Biotechnology And Pancreatic Cancer: Personal Statement Of Purpose

Biotechnology is defined as the use of living organisms, or the products of living organisms, for human benefit in making a product or solving a problem. As I sat in my sophomore Molecular and Agricultural Biotechnology class memorizing this definition, I began to see it as a way in which I could shape my career. I envisioned a problem that could be solved, my grandfather’s pancreatic cancer, and a method to go about solving it, the use of living organisms. Through this definition, my interests began to form. In pursuit of the techniques to solve my problem, I interned in a lab at the New Jersey Medical School this past summer, working on a novel chicken pox and shingles vaccine. While the ideas were fascinating, the lab environment was too constricting, the ideas were too theoretical, and the interpersonal interactions I desired were lacking.

Because my plan to work in a laboratory for my whole life did not meet my desires, I had to begin to redefine my means to solve the problem of pancreatic cancer. I realized that the engineering route was a more appealing option. In bioengineering, I could take my passion for biology and approach it in a more quantitative and less theoretical way. Biotechnology

The idea of entrepreneurship has fascinated me as a way to take my own idea from inception to final product. Nothing sounds more rewarding than the visualization of my own plans and hard work in the form of a marketable product. Furthermore, my interest in business also stems from my enthusiasm for leadership. As I plan, create, and eventually sell my life-saving device, I will need to lead a team both in the lab and in the office. I will be able to hone my leadership and interpersonal skills, which I will develop through a business education, to gain investments, grants, and capital to make my dreams a