focus on health investment research and advisory services, and in the longterm, I hope to enter a venture capital or a start-up company.

What advice would you give to prospective students thinking about applying for the MSc Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management?

The most important thing is to give it a try! As long as you believe you are motivated and prepared for the programme, it is definitely worth applying for this cutting-edge programme. I recommend that you prepare your application carefully, think about your academic and work goals, and, in particular, present your true self and genuine motivation in your personal statement.

Talk me through a typical day in the life as a GBSH student.

Taking today as an example, I woke up and had breakfast at 7.30am, read some health industry business news at 8.30am, and analysed the different solutions for a case study involved in my afternoon seminar. I attended a lecture on clinical trials from 10am to 2pm, a seminar on pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology policy practice from 4pm to 6pm. I then had dinner with the presentation team at Westfield after class and discussed the progress of our teamwork project. After dinner I finished a video interview with a consulting company and read some papers that will help me write an essay and played a few games of chess with my flatmate.