Graduate Studies Blog
MSC BUSINESS ANALYTICS
Entering the Hot Field of Healthtech with the MSc Business Analytics
Prior to being a graduate student in the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) programme at Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Nanyang Business School, Pei Yu had over 10 years of experience in a Big Four accounting firm.
There, she was part of a team that digitalised tax computation, which led her to discover her interest in data science and the potential of the field. This motivated her to embark on NTU’s MSBA programme.
She is currently a data science intern at Neurowyzr, a Singapore-based healthtech start-up that specialises in tapping AI and analytics to advance neuroscience.
Start-up vs. Big Four Firm
“I had to adjust my mindset at the beginning of the internship, as I had come from a Big Four firm,” says Pei Yu.
“In a start-up, there is flexibility and openness, where the company regularly encourages us to discuss our areas of interest. In a Big Four firm, it is established and structured, so I focused on my core job scope,” she says. “Also, there is more on-the-job learning in a start-up, while I was engaged mostly in technical training in the Big Four firm.”
Pei Yu’s scope of work at Neurowyzr comprises the full life cycle of data management and analytics: from acquiring data and evaluating it to developing data systems and strategies that optimise statistical efficiency and quality.
“I have a lot of autonomy to run projects independently. It’s definitely rewarding coming up with the solutions to challenges encountered along the way!” she says excitedly.
While healthtech is a new domain for Pei Yu and the learning curve is steep, the journey has also been enjoyable for her. “It’s incredibly enlightening to learn about cognitive health and mental health from the neuroscience team,” she says. “I can’t wait to witness how the work we do improves people’s lives.”
Clinching the Opportunity
Pei Yu applied for the data science internship position through CareerFit, NTU’s one-stop career portal. She was soon shortlisted for an interview with Neurowyzr’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
“The interview went well,” Pei Yu says. “We discussed my MSBA projects and past career experiences. The CTO also shared about what the company does and his personal career journey.”
Pei Yu has a tip for students keen on internships: “Find out as much as you can about the role, what it entails, and the skillsets required. All this can help you determine if you will be a good fit,” she says.
In her current role, Pei Yu is actively using several skills she gained from the MSBA programme. She mentions that the “Analytics Strategy” and “Analytics and Machine Learning” modules are directly relevant to one of Neurowyzr’s data science projects, in which she is currently helping to develop a proof of concept (POC).
“’Analytics Strategy’ taught me to design a POC framework. ‘Analytics and Machine Learning’ imparted concepts on various machine learning models and the Python coding to train these different models,” she explains. “These have been useful in my understanding of how machine learning is applied to real-world contexts as I assist in scoping the project.”
In addition, Pei Yu notes that she uses the object-oriented programming techniques from the “Advanced Programming” module and web development skills from the “Programming Essentials” module in a product development project. “I can understand the written code and edit it, which makes the work process more efficient,” she says.
Making the Most of the Internship
Pei Yu believes that being a good data scientist requires strong technical skills to execute projects well and good communication skills to explain the logic and outcome of data models in layman’s terms for better team collaboration. “NTU’s MSBA has trained me in both these hard and soft skills,” she says.
To maximise the opportunities in the internship, Pei Yu is staying open to any challenge that comes her way and is eager to expose herself to all kinds of projects.
“I’m really glad that I get to be involved in scoping projects right from the start. I get a 360-degree view, from the business objective to the data collection and data modelling,” she says. “Experiencing the entire cycle of things, I’m sure that there will be many opportunities to hone both my technical and communication skills to become a more effective data scientist.”
