Student blogs

Making this decision can be an exciting yet nerve-racking time. In order to provide some guidance for the decision-making process, I decided to answer the top 5 most frequent questions I received from newly admitted students. I hope this helps!

1. What is the scope after the completion of the MBE programme?

The short answer to this question is simple: whatever you make it to be. The programme does their best to match you with your preferred fit, whether it’s a start-up or a big pharma. It’s up to you to make the most of it, and no programme can make that promise. This does not mean that you must be outgoing and bold to make valuable connections. I think this is a common misconception. I am often pushed outside of my comfort zone when networking, and that’s okay. But it’s important to be curious, ask questions, and don’t be scared to send that message on LinkedIn😎

2. Does the infamous reputation of Karolinska Institutet apply to the MBE programme?

Yes. This is made evident throughout the programme. For example, the programme has many connections with both industry-leading institutions and small to medium-sized companies. There are many guest speakers in the courses who have impressive backgrounds, such as officials from the European Medicines Agency or big pharma representatives. Moreover, these professionals are more than open to network and answer questions. In fact, I find that saying the word “bioentrepreneurship” is a great conversation starter – primarily because people don’t know what it is. Bioentrepreneurship covers a range of topics and can be interpreted in various ways. People are always intrigued🤩

3. Does my previous education impact my opportunities in the MBE programme?

Many students have reached out to me with the worry that they do not have a medical background, but found on various sources that many current students are medical doctors. Everyone has equal opportunities at KI. The programme consists of students from many different branches of science. For example – I do not have a medical degree. So the answer is no. If you were selected for the programme, you can rest assured that you have the same opportunities as the rest of your peers🤓

4. Are there any prerequisites I should consider before starting the courses?

The way I see it, If you were offered a place in the MBE programme, that means that the admissions office views you as appropriately prepared for the courses. You can read my previous post about the first semester course overview here. Of course, some students have minors in accounting or have taken finance courses, and that helps them. But most students learn these skills in the MBE courses and do perfectly fine. Generally, the MBE programme is not that focused on hard skills such as  accounting or finance skills. It is more about developing skills to help you succeed in your practical placements and future careers👩‍💻

5. What is your personal experience so far?

I primarily chose the program because of the practical placements. And I begin the first out of three practical placements this week – so I will have more to say on that in a few months😅 But one unique thing about the programme is that it focuses on what you want to pursue and does their best to provide you with the resources to do so. The courses provide a broad understanding of different approaches on entrepreneurship and are very manageable if you plan your time well. If you do so, you will have enough time to do well in school, explore potential job opportunities, and have some you time 🧖‍♀️ It is easy to make friends within the programme and in different ones as well! A great way to do this is to attend the orientation week. Fun fact – that is where I met some med exchange students from Germany and they are flying back to visit me this month!

I hope this shed some light on what to expect from the MBE programme at Karolinska Institutet. One thing that helps me to make decisions is a pros and cons list (very innovative, isn’t it?😅). But given that some factors may influence your decision more than others, it is often useful to assign scores to each pro and/or con in order to better assess your options. But make sure to take a minute to appreciate how far you’ve come. And don’t hesitate to reach out!😌