The Canadian Quality Assurance (QA) industry is tough to navigate, requiring more than just technical skills—it takes determination, education, and experience. Aishwarya Venkatasubramanian, a recent graduate of the AAPS Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs (QARA) post-graduate diploma program, exemplifies this.
In this blog, we explore Aishwarya’s journey from biotechnology to a successful career in Quality Assurance, with comprehensive support from AAPS College.
A Passion for Healthcare and Education
Aishwarya’s passion for healthcare has driven her journey from completing a master’s in biotechnology in India to navigating new challenges in Canada. Upon arrival, she balanced her personal life and career ambitions, staying true to her healthcare passion.
Aishwarya recalls, “I always wanted to pursue a career in a healthcare-related field.” However, she needed the right education and work experience to land a role in the Canadian quality assurance and regulatory affairs industry, neither of which she had. Her desire to stay connected to the healthcare industry led her to explore opportunities that would provide her with the necessary Canadian experience to transition into the field.
Before her quality assurance program at AAPS, Aishwarya always had a passion for healthcare.
Discovering AAPS and the Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs Program
Aishwarya’s search for the right educational program brought her to AAPS, where she discovered the postgraduate diploma program in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs.
“When I was searching online to apply for a course, I came across AAPS,” she explains. “When I researched their course structure, I thought it was very elaborate, and it got me very intrigued. So, I decided to join the postgraduate diploma program in QARA at AAPS.”
The decision to join AAPS was a turning point in Aishwarya’s career. The program offered her the academic knowledge she sought and the practical skills necessary to succeed in the industry. “The professors at AAPS are very knowledgeable, and throughout the entire course, I gained a very immense amount of knowledge that I could be very confident that I can use wherever I go in the industry,” Aishwarya shares.
The quality assurance program at AAPS offered her the knowledge and skills she needed.
Support Beyond the Classroom
In addition to the robust academic curriculum, Aishwarya highlights the invaluable support she received from AAPS’s career services team. “I am also very thankful to the career service team,” she says, “because, during the latter half of the course, I got so many job postings for internship and co-op opportunities.”
These opportunities were abundant within the industry. “It was not in a very specific field,” Aishwarya notes. “I got it in QA, I got it in auditing, and I also got it in RA.” The broad spectrum of opportunities allowed her to explore various facets of the industry, ultimately helping her secure a position aligning with her career goals.
Aishwarya emphasizes the personalized support she received in preparing for her career. “They are very approachable at any time; they helped me prepare my resume and helped me land an RA intern position at CHS,” she says, expressing gratitude for the guidance that played a pivotal role in her transition into the professional world.
During her quality assurance training, Aishwarya had support from AAPS’s career services team.
Looking Ahead
With her internship underway, Aishwarya is now focused on her long-term goals in regulatory affairs. “My goal is to land in a good position in the RA field, which AAPS already helped me in getting an internship opportunity,” she states. The experience gained from her internship is a stepping stone toward achieving her career aspirations.
Aishwarya offers encouraging advice for students considering a similar path: “To the aspiring students, I would just say one thing—if you are starting your education or knowledge at AAPS, don’t worry, you’re at the right place for your career. I will never regret this decision, and I’m happy that I joined AAPS.”
Update: Since this interview, Aishwarya has successfully transitioned from an intern to a permanent, full-time employee at CHS as a Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance Associate!
Do you want to follow her career path? Explore our in-depth pharma QA and RA program.
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