International visiting scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham the latest of many achievements for McMaster Science undergrad

Udbhav Ram likes to put his supervisors to a test that few of them pass.

Udbhav asks them to guess his age. Looking at his resume or LinkedIn profile all but guarantees they get it wrong. And they’re in serious trouble if Udbhav’s shown up for a meeting wearing a suit.

That’s because Udbhav’s far from your typical 21-year-old undergrad. The science student doesn’t graduate from McMaster’s Medical and Health Physics Program until he completes his second co-op in 2026.

He’s already jammed a career worth of experiences splitting his time between McMaster and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). “If I don’t give it my all now, I’ll forever be asking myself ‘what if’ in terms of missed opportunities.”

Since January, Udbhav’s been a full-time international visiting scholar at UAB working under the guidance of Dr. Carlos E. Cardenas. It’s a co-op placement that has him working on the clinical deployment of deep learning-based auto-segmentation 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. “It’s been incredibly cool to help fly the McMaster flag here at UAB.”

Earlier this year, McMaster and UAB signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further strengthen a growing partnership and foster further collaborations. The partnership stems 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.

Udbhav says he’s more than happy to talk with other McMaster students about his work at UAB and his role as the undergraduate ambassador.

Udbhav’s also 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.

Udbhav’s resume begs the question – how has he managed to do so much in so little time?

For Udbhav, it all starts with giving back to his parents and honouring their sacrifices. “They gave up a lot to move to Canada – a completely new country 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 feels a similar sense of obligation to past and present mentors. “The further I go, there’s more and more people pushing me to do amazing things. One the biggest inspirations comes from making all of my mentors proud.”

Those mentors have taught Udbhav a key lesson – hard work and perseverance pay off. “It’s very easy and completely natural to look at where someone is in their career and wish you were there too without recognizing the hardships and long journeys they took to get there.”

The best advice Udbhav’s received? Treat months-long 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.”

Udbhav’s best advice for other students? Don’t fear rejection. He says too many undergrads reject themselves before they’ve even applied for a co-op or asked to join a research group. “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. 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.”

One other piece of advice – don’t box yourself in. Udbhav 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. Udbhav became a high school research fellow and connected with graduate student Ben Davis-Purcell. Udbhav went to lectures, contributed to publications and presented at conferences.

But when he was asked if he knew how to build an app or if he wanted to spend a few weeks in Birmingham, Udbhav immediately accepted the invitations and dove “head first into the deep end”. He says game-changing opportunities are a combination of perseverance, sacrifice and luck.

“You have to do everything you can to tilt the odds in your favour. Especially 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. Showing your willingness to commit to something shows how far you’re willing to go. You have to do whatever you can to make those opportunities present themselves, and once they do, seize them.”

Udbhav admits his age can sometimes be an initial barrier to seizing those opportunities. “But people will remove your age from the equation when you let your work ethic and track record do the talking.”