College Experiences That Helped a Regulatory Affairs Analyst at a Large Medical Device Company Succeed
Ryan's UCLA experience prepared Ryan for a Regulatory Affairs Analyst career through foundational science courses, building "leadership style" in Habitat for Humanity, and surprisingly, a political science minor. The minor's focus on subjective arguments and dealing with uncertainty proved invaluable in Ryan's current role, where "very rarely is there a situation where I have all information I need."
Leadership, Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies, Problem-Solving, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ryan Perera
Regulatory Affairs Analyst
Large Medical Device Company
UCLA 2015
Boston University: Master’s in Medical Sciences (2018) UCLA: MBA (2024)
Biology & Related Sciences
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness
Operations and Project Management
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Take core science classes (chemistry and biology) to build foundational knowledge and understanding of the language used in the medical device field.
2. Participate in leadership roles to develop your leadership style, learn to work with diverse individuals, and manage different personalities and schedules.
3. Consider a minor outside of your major (e.g., political science) to gain exposure to diverse perspectives, learn to deal with uncertainty, develop communication and argumentation skills, and make decisions based on available information and personal philosophies.
Transcript
Ryan, taking you back to your time at UCLA. What did you do in undergrad that set you up for success in your career?
One thing is taking basic core classes. I would say, even as a [unclear] student, taking chemistry and biology courses, and then some upper divisions, was very useful.
You don't have to be [unclear], but any of those divisions help develop your understanding of biology. This gives you a better sense of the language and what goes into the medical decisions made in the field.
Another thing I did was take a leadership role for the Habitat for Humanity Club. This helped me develop my own leadership style, which I've used later. I learned how to work with people who have different schedules.
It can be difficult, especially as a senior, to get freshmen and others to volunteer. You feel like an old man trying to get kids to wake up early on a Saturday morning. Some kids might not be as receptive as others.
Learning how to work with people who can be enthusiastic or difficult is very good. Leadership roles provide that experience.
Finally, this is kind of a strange one, but for my minor, I chose political science. I'm not sure if that's still an option at UCLA. However, I think doing a minor or a double major in something very different from your field is helpful.
It exposes you to people who are very different from those you normally interact with. [Unclear] was a South Campus class, while political science is North Campus. The discussions were significantly different.
In science, there's often a pure right or wrong answer. In policy, everything is subjective. There's some universal truth you have to rely on, but other than that, it's about learning to deal with uncertainty, communicate it, and make an argument for your opinion.
This was a very useful experience because as I've become more exposed to business and work, there's very rarely a clear right or wrong answer. It's also rare to have all the information needed to make a decision.
Sometimes, you just have to make the best decision based on your philosophy or moral code, or whatever heuristic you choose to use. Taking a minor in political science helped me develop that mindset.
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