Samantha Baker is a graduate student, diligently working towards her master's degree in Biostatistics, while also working as the Director of Admissions for the MS in Medical Physiology Program at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½. Originally from North Olmsted, OH, Samantha is committed to tackling the challenges of being both an employee and a student. Despite the demanding workload, she remains enthusiastic about the journey ahead, driven by her passion for her work and her desire to excel in her studies. Samantha's determination and hard work are sure to lead to success in both her academic and professional pursuits.
Learn more about Samantha through these questions below:
What initially interested you in pursuing a Masters in Biostatistics?
I’d been thinking about how to expand my professional skill set for a number of years - working on college campuses just has that effect on me! Part of my training when I started as Case was to attend webinars from other departments in the School of Medicine to get a sense of the event flow before I started hosting my own and I attended a few PQHS webinars and learned more about the MS in Biostatistics from Dr. Singer. I was really drawn to the applied nature of the program and the fact that the skills I’m learning here are so versatile across all types of fields/ industries. In my own work, I look forward to using what I’ve learned to improve the ways my office is managing, analyzing, and communicating admissions/ enrollment data. I can’t wait to dig into our historical data!
Can you describe a typical day or week in your job, and what are your main responsibilities? As the Director of Admissions for the MSMP program, I manage all activities and operational processes related to our admissions process so a typical week for me will involve a lot of communication with our prospective and admitted students, answering all their questions and sharing all the wonderful benefits of the program. I use Slate, our CRM, to screen applicants, send applications to our faculty reviewers, issue our recommendations to Graduate Studies, and manage our events calendar. My office collaborates very closely with the Enrollment Management Office as well to develop and implement that year’s recruitment strategy and communication plan. I also get to assist in advising our current students. I worked in medical school admissions for five years before joining the MSMP team so I’m always available to support our students as they craft their professional school applications.
What is your favorite thing about working at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½? The people. I work with some truly amazing faculty, staff, and students in my department (and beyond). My happiest moments in my position occur when our students/ alumni get those acceptances to professional school and I’m able to share in their joy and excitement.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing a Masters in Biostatistics part-time: I am a huge proponent of broadening your professional skill sets in areas that interest you and I highly recommend the Biostatistics program in particular. My educational background was in the liberal arts so I was nervous about starting the program because I didn’t have the same quantitative background as other students. The transition to graduate-level statistics after a number of years away from any formal math or stats coursework was the biggest challenge for me. Faculty and TA office hours have been a huge help with that!
How do you maintain your motivation and focus when juggling both work and studies? I’ve always loved school and being in the classroom and I also love my job and working with our students so I don’t often struggle with motivation. There are weeks that are more overwhelming than others depending on where we are in the application cycle for work and/or if I have a large project or exam coming up for a class. My husband and family are super supportive and I’ve tapped into some of the resources that our professors have provided (attending optional workshops, TA office hours, extra readings, watching and re-watching video lectures, etc.). I’m looking forward to getting even more involved next year!
Do you have any hobbies, or activities that you pursue outside of work and being a student? My husband and I started hiking a lot during the first COVID summer and still enjoy hitting the trails in the Metroparks or Cuyahoga Valley. My other favorite hobbies are reading and trying new recipes from my vast cookbook collection - this year I’m working my way through Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams cookbook. And, spending time with friends and family whenever we can.