Navigating a career as an international student going into a completely new field has been exciting, to say the least. After graduating college in India with a degree in biotechnology, I believed that researching protein biostructure was the only path open to me. Slowly, I started to explore the various facets of the biotech world, and I realized that science involved a lot more than research. 

While working as a research scholar at the Indian Institute of Science, I kept my eyes open to contributing to startups in any way possible, leading me down the road of a new career path:  regulatory affairs. Unknowingly, I stepped into a niche role where my primary focus was ensuring that medical device startups are compliant with Indian and international regulations — so they can launch safe and effective novel products in the market. I recognized that regulatory affairs and a quality career would broaden my horizons beyond focusing solely on a single product. It would allow me to engage with various cutting-edge technologies that positively influence patients’ lives, all while ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining the highest standards of product quality for companies.

Fast forward, I enrolled in a master’s program in regulatory affairs at Northeastern University in fall 2022, and it has been an immense learning experience for me over the past year and a half.

As I redefined my concept of home and embraced a new culture and lifestyle, I found myself grateful for the opportunity to navigate my career in Boston. Now, as an international student close to graduation, I want to share a couple lessons I have learned along the way. 

First, pivoting from academia to industry is challenging, but doable. Transitioning from a career dedicated to protein biology to the realm of medical devices and shifting roles from research to regulatory affairs felt like traversing two distinct worlds. Understanding the nuances and cultural differences between academia and industry may seem challenging, but a positive mindset and a vision to look for opportunities can help bridge the gap. Despite being in a new role, I still use the skills I picked up as a researcher, ranging from critical thinking to my role today — a mix of law, business and science. 

Second, landing one opportunity will cascade into multiple opportunities, so say yes to every opportunity you get! Northeastern has a noteworthy zero-credit program called Experiential Network, where students can team up with an industry sponsor and work with them to build their skills. As someone new to the industry, I was able to pitch my ideas and convince companies to sponsor my projects, where I ended up working on technologies ranging from surgical eye implants to virtual reality glaucoma diagnoses and even remote patient monitoring systems. In all those roles, I was able to learn, strategize and contribute actively as a regulatory and quality professional. This helped me build my skills in cybersecurity regulations for medical devices, process compliance and building quality systems to ensure that the design is translated into safe products. 

Finally, it is important to add meaningful value to organizations along with skills. I realized that interns can help build a culture of quality that goes beyond that of doing required tasks. Adding value to an organization can help you stand out, especially as an international student. For example, organizing an Indian theme night as part of a EDEI initiative with the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) helped me bring forth my culture. 

As an ISPE Joel Goldenberg Memorial Scholarship awardee, a national finalist for a Global Drug Information Association student case competition and an upcoming speaker at Society of Quality Assurance annual meeting, I am grateful for all the opportunities I have received so far, and I am excited to contribute to a growing healthcare field. As an international student, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. 

Attrayee “Atty” Chakraborty is a second-year graduate student majoring in regulatory affairs. She can be reached at [email protected].