News

January Alumni Spotlight - Faisal Khurshid

January 1, 2018
Kabisa Baughen
interview

1. Tell us about your background. When did you graduate from Brown? What has your career path been like since graduating from Brown? What made you choose your employer/position?

I graduated from Brown with a degree in biomedical engineering.  After graduation I worked at ClearView Healthcare Partners, a consulting firm focused on providing consulting services for pharmaceutical and biotech companies.  I currently work at Axiom Life Science, a smaller newly-formed consulting firm with a specialty in helping pharma/biotech companies with drug development, commercialization strategy, and medical outreach.  I appreciate the opportunity to work with a startup-like business (of 5 employees) and assist in important decision-making for the business.

 

2. How did your experience at Brown help you find your first position after graduation?

For ClearView, I joined the firm after participating in the on-campus recruiting process and completing an internship.  For Axiom, I obtained the position through networking through the Brown network and beyond, using LinkedIn as a key medium for accomplishing this.

 

3. What experiences and/or personal qualities would you look for if you were in the position to hire new graduates from Brown?

For positions I am currently in the position of hiring for, I am looking for people who are self-starters and eager to learn on the fly.  As a very small company we often simply cannot afford to spend many hours giving very specific and prescriptive instructions on a given task - ideally an employee can understand a task based on a brief description of the goal and then run with it.  This is a skill that can be easily demonstrated through independent project work or research projects at Brown.

 

4. What is your current position? On a typical day (or week) in your position, what do you do? What are the toughest challenges you face? What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I am currently a project leader for Axiom.  Our team is currently spread around the U.S. and our client base is also fairly wide - hence I typically spend two weeks every month traveling.  My time is split between interacting with physicians, meeting with clients, completing analysis (e.g., clinical trial overviews), and creating client deliverables.  The toughest challenges are making sure you as a consultant fully understand the client's needs and are continually delivering additional value over what they could simply do themselves.  In turn, the most rewarding part is when you can help a client succeed in the hurdle facing them.

 

5. Are there any courses at Brown that you would recommend taking as preparation?

Not necessarily a course, but I would highly recommend students at Brown to do some type of independent project.  Whether that is an independent project, a startup venture, or even a new club/group.  The skill set of going out and doing something on your own is one that is highly indicative of success in the workforce.

 

6. If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently?

I would hang out with my professors more.  Don't be afraid to ask a professor to have lunch or coffee with you - get to know them - you likely don't realize how much of a positive they can be in your life even as you embark on your career.