Point32Health is a leading health and wellbeing organization committed to delivering a personalized healthcare experience. Building on the nonprofit heritage of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Point32Health provides a range of health plans and tools to help individuals navigate their health and wellbeing journey with ease.

As a Research Scientist at Point32Health, you will play a pivotal role in the Division of Therapeutics Research and Infectious Disease Epidemiology (TIDE) at Harvard Medical School's Department of Population Medicine. The position involves leading and participating in various epidemiological studies, including the development of protocols and analysis plans, particularly using electronic health data. This role supports the Sentinel System, sponsored by the FDA, and may include collaboration with academic or industry partners on vaccine studies.

Want to ace your interview for this exciting opportunity? Interview Query has the comprehensive guide you need to prepare effectively. Let's dive in!

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Point32Health as a Research Scientist. Whether you were contacted by a Point32Health recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Point32Health Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the Point32Health hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the Research Scientist role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around Point32Health’s data systems, ETL pipelines, and SQL queries.

In the case of research scientist roles, take-home assignments regarding health data analysis, epidemiological studies, and data visualization are incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency in study design, research methodology, statistical analysis, and knowledge of pharmacoepidemiologic methods may also be assessed during the round.

Depending on the seniority of the position, case studies and similar real-scenario problems may also be assigned.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the Point32Health office. Your technical prowess, including programming and data analysis capabilities, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview for the Research Scientist role at Point32Health.

Quick Tips For Point32Health Research Scientist Interviews

• Familiarize Yourself with Epidemiological Studies: Gain an in-depth understanding of epidemiological and pharmacoepidemiological methods, as these are core components of the role.
• Be Data Driven: Point32Health assesses how well you can provide health-care-related insights using data analysis. Brush up on your knowledge of handling large electronic health databases like administrative claims data.
• Embody the Collaborative Spirit: Point32Health values a collaborative, resilient, and innovative work culture. Practice responding to behavioral questions with answers that touch on these core values.

Typically, interviews at Point32Health vary by role and team, but commonly Research Scientist interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• Write a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics from a 2-D matrix of predicted and actual values. Given a 2-D matrix P of predicted values and actual values, write a function precision_recall to calculate precision and recall metrics. Return the ordered pair (precision, recall).

• Create an Array class simulating the functionality of fixed-size arrays with a size of 6. Create an Array class simulating the functionality of fixed-size arrays. Implement methods for length, item retrieval, and element placement. Raise exceptions for full arrays and out-of-range indices.

• Extend the Array class to include deletion and search operations. Extend the Array class to include methods for removing elements from the front, back, or a specific index, searching for elements, checking containment, removing all instances of an element, and checking equality with another array.

• Build a logistic regression model from scratch using gradient descent and log-likelihood as the loss function. Build a logistic regression model from scratch. Return the parameters of the regression without an intercept term. Use basic gradient descent with Newton's method for optimization and the log-likelihood as the loss function. Do not include a penalty term.

• Build a random forest model from scratch to classify a new point based on dummy variable data. Build a random forest model from scratch. The model should take a dataframe data and an array new_point with binary values. Each tree in the forest should go through every permutation of the value columns and split the data according to the value seen in new_point. Return the majority vote on the class of new_point.

• How would you evaluate whether using a decision tree algorithm is the correct model for predicting loan repayment? You are tasked with building a decision tree model to predict if a borrower will pay back a personal loan. How would you evaluate if a decision tree is the right choice? Additionally, how would you evaluate the model's performance before and after deployment?

• How does random forest generate the forest, and why use it over logistic regression? Explain the process by which random forest generates its ensemble of trees. Additionally, discuss the advantages of using random forest over logistic regression.

• How would you build a fraud detection model with a text messaging service for transaction approval? You need to build a model to detect fraud for a bank. The bank also wants to implement a text messaging service that allows customers to approve or deny transactions flagged as fraudulent. How would you approach building this model?

• How would you combat overfitting when building tree-based classification models? You are training a classification model. What strategies would you use to prevent overfitting in tree-based models?

• What are the assumptions of linear regression? List and explain the key assumptions that must be met for linear regression to be valid.

• How would you decide whether Google should build a game feature for Google Home? You are tasked with pitching a new feature for Google Home. Your co-worker suggests building a game feature. How would you evaluate whether Google should proceed with this idea?

• How should Lyft test a new algorithm for Lyft Line and measure its success? You want to build a new algorithm for Lyft Line. How should you test it, measure the success of the test, and eventually roll it out?

• - What is the downside of only using the R-Squared \((R^2)\) value to determine the relationship between two variables? If you are tasked with analyzing how well a model fits the data and want to determine the relationship between two variables, what are the limitations of relying solely on the R-Squared \((R^2)\) value?

What is the average salary for a Research Scientist at Point32Health?

Q: What is Point32Health and what do they do?
Point32Health is a leading health and wellbeing organization that builds on the nonprofit heritage of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. They aim to deliver personalized health care experiences and help people achieve healthier living through a range of health plans and tools. Their mission is to improve healthcare delivery and population health through research, education, and partnerships.

Q: What will I be doing as a Research Scientist at Point32Health?
As a Research Scientist, you will be involved in designing and executing studies on medical product safety, effectiveness, and surveillance. You will work with electronic health data, develop protocols and analysis plans, and write reports and publications. You'll collaborate with internal and external investigators and manage project teams to implement studies that support public health initiatives.

Q: What qualifications are required for the Research Scientist position?
Applicants must have a doctoral degree in pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, or health services research. They should possess three to nine years of relevant research or professional experience and be proficient in working with large healthcare databases. Strong communication skills and the ability to independently lead projects are essential.

Q: What benefits does Point32Health offer?
Point32Health provides a comprehensive total rewards package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, employer-paid life and disability insurance, a tuition program, and well-being benefits. They also offer resources to support career development, individual and family health, and financial health.

Q: How does Point32Health support diversity and inclusion?
Point32Health is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and health equity. Their DEIA and Health Equity team's strategy is deeply connected to their core values. They ensure cultural awareness, train leaders on team engagement, and provide guidelines for recruiting and retaining diverse talent. They welcome all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and more.

Interested in acing your interview and getting ahead? Check out Interview Query for tips and resources!

Interested in joining an organization passionate about health and wellbeing? At Point32Health, we leverage our rich history and expertise from Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to create impactful health care solutions. If you're eyeing the Research Scientist position, this role offers a dynamic environment working on cutting-edge health research, including the Sentinel System with the FDA. To ensure you ace your interview, discover a wealth of insights and potential questions in our comprehensive Point32Health Interview Guide. Interview Query equips you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategies to excel in your interview process. Check out all our company interview guides for tailored preparation. Good luck with your interview!