What Victoria says about the Master’s in Biomedicine

Victoria from Sweden

Would you like to tell us something about yourself?

"My name is Victoria Ptasinski and I have been working as a Graduate Scientist as part of the IMED Early Phase Drug Discovery Graduate Programme at AstraZeneca in Gothenburg since 2016. This is a two-year international programme including three placements in different areas of early drug discovery and development. In addition, the programme includes three Global Development Modules which are taking place in AstraZeneca’s Global R&D sites (Gothenburg in Sweden, Boston in the US and Cambridge in the UK), through which I get the chance to improve my organisational and leadership skills that are necessary for a successful career in industry."
 
Why did you choose to study Biomedicine at Lund University?

"The choice to study biomedicine in Lund was obvious to me for many reasons – the biomedical research in Lund is delightfully close to the patients' needs. Hence, every day of my biomedical education felt meaningful, whether that was in the lecture hall or in the laboratory doing research. Apart from the academic reasons, Lund is one of the best student cities in Sweden. The vibrant student culture in Lund provided me with a tremendous social network, which gave me much joy during my time as a student."
 
How would you describe your current job?

"Dynamic, stimulating and inspiring – this is how I would describe my current job! Working in one of the world’s largest international biopharmaceutical companies keeps me up-to-date with the most recent experimental techniques in medical research and trains me in applying those in my daily work. I also get opportunities to collaborate with some of the most well-known research institutes through various projects and I am continuously gaining insights into the process of drug discovery. My job suits young researchers with a thirst for knowledge who want to make a difference for patients in the future!"
 
Do you have any tips for students interested in pursuing in a similar career path?

"Dare to seize the opportunities and challenges! Working as a Graduate Scientist on the IMED Early Phase Drug Discovery Graduate Programme at AstraZeneca requires you to think and act outside the 'comfort zone', which is an invaluable skill."