A moment worth flying for – Udbhav Ram’s extraordinary co-op experience

How much of an impact did Udbhav Ram make during his co-op with the University of Alabama at Birmingham?

Not only did his supervisors nominate Ram for a co-op student of the year award – they flew in to present it. They caught a flight to Toronto and were outside the airport for less than 15 hours, including time to sleep, for the sole purpose of presenting the award in person.

Ram had no idea they were there. He was expecting a videotaped congratulations, while his supervisors Dr. Joel Pogue and Dr. Carlos Cardenas waited out of sight, ready to surprise him.

The supervisors Ram had always hoped would visit McMaster had travelled all that way to celebrate his achievements in person. Ram’s parents – and his biggest supporters – were also at the ceremony, immediately pulling out their phones to record the moment.

“It was an unbelievably cool feeling to see that two people who were so important to me during my time at UAB were willing to fly all the way here to support me in person. I had just texted Joel before the awards ceremony because I promised to keep him updated. And then I turned around and saw he was here at Mac,” said Ram.

Ram, fifth year Medical & Biological Physics student, was an International Visiting Scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the winner of Science Co-op Student of the Year for year 5. Because of Ram’s exceptional performance, he was also nominated for the Ontario Education Work-Integrated Learning Co-op Student of the Year competition.

During his time at UAB, Ram’s work helped advance two major research priorities within the stereotactic and adaptive radiotherapy program. He took a research project all the way through peer review to publication in a leading medical physics journal. Pogue says it’s uncommon for an undergraduate student to take ownership of a published manuscript at that level.

Ram also led a research study examining differences in how members of a clinical team identify radiation treatment areas for breast cancer therapy, completed an artificial intelligence project, and advanced major research priorities within the stereotactic and adaptive radiotherapy program.

Ram’s dedication to his work has given him access to opportunities that are rarely available to someone at his career stage. His accomplishments have received national and international visibility. Presenting two posters at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) national meeting and delivering an invited talk at the Society of Physics Students National Congress helped Ram build his confidence, giving him the opportunity to share his work with his peers while working on his presentation skills.

Being far away from home was challenging, but it didn’t take long for Ram to feel comfortable at UAB. The department, institution and the Hindu Youths for Unity Values and Actions (YUVA) club were extremely welcoming and supportive of Ram – some of his lab mates became some of his closest friends.

He was also selected as a UAB-McMaster Ambassador to support the growth of institutional partnership. As an ambassador, Ram has shared his experiences with like-minded students through talks and informal sessions with his peers in the Faculty of Science. “This encouraged more students to pursue international opportunities. By sharing my experiences with other students, I can show them what’s possible,” said Ram.

Demystifying co-op for fellow students was another one of Ram’s goals beyond his academics. When talking with his peers, Ram explained how co-op fosters global collaborations in science. Ram shared an example of how his work was cited over 18 times on Google Scholar, proving that co-op gave Ram the chance to make his mark within the broader community.

“Co-op can open all kinds of doors. It can lead to publications, conference presentations, and wide professional networks. You just have to go for it,” Ram says.

To help students get to where they want to be professionally, Ram volunteers as a co-op mentor, offering guidance on navigating the job search and overcoming common challenges. He has supported his peers in crafting standout resumes, preparing confidently for interviews and pursuing international placements.

Although Ram’s time at McMaster is coming to an end, he has big plans for the future. Ram says there’s almost an infinite number of doors open for what the next steps could be – whether it’s medical school, graduate school or straight into the workforce.

Ram’s leaving UAB and McMaster for a great appreciation of the work that goes on within radiation oncology. While he doesn’t know exactly what will happen next, one thing he does know is that he’ll be closely following in his mentor’s footsteps. “I want to be able to inspire the next generation of medical physicists – just like they did for me.”