Summer intern Review

My role was to carry out the experiments required to develop a certain process analytical technology for the large scale bioprocess analytics team, as well as document the progress. My tasks consisted of working in the labs, documenting the data gathered, processing the data, as well as working on automating the data processing using coding.

Yes and no. After the first few weeks of training, I was pretty much independent, allowed to work in the labs with no supervision. So in a way I was given a lot fo responsibility for the project. But the project was very separate from what the rest of the team worked on on a day-to-day basis, so I didn't get much interaction with the team, or get to work with them at all. Since I was not contributing to the daily tasks and experiments the team carried out, I felt I was not given much useful training into what working in the pharma industry would be like.

I have learnt new skills, including shake flask cell culture, sampling and monitoring larger scale mammalian cell culture bioreactors, running HPLC systems, coding on Excel visual basic. I have also developed on existing skills such as using excel for data analysis, and documenting progress by writing reports.

I had support from the scientist I was working directly with on my project, but it was only for technical matters. If I needed help in say completing necessary online trainings, getting my lab pass, or requesting prescription safety goggles, I had to ask other members of the team even though it was not their responsibility. So at times I felt like I was disturbing them or taking up their time unnecessarily. Although I had to ask for it, I did eventually have a buddy assigned to me from within the team, and he was very helpful. It would have been better if my line manager could have been more helpful in the onboarding stages however.

I was able to interact with the wider team through a volunteering event early on in my placement, and from that, I liked the culture of the team and company. Everyone was open and welcoming. It would have been better to be able to interact with the wider team in more professional settings throughout my internship though, to get a better sense of the culture.

I enjoyed it to a moderate extent.

Yes