As an ISCI student, it might seem odd to join the Co-op program. You might be wondering, what could I learn from Co-op that would actually be useful? You might think it’s a waste of time, adding an extra year to your degree, to just work, when you can do that after you graduate. You might feel like Co-op will not help you and your degree. However, I am here to change your mind! Co-op is not just a year of working, it’s a life changing experience, which could fully change your plans for the future. The skills you learn, be it wet lab, clinical research, or even just soft skills, make you a hundred times more hireable post-graduation. As well, the experience looks amazing on medical school applications, graduate school applications, and many many other programs. In fact, Co-op is one of the only ways to shadow doctors in Canada. That kind of experience can truly help you decide on the course of your future. Maybe being a doctor is exactly what you want to do, but maybe it’s not! And wouldn’t it be great to figure that out sooner rather than later, so when you return to fourth year, you have a focus and a goal in mind? Co-op is not just amazing for academic positions, there are opportunities in clinical research in the hospital, or in the biotech industry, or in STEM outreach, or even in small start-ups in completely different fields. The cool part is you have 16 months to work in whatever field you would like to and figure out what YOU want to do! You don’t have to take classes, you get paid, and you get time to learn more about yourself. Sometimes, in the rush of school, it's hard to take time for yourself, to figure things out, but Co-op gives you some much needed rest and time to soul search. I can only speak to my own experience, but for me, Co-op was earth shattering, life changing, and transformative. When I entered the Co-op program, I was really confused about what I should do after graduating. My options were graduate school, medical genetic counselling, and some kind of professional program, but other than this, I had no clue! I didn’t know if I would like medical genetic counselling, and I had zero clue as to what field I would want to be in for graduate school. I was confused and figured I would take a year off to work, and figure it out. To be completely honest, I wasn’t confident in my ability to get into graduate school, or even in myself! I felt like I was just another average ISCI student and wasn’t sure how to make myself standout. The Co-op program was a game changer. Co-op is not just 16 months of working. Leading up to this, you attend workshops on resumes, cover letters, and interviews, you meet and network with other ISCI co-op students, you talk to alumni and senior students. Most importantly, you are mentored by the ISCI Co-op Coordinator, Yas Azarpajouh. Yas is one of the most kind-hearted persons I know. She truly has your best interests in mind and takes the time to meet with you to work on your resume, cover letters and interview skills! She is there with you every step of the way, from entry to the program, landing your first job, checking in to see how you are adjusting, and to the other end, when you finally return to school. Yas was instrumental in my own journey. With her help, I landed a job with Dr. Kevin Hay at the Terry Fox Labs (TFL) in the BC Cancer Research Centre studying CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy. I had always been interested in gene therapies, but never expected to actually get a job in the field! My experience at the TFL was amazing, and I realized, I want to continue to study immunotherapy, and work towards improving them to improve cancer patient outcomes! After this, I worked at the University of Calgary, with Dr. Hermann Schaetzl studying heat shock proteins in prion diseases. Calgary is home, so I was lucky to be there during the pandemic. I was even luckier to have the opportunity to work on a review and help prepare a manuscript for publication! Through the Co-op program, I learned many wet lab skills, but I also learned about research, working in academia, and I finally figured out what I am passionate about. I got my first publication. I have offers to return to both labs for graduate school. I connected with other co-op students and graduate students, making some amazing friends. Co-op truly changed my life, for the better. I encourage you all to apply to Co-op, attend an information session (below), or just visit the website! The application deadline is October 1 for third years. If you are in second year, feel free to attend the sessions as well, and think about checking the “Co-op” box in your degree proposal! And as always, feel free to contact me through this form, or on my insta! Cheers, Charu UBC Science Co-op Yes, this is a photo of me, in the lab, counting some cells... Session 1:
Date: Friday, September 18th, 2020 Time: 1pm – 2pm Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/67811311685?pwd=VnNTYlltVlR3Ynh3UlptaktTZTF4UT09 Passcode: 034794 Session 2: Date: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020 Time: 12pm – 1pm Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/66343713666?pwd=eUsvdUZ1Y3g3TTF1R0tRY3RpZnE0QT09 Passcode: 093056 Session 3: Date: Friday, September 25th, 2020 Time: 1pm – 2pm Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/67811311685?pwd=VnNTYlltVlR3Ynh3UlptaktTZTF4UT09 Passcode: 034794 Session 4: Date: Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 Time: 12pm – 1pm Zoom link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/66343713666?pwd=eUsvdUZ1Y3g3TTF1R0tRY3RpZnE0QT09 Passcode: 093056
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