MBA v. MD: Student magazine extols biotech careers
BioSynergy, the science and business of biotechnology
What do a bunch of biomedical undergrads with an interest in business do for fun?
Well, if you’re Justin Chakma and his pals, you form a society, set up your own MBA-style case studies to hone your skills – and then publish a magazine to spread the biotech fervor.
Three months after the formation of the Delta Biotechnology Society, the inaugural issue of its BioSynergy magazine is expected to roll off the presses this month for distribution to biomedical undergrads at home and away. Student clubs at Caltech and Stanford are apparently interested in distribution of the 84-page full-colour publication, funded primarily by U of T’s faculty of pharmacy and departments within the faculty of science, along with some modest ad revenue.
The idea behind BioSynergy, says Chakma, is to give science undergrads a sense of promising career options that go beyond medical school. Chakma is going into third year of his studies in pathobiology with a minor in international relations. “We want to break the pre-med stereotype and show students the biotech odyssey — from scientist to venture capital to clinical trials and the evolution of big pharma.â€?
And they’ve done it with some pretty powerful raw material, including feature interviews with human genome maverick Craig Venter and Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella. Chakma credits some external help from seasoned editors at Nature Biotechnology and In Vivo as well as the MaRS Venture Group.
But why go with the olde-tyme print medium to reach an audience that we’re told engages more fully with pixels than picas?
“It’s about building brand presence. Eventually we’d like to move exclusively to the web,� says Chakma, who credits the web-based Journal of Young Investigators as his inspiration for the magazine. JYI is a U.S.-based undergraduate journal that models itself on Nature. Established in 1997, it now has staff members in India, Canada, United States, Britain and Singapore.
And there’s more planned for Delta Biotech, including a series of lunch-and-learn sessions for students with biotech CEOs.
“We’re in it for the long run,” Chakma says. “The barometer of our success is not only increasing awareness or participation in biotechnology by students in Canada but also promoting Canada’s next generation of biotech pioneers. The greatest reward to us would be if a Delta alumnus comes back 20 years from now and says, ‘Thanks to Delta I got hooked on the biotech dream and I’m living it as a CEO of my own biotech company.’ ”
Whether med school or biz school wins out, these ambitious undergrads are clearly ones to watch.
Linda Quattrin worked as a long-time newspaper reporter and editor before applying her interest in science as a medical research communicator. A member of the Canadian Science Writers Association, she is responsible for media relations and corporate communications at MaRS.