In the middle of a journey, it is worthwhile to reflect and evaluate your progress, taking note of the successes and failures to better the next steps ahead. Hi, I am Ivo Mbi Kubam, a Cameroonian currently residing in Belgium, and I’m excited to share my experiences during my first six months as a Data Analyst at edenceHealth.
I was afraid of being overwhelmed when transitioning back into the working environment after taking a three-year gap to further my education. But joining the edenceHealth family at this stage of my professional career has been the best decision I’ve made. The first few weeks were a roller coaster; I was quickly working alongside other analysts to provide core service of our company, which is harmonizing clinical observation data to a common data model, or CDM (we typically work with the data model from the Observational Medical Outcomes Parnership, or the OMOP CDM). On paper, the process appears straightforward, but implementing it in practice brings unique and exciting challenges.
Thus far, I have been able to work on a handful of diverse projects, which has allowed me to polish old skills and learn new ones faster than I could imagine. As a Data Analyst at edenceHealth, I had the opportunity to dive in and develop code for Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes using core skills such python and sql. I then deploy that code inside a client-specific Docker container to transform real medical data into a format that allows the client to gain both patient-level and population-level insights, and – ultimately – to make an impact in the lives of both doctors and patients which is the ultimate goal of edenceHealh. Collaborating and interacting with data owners throughout the harmonization process has also helped to bolster my communication and project-management skills.
edenceHealth is a young and rapidly growing company and – perhaps most interestingly – is multicultural. Prior to my start date in July 2021, I had the opportunity to meet with my colleagues in person and I was amazed by the different nationalities represented on the team; the diverse atmosphere was comforting and made it easier to settle in. Moreover, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we have managed to meet when allowed for board-game nights or for drinks, which has helped greatly with team building.
My first six months at edenceHealth have been fascinating and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues for their continued support and for their various contributions to my professional career. I am looking forward to all of the exciting projects and interactions to come!