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Bc. Ondřej Peller, UCT Prague,

ročník 4

Faculty

Faculty of food and biochemical technology

Field of study

Pharmaceutical biotechnology

Field of internship

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Specialization of Internship

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Internship period (from - to)

5/6/2023 - 4/8/2023

Internship duration (weeks)

Transport (means, price)

Airplane, 14000 CZK

Insurance/Insurance company

Envisage

Visa/Work permit (yes/no)

yes

Price of Visa

185 USD (+220 USD SEVIS fee)

City of Internship

United States, Houston, TX

Internship reference number

US/2023-BaylorIN

About the country

Location of the place

It's the fourth largest city in the US.

City

Houston generally felt quite safe, some parts are safe during the day only, some not at all, but I was quite daring (I would say) and had no issues (as a man). Public transport was free for students and worked fine, but if you don't have a car, opportunities are limited. The temperatures ranged between 27 °C at night and 35-40 °C during the day, every day, high humidity.

Surroundings (possible trips, ...)

NASA museum and Galveston (beach area) are usually recommended, otherwise there isn't much.

Employer

Baylor College of Medicine was absolutely fantastic, real high level institution. Everyone was professional, kind and welcoming. Made a great impression on me.

Work description

I spent the first half of the internship pretty much shadowing my mentor. Otherwise I did western blots, protein/RNA extraction, PCR, IF, IHC, microscopy, cell culturing (I had my own little project). Working with my mentor was awesome. He was really helpful and made sure I learnt as much as possible and had fun.

Salary (sufficient for local conditions?)

The gross salary was about 3000 USD, which was enough to cover my accommodation, food (ate out a lot) and some of my travel expenses.

Language requirements

English.

Accommodation (price, who provided it)

Accommodation was arranged by the employer and cost 1200 USD a month. It was a decent 3-star hotel with a pool and a gym. I had one roommate. It was a 20-minute walk to my workplace.

Social life

Meeting IAESTE members (pick-up at the airport, organized events...)

There was no IAESTE activity.

Meeting other foreign students

I was the only foreign student in my program. I did hang out with American students, though.

Sport and culture

There are great places to run and do sports (Rice Campus, Hermann Park). The local galleries have some great art collections. The Miller Outdoor Theatre has free concerts and performances during the summer.

Food, local specialties

There is a ton of good places to eat. Rice Village has some great bars and restaurants. But getting ridiculously huge and unhealthy meals in local fast food chains was of course particularly fun.

Other information

Possibilites to communicate with the Czech Republic

Anything.

Recommendations for students who will go to the same place

Travel out of state. You can get pretty cheap flights to some interesting cities. Ideally, rent a car and drive around the US for a bit.

What not to forget with you

US socket adapter.

Benefits of the internship

Countless. I got to experience research work at a high level institution, learnt many new skills, improved my English, traveled around the US, experienced so many things. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life.