Summer Intern Perspectives: Anna Li, the AMCP Foundation/AbbVie, Inc. Specialized Summer Intern
Published October 2021
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the AMCP Foundation/AbbVie, Inc. Specialized Summer Internship in Health Outcomes, where I spent ten weeks learning and working as part of the Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) team at AbbVie. From numerous opportunities to engage with members from both AbbVie and AMCP to real-world exposure to ongoing HEOR projects, I was able to experience firsthand what it is like in an industry setting from a HEOR perspective.
Besides invaluable informational interviews with professionals across different functional areas within AbbVie, I assisted in projects and learned how they fit into the value story of a product to make a real-world impact for patients. In addition to these daily projects, I also got the opportunity to explore economic modeling and claims data analysis software through foundational certification programs at hero3 and IHD. One of the most memorable aspects of my time at AbbVie was working on a capstone research project, which entailed a systematic literature review on the clinical and economic outcomes of recurrent ventral and incisional hernia repairs. Completing my capstone project from the beginning and presenting the results as a poster at AMCP Nexus 2021 is an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening experience.
The additional support and opportunities provided by AMCP Foundation were an integral part of what made this experience so fulfilling as it was. By providing a network that connected all of the AMCP Foundation interns and professionals involved through journal clubs and virtual happy hours, we were able to connect with the managed care world as a whole as well. From guidance through a managed care mentor and a foundational training course in managed care pharmacy, AMCP Foundation greatly enhanced my internship experience beyond simply industry.
Thank you so much to Sandhya Shimoga, Vaishali Patel, and Julie Garcia for guiding me through this experience, whether through insightful advice or involving me in different projects to broaden my exposure to the HEOR world at AbbVie. Thank you, Elizabeth Sampsel, for providing such in-depth learning experiences about managed care and encouraging my growth in this area. I would also like to thank Ebony Clay and Sara Higa for facilitating this unparalleled learning experience, especially in the more challenging remote setting.