Employee Stories

A Day in the Life of a Statistician (Singapore)

Alvin Ng is a Senior Statistician in our Singapore office and joined the company in 2018.

What did you do before joining Costello Medical?

I was a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where I majored in Statistics & Applied Probability. My interest in biostatistics, healthcare and public health first appeared midway through this 4-year course. This subsequently motivated me to focus my final year project around a hot public health topic in Singapore – the war on type 2 diabetes mellitus. During this time, I picked up amateur photography and videography as hobbies and they are still interests of mine.

What do you like best about your role as Statistician at Costello Medical?

I enjoy the collaboration between our different divisions and office locations which adds variety to my daily working life. Irrespective of time differences, we are able to capitalise on each of our specialities and knowledge to deliver high quality work efficiently. Also, interacting with colleagues from around the world keeps me informed about the different lifestyles we all have and the cultures we experience.

Similarly, the variety of responsibilities I hold and the projects I work on keeps my interest level high and means that no two days are the same. I can get involved with projects that centre around different disease areas, methodologies and challenges with each new project offering numerous learning opportunities. Within these projects, the high level of autonomy allows me to develop my professional experience at a rate I wasn’t expecting.

Outside of my client projects, I play a role in Costello Medical’s pro bono work, global recruitment efforts and our IT infrastructure. This motivates me to pick up new skills and knowledge and provides opportunities to interact with more colleagues.

How would you describe a typical day in the life of a Statistician at Costello Medical?

9:00am

Upon walking into the office just before 9am, I am greeted by several cheery colleagues. I switch on my computer, followed swiftly by the coffee machine as I catch up with some colleagues in the communal kitchen.

Making use of my best time for concentration, I write out and run code scripts – some analyses are so challenging that this can feel like solving multiple IQ puzzles in one sitting! I am currently focussing on a project looking at treatments for epilepsy in Australia. This complex project will involve multiple linear regression models which my client will be using to draw their conclusions. It is important I fully understand the models so I can effectively communicate this to my client in a call we have later this week.

11:00am

If I have some spare time I will work on other initiatives or projects outside of my client work and my focus today is on a pro bono project I have taken on with some of my colleagues in the UK. It is really fulfilling to use my skills in this way and know that I am giving something back to society.

12:30pm

Once I have ticked off the morning tasks on my to-do list, I head to the communal kitchen for some lunch and a much needed catch up with some of my friends.

3:00pm

Early afternoons, accompanied by a green tea, will see me tackling review work. For example, I might be reviewing some comments from a project manager or client, critically reviewing the work of a colleague or assessing client comments to put together a project proposal. This can also include using models to interpret results, followed by report writing for my clients. This helps them to fully understand the statistical analyses I have conducted so that they can communicate these findings to stakeholders or healthcare professionals.

4:30pm

Later in the afternoon, I turn my attention to a client meeting we have coming up at 5pm. This is a project kick-off meeting for a client we haven’t worked with before. We are therefore especially eager to impress them, so I take the time to conduct extra research and make thorough notes before the call.

Communication is a really key part of my role. I often share complex models and analyses with my colleagues or clients who may not have a strong statistical understanding themselves. Therefore, it is crucial to convey information in a clear and concise manner.

5:30pm

Before logging off, I will put together a rough plan for the next day and make sure my to-do list clearly highlights any priorities for tomorrow.

To celebrate this afternoon’s kick-off meeting, myself and a few colleagues have decided to go out for dinner together. It is great to take some time together outside of the office to relax and reflect on a positive day!