There has been a flurry of business plan competitions and new inspirations since my last post. The most prominent decision I have made recently was to continue on with the pre-term labor monitor project (dubbed CervoCheck) from my graduate program. The Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID) program from Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has given me quite a exhilarating and refreshing experience this past year. Not only have we won multiple business plan competitions, but we're attending the Global MOOT business plan competition in Austin, Texas this coming May. It has been a long and grueling process.
The decision to move move forward with this project is really driven by the technology, the possible impact on the obstetric community, and the simple fact that I am still 22. Rationally, I doubt I will ever be given an opportunity like this again, where I have essentially low risks and obligations. I never thought I would find myself in this position, as I never really had the innate passion to create a medical device company, especially not as an undergraduate or earlier.
Frankly, if I had to describe myself as an undergraduate, it was a finicky path. I specialized in Cell-Tissue Engineering because cells fascinated me. I always thought I would make the next engineered human brain or liver through cell manipulation. For a while, this obsession took me like a storm. I enrolled in as many biomaterial classes as I could. Around that point, I was exposed to some of my friends that had taken the Instrumentation route. After conversations with them and knowing my own inherent weakness and fear of electronics, I took it as a challenge to learn more about the field and overcome the sense of apprehension I acquired every time I saw a circuit diagram. Combined with the happiness that came along with working with my hands and the possible application post-graduation, I switched to an Instrumentation focus. There, I quickly took it upon myself to learn more about circuits, electrical components, and nanotechnology. Now, I can create circuit diagrams, PCB boards, and understand most datasheets.
I think it would also be interesting to note that when I was younger, all I wanted to do was to explore the stars (i.e. learn more about space and what makes the universe run). See? I never knew what my impact on society would be. I always dreamed of doing this, or that, to explore and create great things, but... to start a company? No. Business wasn't even that interesting to me as an undergraduate. It was a nice class to take, but I was knee deep in engineering. However, my exposure through CBID has definitely changed that frame of mind.
Right now, I'm on the edge of change, and I am very thankful for my friends' and family's support on this matter. I need to go back to work on data analysis, but I will definitely discuss more about this later.
