"The start went very well, the training lasted two weeks, but I was quickly given a lot of responsibilities and I already feel part of the team. I'm not a scholarship recipient at all, I 'm just another member of the team". This is how Arnau Vila (biotechnologist, Business Development at Angelini Pharma) describes the start of this new stage.

After one month, more than 80 internships have been received for 36 students in 24 companies in the sector. In addition, this year there has been an advance in the internship process and 7 of the 36 students already had their internship closed at the time the list was published. In this way, all the offers have been closed in less than a month. 

As for the process of awarding internships, Elena Gascón, coordinator of the Master's Degree in management of Pharma-Biotech Companies, says that "the search for internships is a very personalised process, where each student is different, has different concerns and different motivations". "They must understand that they are the protagonists and that they are the ones who must pass the selection processes, we give them the opportunities and the tools, but they are the ones who must pass the filters of the companies". He adds that this year improvements have been implemented compared to previous years, such as the individual counselling sessions held with the students every two months. "In total there have been more than 150 interviews with the students that have served to help them and guide them in their transition to the professional world".

These improvements have been reflected in the students: "I didn't find the process very tedious because I was open to moving around and I noticed that for the internships offered by the University the process was faster and I got answers sooner", explains Arnau Vila.

For her part, María Zarranz, manager internship School Pharmacy and Nutrition, says that the feedback from companies is very positive. In particular, she highlights the experience with the Abbvie process. "According to the Human Resources managers, 12,000 applications were received for 16 offers. Six students from the programme reached the final stage, and four of them were selected for internships. 

Most of the students opted for a national internship , but others like Patricia Chambers (biologist, consultancy service in Alacrita) preferred an international experience: " I have always been attracted by the idea of travelling and living in other countries. For this reason, I opted for an international internship".