The International Biopharmaceutical Association was pleased to participate in three industry events during the month of March. The title of the event was “Careers in the Biopharmaceutical Industry and was held at three universities across Ontario. Each event gave members of the IBPA an opportunity to meet with students from a variety of universities in Ontario as well as inform them of potential career opportunities within the biopharmaceutical industry and answer questions the students had about types of jobs, career choices and training required to become a part of this very lucrative industry.
The first event was hosted by York University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering on March 2nd, 2005. This event gave students an opportunity to speak with our director, Anna Barak, about careers in the biopharmaceutical industry as well as allowed the IBPA a chance to participate in an informal meet and greet session with other industry representatives. We were pleased to be part of this event as it gave the IBPA an opportunity to meet with future graduates in addition to being able to start a great working relationship with this prestigious academic institution.
Three more events were hosted by the IBPA, at the University of Toronto (March 8th), McMaster University (March 14th) and the University of Waterloo (March 14th). Several industry representatives took part in a presentation entitled “Careers in the Biopharmaceutical Industry.
The event held at the University of Toronto drew approximately 40 students who were interested in learning more about careers in the biopharmaceutical industry. IBPA representatives Kristin Hudasek and Anna Barak were in attendance and were able to provide students with information on types of careers available within the biopharmaceutical industry, training courses and to answer any questions the students had about the industry. Students that attended this event had educational backgrounds in Life Sciences, Marketing, Engineering and Business Management. The event went extremely well and many students participated in asking questions about types of careers and how to become part of the industry. Students were also given free one year memberships to the IBPA so that they could stay up to date with industry information via the IBPA newsletter as well as use there membership status when searching for employment.
The McMaster University event drew close to 50 students and we were fortunate enough to have an industry representative, Erin Passmore of Allied Clinical Research (
www.allied-research.com) attended. Ms. Passmore gave an incredible presentation that focused on what students really need to become employed in the biopharmaceutical industry and was able to really engage students interest as was evident by the number of students speaking with her after the presentation. Presentations delivered by IBPA representatives, Kristin Hudasek and Tanya Rietveld, also gave students the opportunity to learn about the biopharmaceutical industry as well as types of programs and training solutions that are available to them. These training programs include those offered by other academic institutions as well as biopharmaceutical companies, which offer more specific training courses in a shorter amount of time. Of great interest to students were the training courses offered online, such as ones provided by Kriger Research Centre (
www.krctraining.com) where students can work at their own pace and still gain industry experience by participating in clinical trials.
The University of Waterloo event was attended by 30 people and again we were glad to have another industry representative, Sean Thompson from YM Biosciences (
www.ymbiosciences.com) present to students from his alma mater. Mr. Thompson was able to provide some insight on how he navigated through the biopharmaceutical industry to arrive at where he is today, part of one of the most promising drug development companies in all of Canada. Bella Katznelson, Biorole Scientific Solutions Recruiter, also participated and provided some tips to students on how to present yourself and your qualities on resumes when applying for jobs. Again, Kristin Hudasek, Tanya Rietveld and Anna Barak were also there to provide students with information on careers in the biopharmaceutical industry. Students were excited to speak with Ms. Katznelson after the presentation and seemed very thankful that we were able to provide them with advice, tips and information concerning the industry.
In total, over 100 students became new members of the International Biopharmaceutical Industry, something the students were very eager to become a part of. Students from each university often came up to an IBPA representative and thanked us for coming to speak with them. Most commented on how unique our presentation was as no other industry association had come to their school to provide them with information and tips on how to become a part of their industry. Future events like these ones can only help students and academic institutions by providing students with the tools and tips they need to find employment past their university’s gates. We are thankful to all of the universities for hosting us and are hopeful that these past events can be seen as a stepping stone for future events so that the IBPA may work in collaboration with other universities to aid their students in reaching their full potential.
If you or your academic institution would like more information regarding upcoming events or would like to host an event, please see the contact information listed below. Please note that these events are held free of charge to students and colleges/universities and provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about careers in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Contact information:
Kristin Hudasek
IBPA Conference Coordinator
International Biopharmaceutical Association
info@ibpassociation.org
