Biostatistics Alumni

Mike Bridges, MS Biostatistics 2020

I received my M.S. in Biostatistics from Michigan State in 2020. I enjoyed my time in the program immensely – the department houses Epidemiology and Biostatistics professors and students together. I was able to make strong friendships with students and faculty alike, and the small class sizes and collegial atmosphere allowed for far more direct facetime with accomplished faculty members than a larger department would. Upon graduation, I started working at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as a Healthcare Analyst, and then later as a Biostatistician.

Several aspects of the MSU biostatistics degree have stood out to me in retrospect as I navigate my professional life. First of all, the program had a strong emphasis on coding (in SAS and R in particular). It really helped me sell myself on the job market, and perform well since being hired, to have the ability to interact with large datasets using multiple coding languages. Secondly, the program emphasized causal inference, which is invaluable when working with healthcare data, as I do now. Lastly, I developed a good relationship with my faculty mentor, who hired me to work part-time on a project of his, which grew my proficiency and confidence in working with data.

I really can’t say enough good things about this department and would recommend it to anyone looking for a pragmatic degree and a warm atmosphere.