From the lecture theatre to Canadian cancer research

Student Anna Roshal completed an internship in Saskatoon

Getting out into the big wide world - that's also possible during a degree programme. Anna Roshal, a medical technology student at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, took the plunge and completed her internship semester in Canada. During her internship, she worked at a cancer research institute in Saskatoon, where she helped to develop new devices.

After trying in vain to find an internship in Germany, Anna Roshal found out about the research internship offered by the non-profit organisation Mitacs Globalink through a friend. In cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), this initiative offers opportunities for Bachelor students to complete a research internship in Canada. During the application process, Anna Roshal was introduced to many interesting projects, including one from the Sask Cancer Agency. This is a research institute at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, which is involved in the development of new instruments and tests to improve treatment options for cancer patients. Anna Roshal was able to organise the trip to Canada with the help of a scholarship from Mitacs Globalink and the DAAD. She was supported by her professor Dr Susanne Reimann, who recommended her for the scholarship and supervised her during the internship.

"The foundation programme prepared me very well for the internship," says Anna Roshal. Subjects such as generative and additive manufacturing, physics (statistics), materials science for medical technicians, technical drawing and design theory were of great importance to her during her internship at the Sask Cancer Agency. "Before the internship semester, I refreshed my knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry. I took another look at how cancer cells develop in the first place and familiarised myself with the Auto Desk Fusion programme that the university uses. Here at the university, we are learning Solid Works," says the Bremerhaven student.

The different tasks of the internship
The student supervised a total of three projects during her time abroad. In the first project, she was tasked with improving the design of an appliance. In the other two projects, she developed new devices in addition to printing spare parts in the 3D printer. She was involved in the electrical engineering and production of the devices. For example, she was asked to build a device that helps to turn the cancer cells in the incubator at regular intervals. This keeps the cells in constant motion, which mimics the human body. "It was particularly important to be familiar with materials science and not to use materials that are toxic to the cancer cells. Biocompatibility was therefore of great importance. It was all really exciting and the internship was very varied," continues Anna Roshal.

According to Anna Roshal, students who want to go abroad should prepare well in advance. "The application process took around nine months and the actual organisation of the internship semester, including finding accommodation and similar, took at least three months. If possible, you should get in touch with other students who have already been there or are still there to get more tips," recommends Anna Roshal.

In addition to engineering fundamentals, the medical technology degree programme also teaches aspects from the fields of medicine, computer science, economics, law and ethics. Prospects after graduation include qualification for a postgraduate Master's degree programme as well as employment in the medical technology industry or work at the interfaces of medical users or research and production departments.

The application phase for the winter semester 2024/25 is currently underway at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. Prospective students have until 15 August to apply for admission-free degree programmes via the university's own application portal ecampus.hs-bremerhaven.de. Applications for the admission-restricted Bachelor's degree programmes in Digital Media Production, Physician Assistant and Social Work are only possible via the portal www.hochschulstart.de until 15 July.

(Text: Jurina Kleemeyer and Nadine Metzler)