Student: Waveley Qiu
Waveley Qiu
Masters Student Candidate
Shortly after graduating from college, I had the opportunity to spend some time working in the pharmaceutical industry as a statistical programmer for a contract research organization. It was an exciting time to have joined the company, as it had been contracted to be involved in several different COVID-19 therapeutic studies, and I was able to get involved in many studies very quickly. I enjoyed the work that I did and especially loved the people that I worked with, but as I took on more client-facing roles in the company, I could not shake the feeling that I did not have the adequate training to fully understand the studies for which I was programming deliverables. The stakes seemed too high in pharmaceuticals for me to be weak in my own theoretical foundation, and I perceived that I owed it to the industry (and the lives that are involved in the conduct and consequences of clinical trials) to be as well-trained as I could be. Pursuing graduate school became the logical solution to this problem, and I began my studies in the MS program in Biostatistics at Columbia.
I have absolutely loved being a student in this department, and this semester has probably been my favorite! In terms of coursework, I have been thoroughly enjoying the classes I am currently taking. Proof-based doctoral coursework has allowed me to continue deepening my analytical framework of thought, and I have appreciated the opportunity to consider the subject of statistics from its definitional roots. Other classes have given me the ability to view my past experiences in pharma through a clearer lens – an extended conversation in Dr. Thompson’s Randomized Controlled Trials class comes to the forefront of my mind, in which we evaluated the decision of a company I interned at to proceed to a Phase 3 trial based on a study drug’s positive effect on a surrogate outcome (and not a patient-important outcome) that may have caused the study team to be prematurely optimistic. Beyond coursework, I also have the pleasure of serving as a TA for two programming courses (Data Science 1 and Statistical Computing in SAS) this semester and am also involved in research with the Department of Environmental Health Sciences as well as with the Department of Medicine.
This program has certainly been everything I could have asked for, and more. I am thankful for the statistical maturity I have developed, the classmates whom I have had the privilege of working with, the collaborative spirit that is fostered within the department, and the examples that the faculty set as theory-driven researchers. Though I am quickly approaching the crossroads of another life transition, I believe I am well equipped – and excited! –- for whatever will come next in my career.