Breaking into the MedTech Industry: The First Cohort of McGill and Ryerson Students Participate in the MedTech Talent Accelerator

The MedTech Talent Accelerator was established in Summer 2019 as an innovative training program to help fill a talent gap in Canada’s medical technology industry. This past Summer, the first cohort of 16 graduate students from McGill and Ryerson University completed an industry-focused online course, and embarked on their first MedTech industry internships. Read more about the program and its first cohort below:

The MedTech Talent Accelerator prepares Master’s and Ph.D. students at McGill and Ryerson for careers in the medical technology industry.

The program includes an industry-focused, self-paced online course before placing students in industry internships at the end of their studies: 4-month internships for Master’s students, and 8-month internships for Ph.D.’s. The program also features industry seminars, professional development workshops, a job shadow, and an industry-themed hackathon.

The online course was developed specifically for this program, in collaboration with industry and academic experts, to prepare students for internships and careers in the MedTech industry. Modules include: 1) Clinical Trials, 2) Research Ethics, 3) Quality Management & Regulatory Affairs, 4) Intellectual Property, 5) Reimbursement, and 6) Finance.

The challenge for this year's HackMedTech hackathon is 'Omitting the need for carbohydrate counting for people with Type 1 diabetes'. Students participating in the program will have a chance to solve a challenge posed by the MedTech industry, and learn from speakers and mentors including industry professionals, researchers, regulators, clinicians, and patients.  


All graduate students nearing the end of their studies are encouraged to apply!

Any McGill students or Montreal-based MedTech companies interested in the program should contact translation.bme [at] mcgill.ca (subject: MedTech%20Talent%20Accelerator)


The program’s first cohort included 16 students from across disciplines at McGill and Ryerson, and 15 MedTech companies to host internships. Read more for features on two McGill students and their internship hosts:


Kaushar Jahan, PhD, Dental Science/ Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Dentistry
Supervisor: Maryam Tabrizian, Biomedical Engineering

Internship Host: STEMCELL Technologies

Kaushar completed an 8-month internship at STEMCELL Technologies, a MedTech company that develops cell culture media, cell separation systems, instruments, and other reagents for use in life sciences research. Her internship was both on-site and remote. Before the pandemic, Kaushar was able to participate in some company events and activities in Vancouver. She enjoyed attending team-bonding activities and events at STEMCELL, which provided ample networking opportunities.

As Kaushar explains, "during my internship experience with STEMCELL Technologies, I worked directly with the Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) Team in testing several bioinks with the company's MSC media product line. I was able to work with a state-of-the-art bioprinter to assess cellular functions inside 3D-printed bioconstructs. This was a great learning experience that brought me to the conclusion that the industry was the career path I would like to follow.”

Kaushar's internship duties required a fair amount of reading and learning. She quickly learned she would need to excel at managing her time, seeing this as a similarity between academia and industry.

Kaushar described an easy transition into the culture and work environment at STEMCELL, and credited being assigned a great scientist as a mentor and supervisor. Whenever a learning curve became apparent, Kaushar remembers her mentor always helping to form new connections so she could learn and overcome.

At STEMCELL, Kaushar witnessed how a product moves from R&D, to quality control, to marketing. She noted the fine balancing act between planning and executing at a high level of detail while optimizing efficiency.

When she joined the MedTech Talent Accelerator program, Kaushar was unsure of her future career plans. Her internship helped her decide she wants to further her career in the MedTech industry. She advises, “for anyone not sure what they want to do or having doubts, this program is a great tool to help explore, and to let you decide with valuable experience.”


Miguel Romero Sepulveda, M.Sc., Physiology
Supervisors: Alvin Shrier and Gil Bub, Physiology

Internship Host: Elekta

Miguel completed a 4-month internship at Elekta, a MedTech company focusing on clinical radiotherapy treatment for cancer & brain disorders. While based in Sweden, the company operates across the world, including an office based in Montreal.

At Elekta, Miguel participated in a variety of projects surrounding regulatory affairs for medical software. As he explains, "during my internship, I assisted the Quality Assurance team with maintenance and creation of technical and regulatory documentation for medical users in order to fulfill international regulations. The documentation included operation manuals, instructions for use, and training material for in hospital medical staff."

Regarding the entire experience, Miguel acknowledges, “the MedTech Talent Accelerator worked as a great middle-person in a busy and stressful time to connect me to an opportunity that ended up being perfect for me. My experience with both the Talent Accelerator program and Elekta was fantastic. I would recommend the program to anyone interested in developing a career in the MedTech industry."

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