One reason Catherine chose pharmaceutical chemistry was the chance to do a year-long paid work internship
The Professional Experience Year Internship in Pharmaceutical Chemistry is a 12-16 month, project-based, paid employment placement that takes place between the third and fourth years of undergraduate study. It provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge they have acquired in the first three years of university to private- or public-sector settings. Students are placed in pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, university research labs, university-affiliated organizations or governmental research agencies.
An internship provides real-world experience where students are exposed to new technologies and develop new skills related to laboratory research, project management, client relations, clinical information management, report writing and regulatory affairs.
What a pharmaceutical chemistry student has to say about her Professional Experience Year:
- Catherine Chiu — a 4th-year pharmaceutical chemistry student — enjoyed her PEY Internship year.
One of the reasons I chose the Pharmaceutical Chemistry program is because of the PEY opportunity.
~ Catherine Chiu
I was fortunate enough to get a placement at Bayer as a Medical Affairs and Medical Information Intern and I enjoyed every moment of it. I got my first real view of the complex network in a pharmaceutical company as well as the number of different career possibilities in the pharmaceutical industry.
My supervisors at Bayer were very supportive. They assigned me challenging projects despite the fact that I was 'only an intern'. As a result I cultivated my own abilities while also making a positive contribution to the company. The experience gained in PEY can never be gained in a university setting and I would encourage all prospective students to consider applying for these internship opportunities . They are a great way to to help prepare for your future career.
