A day in the life of a Clinical Business Analyst at MOHT
17 October 2024
A Day in the Life at MOHT series
One of MOHT’s strengths stems from having a pool of talents from diverse backgrounds, facilitating the cross-diffusion of learning and insights within the organisation and across the ecosystem.
“A Day in the Life at MOHT” is a new MOHT blog series where featured colleagues relate how their individual talent, experience and practice has enriched MOHT’s tapestry of contributions towards the transformation of Singapore’s healthcare.
In the sixth edition, we look at a day in the life of clinical business analyst, Mary Grace Yeo from the mindline.sg team at MOHT.
Contributed by Mary Grace Yeo
“Jack of all trades, and master of none” is a saying I’ve encountered often, though it wasn’t until later that I learned the full version: “Though oftentimes better than a master of one.” My career path, by local standards, has been relatively unconventional. With a major in Biological Sciences, one might assume I would pursue a career as a researcher, academic or clinician, perhaps in a medical equipment or pharmaceutical company, or within the healthcare system.
Instead, I started off as the first employee at a pre-seed healthtech startup that developed video-based vital signs monitoring software. Though I was initially hired for business development, I soon found myself responsible for the entire product development lifecycle despite having no formal background in computer science or signal processing. My work had little direct relevance to my degree, but as anyone familiar with the startup environment knows, the right response to challenges isn’t “I don’t know,” but rather, “I’ve yet to find out.”
This marked the beginning of my journey of breaking into the tech industry without the necessary technical skills. I subsequently moved on to another healthtech startup, this time a US Series D unicorn providing decentralised clinical trials and remote patient monitoring platforms. Across both organisations, I had a flexible job scope, which spanned from account management to product marketing, clinical trial planning, regulatory affairs, investor relations, technical program management, and so on.
Through these experiences, I discovered two key insights about myself. First, I thrive as a “renaissance” person, finding my strength in solving complex cross-functional problems that require an understanding of multiple viewpoints and a broad set of technical skills. Second, I realised the importance of aligning with an organisation that shares my values, particularly the belief that healthcare should be patient-centric and that systemic changes are essential to achieving significant impact. This prompted my transition from private to public healthcare, leading me to join MOHT as a Clinical Business Analyst for mindline.sg, and overseeing all its product-related matters.
mindline.sg is a mental health platform developed by MOHT in collaboration with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). Aligned with the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, mindline.sg serves as a first-stop touchpoint, guiding individuals to the most appropriate support or services to meet their mental health needs.
My job scope encompasses several key areas. I lead the initiation of external projects, which includes requirements analysis, stakeholder negotiation, project planning and documentation.
Additionally, I assess strategic opportunities and establish mindline.sg’s product roadmap, ensuring that our development efforts are aligned with the broader organisational goals. During the product development phase, I co-lead the project management team alongside my software engineering lead, Akash. Together, we implement industry-standard process improvements and agile principles throughout the development lifecycle.
Vendor management is another critical part of my role. I work closely with product designers on UI/UX research, product ideation, and design prototyping to ensure that our solutions align with user requirements. Once the design phase is complete, I then engage with the development team to assess the technical effort required to implement the features and create a comprehensive project plan that outlines key milestones and timelines. I continuously monitor the project’s progress, ensuring we stay on track and make necessary adjustments as needed.
Figma app – What I see daily as I collaborate with my product designers
Visioning workshop with mindline.sg team from product, data, and growth/marketing
Additionally, I collaborate with the MOHT Data Science and Technology (DST) team to develop mindline.sg’s product analytics. This process includes identifying key business objectives, drafting data requirements, and continuously evaluating data insights to guide product development. I also work closely with DST data scientists to integrate their data products into the mindline.sg platform.
Given the wide range of responsibilities, I split my time depending on the status of my project portfolio. For example, when majority of my projects are external and in the initiation phase, I allocate approximately 70% of my time to project management, 20% to product development, and 10% to product analytics. Conversely, at the beginning of the innovation cycle, before the project portfolio is selected, my focus shifts to 30% on product vision, 60% on product development, and 10% on project management and product analytics.
What I love most about my role is how it continually challenges me to push my limits and apply everything I’ve learned from past experiences. MOHT supports this journey by funding my professional development, providing access to various conferences and sessions with global thought leaders, and arranging overseas research trips. I also have the privilege of collaborating with a team of exceptional colleagues from diverse backgrounds, for example, a GP who has sold several health startups, a clinical psychologist with a private practice, and a former social service consultant.
Post-musical weekend hangout with Caleb, Thisum, Onno, Dinesh, Ye Sheng, and Xinyi
Most importantly, I am deeply passionate about the mental health cause, which has touched many of my friends and loved ones. At MOHT, I get to hear firsthand the experiences of Singaporeans and see the real-world impact of our mental health initiatives, making this work incredibly fulfilling.
For those of you, like me, who are generalists breaking into or currently navigating product roles in tech, here are a few tips to conclude:
Embrace your generalist nature: Leverage your broad skillset while identifying a specific niche within your industry or skillset. This will set you apart and become your value proposition.
Get certified: Fill any gaps in your knowledge with industry-recognised certifications. Consider options like the PMI PMP, Scrum.org’s PSM and PSPO, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or Google Analytics.
Don’t rely solely on broad knowledge: Be mindful of cognitive biases in decision-making, particularly in healthcare. Seek out and consult with “Masters of One” for their domain expertise and unique perspectives.
Enjoy the journey: Embrace the dynamic nature of your role. Each day brings new challenges, and finding joy in this constant evolution can make your professional journey both exciting and fulfilling.
mindline.sg at MOHT’s annual dinner & dance. The coolest team as always 😉