Kendy Urdaneta (Venezuela)

Being part of IMIM has boosted my out-of-the-box thinking and opened the doors to a bigger world, where science and business can be combined.

“Whatever I have thought this program was about, it was not.

I would like to describe the IMIM program as a set of hardcore challenging experiences that trains you to become a critical thinking scientist and highly capable of translating fundamental research into applicable solutions to medical problems. Being part of IMIM has boosted my out-of-the-box thinking and opened the doors to a bigger world, where science and business can be combined.

Being an IMIM student involves many choices to make due to the program’s variety of available options to do internships and the master thesis project. Besides, the kick-off at Uppsala University, the spring school at the University of Heidelberg, the summer school at the University of Groningen, the VentureLab weekend, and the unforgettable BBBs certainly tested my stress management skills.

Additionally, moving in and out, doing migration procedures, and planning the trips to attend all the mobility paths at the same time as the academic activities, is indeed exhausting.

Beyond the multifaceted study program, IMIM exposed me to an international environment that helped me to expand my networking and changed my future perspectives from academia towards the industry. Also, I have made wonderful friends from different cultures and backgrounds that have enriched my perspectives about life enormously. I was very naïve and hesitant when all this started. However, when I see myself now, everything I have learned, how I see science now, and all I have changed; I feel deeply blessed for being given this position at the University of Groningen and Uppsala University.

IMIM has prepared me for my next step: the biotech industry.”