How a Scientist Boosted his Career with an Executive MBA – Dr Thomas OH’s Story
Dr Thomas OH took a rather unusual journey in his studies and career. After spending 15 years from the conferring of his doctoral degree in immunology to post-doctoral virology research in Australia, Thomas left academia in 2017 and took up the role as a Medical Affair professional for a German-based healthcare company here in Singapore.
As someone with a strong scientific background, what led Dr. Thomas to take up a global education in business? How does he benefit from the SP Jain Executive MBA? Let’s find out.
Q. How has the SP Jain EMBA experience been for you so far?
Invigorating! The EMBA experience has been great and exactly what I had expected from a postgraduate business degree.
Q. You are a Scientist by profession and hence, are a ‘non-traditional’ candidate for an MBA. Why did you decide to pursue this degree?
I am challenging the paradigm, aren’t I? I see no reason why a science background would stop someone from pursuing an EMBA. This hunger for additional commercial skills is pushing me forward. I am specialised in Medical & Scientific Affairs, a role that bridges the gap between industry and healthcare. However, my commercial skills and understanding are things that I lack as I venture deeper into the role where business acumen becomes increasingly essential. For me, an MBA is a perfect degree to complement my scientific expertise, helping me become the complete package.
Q. How was your admission experience at SP Jain like? How do you think your profile stood out from the rest?
The Admission process was well-coordinated, and it was a smooth sail, given the support from various teams. I think my profile stood out because I have a doctorate in science which is not a common sight for an EMBA program – I would like to believe that this made me stand out as an interesting classmate.
Q. How is SP Jain helping you excel in your MBA despite being from a non-traditional background?
The important resources at SP Jain for me would be the faculty and my peers. Good faculty can absolutely make a big difference in knowledge transfer and its application in the real world. The quality of my cohort has also supported me in this journey.
Q. You are currently studying in a classroom with professionals from different industries and career levels. How is this diversity helping your learning experience?
The diversity seen in my classroom helps to make learning very interesting. It opens my eyes to other industries I have no previous exposure to, and their views and comments are valuable to class learning.
Q. What do you plan to do after graduation? How is your time at SP Jain helping you build the skills to achieve your goals?
My EMBA was kindly sponsored by my company (Schulke & Mayr), so I am eager to contribute back to them. Using my credentials from my Executive MBA and together with my scientific expertise, I believe that I am in an excellent position to lead high-impact medical and scientific affairs initiatives in the Asia Pacific region (or globally). This will help us achieve higher goals and live up to our motto, “To protect lives world-wide”.
Click here to read more stories from SP Jain’s EMBA students and alumni.
Wish to take your career to new heights with the SP Jain Executive MBA? Know more about our upcoming intakes! Click Here.
