Udbhav Ram likes to ask his supervisors to guess his age – and few, if any, get it right.

His LinkedIn profile is no help. At only 21, Ram already has a career worth of experiences jammed in there.

“If I don’t give it my all now, I’ll forever be asking myself ‘what if’ in terms of missed opportunities,” says Ram, a McMaster undergraduate in Medical and Health Physics, and full-time international visiting scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Since January, he’s been working at UAB under the guidance of Professor Carlos E. Cardenas. The co-op placement has him working on the clinical deployment of deep learning-based systems and developing software for radiotherapy quality assurance.

Before that, he was a research assistant in UAB’s department of Radiation Oncology, doing radiomics research and three-dimensional segmentation of CT images with colleagues from Stanford University.

McMaster and UAB’s partnership continues to grow, stemming from a $32-million donation in 2022 from Marnix Heersink, an Alabama physician and entrepreneur, to boost McMaster University’s role as a hub for biomedical innovation, entrepreneurship and global health.

Ram looks forward to talking with other McMaster students about his work at UAB.

“It’s been incredibly cool to help fly the McMaster flag here at UAB,” he says.

That flag has flown in a lot of places, thanks to Ram: He previously interned with McLaren Racing, working with the team’s data and strategy division. He’s served as an ambassador with the Journal of Science Policy & Governance.

He’s been a research assistant in the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology at McMaster, a member of MAC Formula Electric, a clinical research fellow at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and built deep learning models as a research assistant at Western University.

He’s also worked as a full stack engineer with Syth-Med Biotechnology and a DevOps Technical Lead with WaaW Global Inc.

It’s no wonder people guess his age wrong – Ram is 21. He expects to finish his degree in 2026, once all his co-ops are complete.

Make them proud

How has he accomplished so much at such a young age?

Ram talks about honouring his parents, who gave up a lot to move to Canada, where they had to learn a whole new language and way of life.

“My parents did all of that to put me in a truly fortunate position where I don’t have to worry about the basic necessities and can focus instead on opportunities,” he says.

And then there are his mentors: The further he goes, the more people are encouraging him to do amazing things. “One the biggest inspirations comes from making all of my mentors proud.”

Those mentors have taught Ram a lot, including the importance of hard work and perseverance.

They also gave him some great advice: Treat co-ops and internships like extended job interviews.

“It’s so important to make a great impression and exceed expectations. Your willingness to learn, the way you collaborate with a colleague, your professionalism and how you communicate are all things that people subconsciously take note of.”

So what’s Ram’s advice for other students? Don’t fear rejection.

Too many undergrads reject themselves before they’ve even applied for a co-op or asked to join a research group, he says.

“They think they don’t have research experience or strong enough grades or good references so what’s the point in applying. That mindset kills things from the outset,” he says.

“Break through that fear of rejection. Don’t be scared to follow up if you get an initial ‘no’ or ‘not now’. It’s always important to keep following up and making sure that when opportunities do arise, you’ll be top of mind.”

Take every opportunity

It’s also wise not to box yourself in. Ram had originally set his sights on doing clinical research in a wet lab. He went to a Hamilton high school that offered a research fellowship program in collaboration with McMaster. Ram became a high school research fellow and connected with graduate student Ben Davis-Purcell. Ram went to lectures, contributed to publications and presented at conferences.

But when he was offered the chance to spend a few weeks in Birmingham, Ram immediately accepted and dove “head first into the deep end”.

At the undergraduate level, “it’s all about getting your foot in the door – that first publication, that first conference, that first competition, that first co-op and internship,” he says.

“You have to do whatever you can to make those opportunities present themselves, and once they do, seize them.”

Sometimes, his youth can get in the way of those opportunities. “But people will remove your age from the equation when you let your work ethic and track record do the talking.”