Mickael Dang (Current PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto) set an expansive tone for the conversation when he told us "I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I tried everything." We talk about his transition from medical school to research and biomedical sciences, trying out law school, eventually stumbling upon biomedical and bioengineering at Harvard Medical School with Prof. Jeff Karp, which led him to completing his PhD here in Toronto under Prof. Molly Shoichet, and building his own PCR testing startup. We also talk about the challenges of being an international student (also, some cultural differences/shocks), why completing a PhD is a lot like being an entrepreneur, work-life balance, and how he has explored making difficult tradeoffs between personal interests and job/financial security at pivotal points of his career.
About Mickael Dang (Current PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering @ University of Toronto)
Mickael is a second year Chemical Engineering PhD student from the University of Toronto. He holds U of T’s Connaught International Scholarship and also received the Cecil Yip Award for work pursuing interdisciplinary and collaborative research in the Donnelly Centre. He has a master’s degree in applied physics from École Normale Supérieure in Paris.
Episode Breakdown
Notable Quotes
Resources mentioned with Links
How to get in touch Mickael
Submit to our Suggestion Box if you have a great potential guest idea or some feedback!
This podcast is supported by the Hart House Good Ideas Fund, the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Engineering Alumni Network all at the University of Toronto.
Music from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/were-in-it-together. License code: AT02WGQJBZNM4PMH