Intern Alumna Spotlight: Mancia Ko, PharmD, MBA
Originally published in the August 2021 AMCP Foundation Insights e-newsletter.
Since AMCP Foundation’s founding in 1990, over 200 student pharmacists have taken part in our summer internships. We're pleased to highlight our intern alumni in this reoccurring feature.
Name: Mancia Ko, PharmD, MBA
Current Title: Senior Director Medical Affairs, BioDelivery Sciences International
Internship Program: AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Managed Care Summer Internship
Internship Site: Ochsner Health
Year: 1998
What is your role today and your responsibilities?
I am a seasoned medical affairs leader with keen ability to set strategic direction and to build high performance cross-functional teams to drive broader understanding of disease, advanced therapeutics, health concern, vulnerable population, and engaging thought leaders and researchers in clinical research and data generation. Through real-world evidence and population health management, clinicians are better positioned to make evidence-driven and informed decisions to optimize patient-centric outcomes.
What types of managed care practices do you use in your work?
Business acumen and broad perspectives of the health care industry are key to negotiate with multitude of leadership and key stakeholders from clinical and non-clinical backgrounds. In discussion with leaders in their field of expertise (executives, financial analysts, medical chiefs, etc.), I bring forth clinical expertise, valuable insights, and prior experiences (e.g., medication utilization, market access, reimbursement, pricing, population health management, clinical quality improvements, health economics, public policy), and speak their languages that resonate with their key priorities to propel ideas and plans.
How did the AMCP Foundation internship prepare you for your career?
The internship experience has prepared me to think broadly and strategically. The cluster of skills have been enormously valuable in the everchanging, complex and intricate health care system. I often picture pharmacy careers as a complex interconnected rail network. The skills and scientific knowledge have a broad scope at different settings, institutions and organizations. Thus, I strongly recommend the AMCP Foundation Internship Program.
What advice do you have for pharmacy students?
Explore, experience, dream, and discover. Do it over and over again in your professional and personal life.
What was your experience working on your Capstone research project?
Extremely valuable and pertinent to one’s career even after all these years. The Capstone research project has given me the fundamental principles, intimate professional interactions, best practices and precious lessons that I would otherwise not have had experienced.