Yosman Dhar '20
BE Biomedical Engineering
Minor in Writing in Rhetoric 

Little of Yosman Dhar’s life has been spent settled in one spot. Born in India, Yosman grew up in England, Canada and the United States. Equally as dynamic are Yosman’s interests and academic engagements. Before she moves on once more, this time to begin a master’s program in Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Brown University, Yosman reflects on her time at SBU.

On Stony Brook: 
There were many reasons why I chose Stony Brook. Firstly, I really liked the location since it was close to home, but far enough that I could still have the college experience. I also liked the campus and “campus feel” which wasn’t available in some of the city schools. Additionally, I was interested in the school’s strong science foundation and close relationship to the hospital.

On her major and minor:
My interests are all over the place, from art and history, to biology and medicine, and in a way BME is the perfect combination of everything. I like how fast-paced and innovative the BME industry is, as well as all the areas I could explore and choose from. I wanted a major that was multidimensional and BME gave me that. 

Influenced by Professor Whittaker, who I worked with for Poetry Society and took WRT 102 with, I began my Writing Minor junior year to reconnect with my love for writing and to take a break from my BME workload. Professor Kaplan and his classes really helped me improve my writing and communication skills. I recommend considering a writing minor or taking writing classes given how important communication is in every field!

Interests and accomplishments: 
I love poetry, art, gardening, and weightlifting. At home I spend a lot of time in the garden or at the gym, and I think both are great ways to destress and gather your thoughts. I also enjoy research which I first began at Albert Einstein College of Medicine where I co-authored my first paper, and continued at Stony Brook University where I worked in many labs. 

However, my interests have now moved towards medical device development and consulting. This shift began when my lab group and I were selected for BMES Coulter College at Medtronic, a training conference for translational biomedical innovation. After that summer, I also joined the Biodesign Innovation Internship at Stony Brook Hospital and participated in and won the WolfieTank Competition with my team. These experiences solidified my interests in medical devices and the healthcare industry.

Greatest achievement: 
Based on a pain-point I recognized during the Biodesign Innovation Internship, I have recently submitted a provisional patent application with a physician from the Hospital. On top of actually writing the provisional patent I conducted prior art searches, market analysis and rapid prototyping. We are now working with a team of engineers to create our first product. Our progress has been put on hold given the current situation, but we were hoping to submit a full patent this fall. 

Career aspirations: 
I aspire to work in the healthcare and/or BME industry. As I want to go into medicine and consulting, I am trying to figure out what skillsets I need to be successful. My overall goal is to improve medical devices and healthcare implementation while keeping the patient’s health and comfort in mind. 

Advice for future Seawolves: 
In college and beyond, you should go after every opportunity, even if this means making your own.