Professional MS Alumni Feature: Jinal Mistry
I recently spoke with Jinal Mistry about her experience in the MS-MPE program and how it has impacted her career.
From a young age, Jinal has always been captivated by human anatomy, biology, mathematics, and computer science. She initially thought that she would pursue these interests by receiving her bachelor’s in biotechnology. It was not until she was introduced to the subject of bioengineering and the world of medical devices that she decided to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. Jinal received her BS in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Mumbai in India.
After receiving her BS, Jinal had the opportunity to work for a startup medical device company in India. This was her first introduction to working with medical devices and entrepreneurship. During her time in this position, she had the chance to “wear multiple hats” and try different things. Through this experience, Jinal learned she wanted to pursue her master’s degree to learn more about the medical device industry.
“When in India, pursuing a higher degree in the U.S. was always a dream for me.” Jinal spent a significant amount of time researching programs that would provide a comprehensive understanding of medical devices and product development. This is how she came across the MS-MPE program at the University of Pittsburgh. “It aligned perfectly with what I was seeking and more.” Jinal was part of the MS-MPE program from fall 2017 to winter 2018.
“One of the most memorable experiences from my time at Pitt was being able to collaborate with top clinicians from UPMC.” Through the different course projects, Jinal was able to learn from clinicians by being able to observe surgeries and be within the clinical environment. She appreciated being able to work closely with physicians and clinicians to solve unmet clinical needs. She further went on to say, “Being able to come up with innovative solutions with these individuals that could one day impact the medical world was extremely rewarding.”
Another aspect of attending graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh that Jinal greatly appreciated was the number of resources that Pitt had to offer their students. During her graduate career, Jinal participated in different events, such as the Pinch and Wells competitions, hosted by the university where she was able to connect with medical device industry experts. Jinal also noted that guest lectures led by industry experts were extremely valuable to her educational experience. She advised current and prospective students, “Take as many opportunities as you can and network as much as possible to learn as much as you can during your time at Pitt.”
Jinal gives credit to the course work and experiences within the program which she feels allowed her to land her first industry position with Smith & Nephew Robotics in Pittsburgh, PA. There she worked as a project engineer for two years. After holding this position, she wanted to become involved with the quality aspect of the development of medical devices. Jinal joined a biotechnology company called Illumina as a software quality engineer in San Diego, CA. Currently, Jinal works as a senior software quality engineer with Medtronic. She has thoroughly enjoyed her time with Medtronic and hopes to grow within the company in the coming years.
Check out Jinal's LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinalmistry/