On November 14, students in Northeastern’s Biotechnology Professional Science Master’s program gathered in the Curry Student Center to hear their classmates describe the pre-co-op work experiences they had performed during the summer semester. Co-op Coordinator Vanecia Harrison-Sanders moderated the panel. The intent of the pre-co-op is to provide “real-world” learning in industry, government, teaching hospitals, and academic research labs. While the pre-co-op is optional, students who choose to perform one state that they feel prepared for the required graduate co-op that occurs towards the end of the MS program. The pre-co-op may be paid or unpaid and is a maximum of four months in length.

Students on the panel spoke about how they had secured their pre-co-op–the search and interviewing process–as well as the experience itself. Panel participants and their pre-co-op sites are as follows: Abhishek Keshor Chiyyeadu (Shire Pharmaceuticals), Rucha Adhav (Blue Stream Technologies), Avani Patel (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals), Bhashwati Ravindra Sarmalkar (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Radihka Barve (Bioxone), and Omkar Bhate (Fresenius Kabi).