The 'Molecular Biology and Genetics Career Day Event' was organized by Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences. The event brought together young people studying in this field with expert names from the sector.
Speakers included Doğuş Kurt, Product Manager at Sanovel Pharmaceuticals; Yıldız Özlem Ateş, Senior Clinical Research Associate at Parexel; Ece Terzioğlu Kara, Biology Teacher at Robert College; Eda Emiroğlu, Sales Manager at Prizma Lab Ürünleri San. Tic. Ltd. Şti.; Dilara Seray Hamurcu, Clinical Research Associate at IQVIA; Atalay Ata, PhD Student at Hannover Medical School; Gökçe Alındı, Microbiology and Cosmetics Laboratory Specialist at Yeditepe University R&D Center; and Kaan Cengiz, Master's student at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology.
Belkıs Atasever Arslan: “A career isn't built over time, it's formed by what you do”
The opening speech of the event, held at Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Belkıs Atasever Arslan, Head of the Molecular Biology and Genetics Department at Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences.
Speaking about the concept of career, Arslan said: “Let me try to answer the question of what a career is. A career is actually the perception that people form about you over time. In other words, a career is not made; it is formed by what you do. In this respect, the concept of career is a subjective one that varies according to time, place, and person. What determines a career is not just where you graduated from or how you do your job, but also your work ethic, social circle, and relationships with people, all of which shape people's perception of your career."
Doğuş Kurt: “If you are not inclined towards social interaction, you cannot be in sales and marketing”
Emphasizing the importance of networking and marketing, Kurt said: “If you market yourself well in the field you work in, there is no chance of you failing. Don't be afraid that you will enter one field and stay there for life. That used to be the case, but it's not anymore. If you are not inclined towards teamwork and social interaction, you cannot be in sales and marketing. But you can work behind the scenes, in the 'kitchen' of the business. You should ask yourself: 'What kind of life do I want?' There is no stress-free, calm job. Know that. You should learn the entire industry from a broad perspective, rather than just the pharmaceutical industry. You need to know the answers to the questions: 'Who? What? When? How? Where? To what?' For this, you need to have an an innovative vision. If a child is weak in math but good at tennis, they are often given math lessons, but I would give them tennis lessons so they can get better at tennis. Your paths will fork everywhere, but you have to choose one. Remember that everything lies in networking and marketing.”
Eda Demiroğlu: “If you want to advance in the sector, you need to assess yourself very well”
Speaking about the importance of self-motivation, Demiroğlu said: “After learning the 'kitchen' (behind-the-scenes) part of the job, I moved to the sales part. My first big sale was with Üsküdar University. I sold Genetic Laboratory products with Prizma. By the way, sales isn't just 'I agreed with the customer, I sold, I closed the day.' I must know the products sold and customer psychology very well, and I must follow up on the products very well. More important than motivation is self-motivation. If you want to advance in this sector, you need to be patient and assess yourself very well.”
Dilara Hamurcu: “Business life is not harder than family, health, and friendship relationships”
Emphasizing the importance of business life, Hamurcu stated: “Experience is very important. Try to gain different experiences. My advice to the next generation is that they should acquire different multidisciplinary skills. Knowing only one field is not enough. Development and experience are very important. There are things we need to manage in our lives. Think of it this way: we have 4 balls in our lives. 3 are glass, 1 is rubber. The 3 balls represent family, health, and friends. The other ball represents business life. Throughout your life, you juggle these 4 balls. When you drop the rubber ball, because it has a flexible structure, you can pick it back up and continue juggling. But when one of the other 3 balls drops, since they are made of glass, every time you try to pick it up, it will cut your hand, you cannot gather it, it will hurt you. That's why business life is no harder than family, health, and friendship relationships.”
Yıldız Özlem Ateş: “Potential drugs must be proven through a series of studies.”
Speaking about what clinical research is, where it is conducted, and who conducts it, Ateş said: “For potential drugs, medical devices, and other diagnostic, treatment products and methods to be made available for public use, the safety and effectiveness of these products and methods must be proven through a series of studies. These scientific studies, conducted with the participation of volunteers and aiming to obtain medical knowledge, are called clinical research. They are preferably carried out in places designed for clinical research within university health application and research centers, approved research and development centers affiliated with universities, and Ministry of Health education and research hospitals. The responsible investigator is a physician or dentist who has completed their specialization or doctoral training in the field related to the research topic and is responsible for conducting the research.” She thus conveyed information to the students.
Atalay Ata: “If you want to advance academically, you should reach doctoral level”
Explaining the details of the overseas education system and application processes, Ata said: “A Molecular Biology and Genetics undergraduate degree makes you proficient in some concepts, but if you want to advance academically, you should reach doctoral level. Admissions are generally made in the fall semesters. I want to talk about the elimination process. No matter which country it is, there are always two or three-stage elimination processes. Here, your foreign language proficiency and overall GPA become important. However, if you have previous research experience and references in your CV, these also hold great importance. The most important part is the interview stage. With the documents you submit, you are judged on everything from what you have experienced to what you have done so far in your CV. The final stage is the most important stage. Here, your presentation skills and your ability to express yourself come to the forefront. If young people want to apply abroad, I definitely recommend they have a live interview with their professors.”
Ece Terzioğlu Kara: “No age is the end for anything”
While talking about the importance of teaching, Kara also explained the investment people should make in themselves: “One should not categorize people as good, bad, successful, or unsuccessful. They are all options. I learned that I wanted to do research, to continue, as a result of my different laboratory experiences. I want to continue on this path but I don't want to go abroad. I did my master's at Bilkent and my doctorate at Boğaziçi. I love doing research, but I also love teaching. While doing my doctorate at Boğaziçi, I also taught. Teaching means lifelong learning. You accompany them on their journey, and on this journey, you also learn things just like them. The important thing is to invest in yourself. No age is the end for anything. If you have dreams, no matter your age, pursue them. Do not just do what is asked of you, but also what you want.”
Kaan Cengiz: “The important thing is to know what you want and act accordingly”
Cengiz, giving an example from his own life that one can achieve something if they truly want it, regardless of what others say, stated: “Science is a passion, an unsuppressible passion. My goal was to be both a scientist and an artist. My professors and close circle told me that I couldn't pursue two different fields simultaneously and wouldn't succeed in either if I tried to do both. But I wanted both, and I am currently managing both very successfully. The important thing here is to know what you want and act accordingly.”
Gökçe Alındı: “Unsuccessful experiences are as important as successful ones”
Alındı, speaking about the value of the experiences she gained in her field, stated: “We have talents and skills. But we also have what we want to do, where we want to be, and our dreams. Ask yourself, 'Where should I be?' If you find an opportunity to develop yourself, I recommend working in food control laboratories. We see many lessons and applications. So, I recommend following them carefully. I went for interviews at many companies and received rejection letters. Looking back, I'm glad I was rejected. I continue to work in this field, and unsuccessful experiences are as important as the successful experiences I've gained in my field. You will stumble a lot, but trust yourself and know what you want.”
The Molecular Biology and Genetics Career Day Event concluded with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Belkıs Atasever Arslan presenting awards to the guests, followed by a musical recital by Kaan Cengiz and Saba Eylül Özyurt, a first-year student of Molecular Biology and Genetics.