{"id":11324,"date":"2025-07-04T07:48:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T04:48:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/?post_type=our_stories&p=11324"},"modified":"2025-07-04T07:48:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T04:48:09","slug":"where-knowledge-meets-reality-a-first-encounter-with-pharma","status":"publish","type":"our_stories","link":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/en\/our_stories\/where-knowledge-meets-reality-a-first-encounter-with-pharma\/","title":{"rendered":"Where knowledge meets reality: A first encounter with pharma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Ukrainian pharmacy students Nikita and Kateryna from the National University of Pharmacy in Kharkiv, their internship at Grindeks marks more than just a required academic step \u2013 it\u2019s their first meaningful dive into the pharmaceutical industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Dnipro, Nikita relocated to Kharkiv to pursue a degree in pharmaceutical technology and management. \u201cMy qualification is engineer-technologist,\u201d he explains. Kateryna, his groupmate, joined the same program after completing a pharmaceutical college and transitioning into the second year of the bachelor\u2019s program. \u201cWe\u2019re from the same department, the same group – studying side by side,\u201d she notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the ongoing conflict and global restrictions, both students had minimal prior hands-on experience. \u201cWe had a short introductory internship that lasted about a week,\u201d says Nikita. \u201cIt was more like a series of excursions at the company \u2018Farmak\u2019. We didn\u2019t really get to work with real equipment or understand full processes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That changed the moment they stepped into the production facilities of Grindeks.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve now seen everything from A to Z,\u201d says Kateryna with visible enthusiasm. \u201cIn the mornings, we\u2019re in the final dosage forms department, and in the afternoons, we had the opportunity to explore the operations of the quality control, pharmacovigilance, FDF and API development labs, and analytics .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students are gaining exposure to processes they\u2019d only studied theoretically. \u201cI finally saw how weighing, sampling, and documentation are done in real time,\u201d Nikita says. \u201cWe\u2019ve observed the machines we\u2019d only seen in textbooks. Now I understand how everything fits together.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kateryna agrees, adding that even seemingly routine tasks revealed layers of complexity. \u201cI never realized how massive and meticulous the entire process is \u2013 not just making medicines, but developing them and launching them onto the market,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd even after launch, the company monitors the drug for years to ensure patient safety. That really surprised me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Nikita, an international academic stint in Estonia earlier this year provided a helpful foundation. \u201cIn early 2024, I studied chemistry at the Faculty of Medicine in Tartu through the Erasmus+ program,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt helped me understand what\u2019s happening in the labs here – I had a frame of reference.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What also struck both students was the unexpected culture within the company. \u201cAt first, I thought people were being cold \u2013 raising their eyebrows at me,\u201d Nikita laughs. \u201cBut once we were introduced by our mentor, Elena, I realized how open and communicative everyone is. We asked everything \u2013 even how often the place is vacuumed and always got answers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kateryna was equally impressed by the team\u2019s professionalism and enthusiasm. \u201cI was amazed at how willingly people explained every detail,\u201d she says. \u201cMy operator, Marina, has worked here for nine years, and she still loves what she does. She knows every parameter of her machine and is excited to keep learning.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked whether they see themselves in pharmaceutical production or development, both students are still exploring. \u201cIt\u2019s a tough question,\u201d admits Nikita. \u201cI used to think pharmacovigilance was just a state authority. Now I know each company has its own system \u2013 and it\u2019s critical.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kateryna reflects more personally: \u201cDevelopment appeals to me because it opens a creative mindset. But I also think starting out in production, maybe as an operator or assistant technologist, would help me understand the industry\u2019s core. In the future, I might lean toward development – but this hands-on work is essential.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing is clear \u2013 this internship has transformed abstract theories into tangible skills. \u201cI feel like my knowledge has increased tenfold,\u201d says Nikita. \u201cNow I understand what the machines do, why we follow strict protocols, and how much responsibility rests on every decision.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a deepening understanding of pharmaceutical technologies and a newfound respect for those behind the scenes, both students are leaving Grindeks not only with practical knowledge but also with renewed inspiration for what lies ahead. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11325,"template":"","class_list":["post-11324","our_stories","type-our_stories","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/our_stories\/11324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/our_stories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/our_stories"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grindeks.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}