The Wistar Institute is a Philadelphia-based global leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer, immunology, infectious disease and vaccine development. BTT is a paid, college credit-earning 12-week pre-apprenticeship program designed to respond to the growing demand for well-trained laboratory technicians and research assistants in life sciences. The summer program consists of a two-week intensive laboratory course at the Wistar Institute followed by two five-week internship placements in academic or industry biomedical laboratories. The students receive academic credit through the DCCC Student Employment Services’ internship program.

BTT is a registered pre-apprenticeship that can also lead into Wistar’s Fox Biomedical Research Technician Apprenticeship, the first-ever registered, nontraditional apprenticeship program for biomedical research ratified by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

“The BTT program at Wistar gave me the opportunity to experience firsthand what it is like to work in both academia and industry job settings. I really enjoyed how different my two lab placements were, which gave me a better understanding of how broad a science-related job can be,” VanDyke says. She will attend West Chester University this fall to major in Biology with a concentration in integrative biology.

The BTT program is run by Kristy Shuda McGuire, PhD, the Dean of Biomedical Studies at the Wistar Institute, facilitated by DCCC’s Student Employment and Co-op Center, and the DCCC faculty liaisons are Biology professors Bela Dadhich, PhD, and Robert Suran, PhD.

“The program is impressive as the students are learning cutting-edge technology with leaders in the field,” Dr. Dadhich said. “It is a phenomenal opportunity.”