Most biochemistry internship opportunities will include a large portion of laboratory work. That being said, lab work may be the only similarity between the varied types of biochemical internships abroad; the field is so diverse that interns may find themselves working in the pharmaceutical, food, or cosmetic industries or researching at hospitals, universities or government agencies. Everyone can find the perfect fit for their interests in biochemistry through an internship abroad.

The biggest money-maker in biochemistry is the pharmaceutical industry, so it’s no surprise that many interns find themselves working for a drug company or doing product research for one. These biochemistry internships involve investigating drug efficacy, side effects, interactions with other drugs, assisting with drug manufacturing, and conducting market research.

Food and cosmetic industries are the other large portions of the biochemistry world; biochemistry interns in these industries can get involved in research and development or product testing. Though these may sound less glamorous than the exciting drug industry, interns in these positions report a high level of satisfaction as they are exposed to new international food, beverage, and health and beauty products, while learning about foreign marketing as well as the scientific side of researching.

Day-to-day activities in any biochemistry internship abroad may look quite similar. Interns will likely be assigned lab tasks daily, such as running samples through spectroscopy, NMR, or other identification and analysis sequencing. Interns also typically work in small groups, usually with other international students or recent graduates, and report to a hierarchy of gifted faculty.