Swissmedic Annual Report 2017: achieving success through collaboration

14
Swissmedic promotes
young talent
As an expert organisation, Swissmedic is not just an attractive
employer for experienced specialists, it also invests in
the development and training of young talent or career
entrants in the various task areas covered by the Agency.
Thus, for example, several laboratory technicians are
trai ned each year in Swissmedic’s laboratory (OMCL). The
Agency also offers internships for university graduates. As
representatives of all the young people who took their first
steps in professional life at Swissmedic, two lawyers and
university interns in the Legal Service report below on the
experiences and benefits that they have acquired for their
future career.
A university internship in the Legal
Service – Two interns report
For most students, working life starts after they have obtained
their degree. Professional life often starts with an
internship. This is the case for most lawyers who, after
studying for around five years, often look for a job in their
chosen profession for the first time.
The advantages of an internship at Swissmedic stem from
the subject matter and the structure of the organisation.
The subject matter of the internship is a combination of
criminal law, administrative law, therapeutic products legislation
and science. This interdisciplinarity makes an internship
extremely challenging, but also interesting. The cases
and the individuals concerned are all different, and when
embarking on an investigation, it is often not possible to
predict how it will end. The ability to work independently
and good communication skills are essential. Interns can
also benefit from the multilingualism within Swissmedic.
The training interns receive in the Penal Division is a good
grounding for a subsequent legal internship, and a move to
a law office is often the next step. In certain cantons, the
internship at Swissmedic is also credited. Thus, for example,
lawyers who now work in a wide variety of jobs, including
prosecutors, investigators-in-charge, employees at Swissmedic
and other federal agencies, completed a university
internship at Swissmedic. An internship in the Penal Division
of Swissmedic opens many doors and prospects for a future
professional career.
Swissmedic offers graduates from a law faculty the opportunity
to complete an internship in the Penal Division.
During the 6-12-month internship, they worked hand in
hand with the eight investigators-in-charge. They gained
an insight into the various tasks of an investigator-in-charge
and assisted them with various cases.
Every case starts with studying the files and various searches,
including internet research, obtaining information from
other authorities or sharing information with internal specialist
departments. An intern generally has access to the
same information as the investigators-in-charge, and they
also take part in all meetings. Working with the relevant investigator-in-charge,
the interns acquire an initial overview
of the case and initiate the next steps. These often involve
house searches and hearings, in which the graduates also
take an active part. The working days, which can sometimes
last as long as 15 hours, are full of exciting, unpredictable
events and offer the interns a chance to put theory
into practice. Working with the cantonal police authorities
invariably leaves a lasting impression and is highly instructive.
These are experiences and exploits that will remain
in the memory of the young lawyers long after they have
completed their internship.