Summer Intern Perspectives: Caitlyn Tung, AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Managed Care Summer Intern
Published in October 2021
I am so grateful for my experience as the AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Managed Care Summer Internship for Cigna. It was such an honor to meet kind, supportive, lifelong mentors through this program, and I came out of this internship with increased self-confidence and a unique skill set that complements my time in pharmacy school.
Eric Carda, my preceptor at Pfizer, is extremely knowledgeable and an excellent mentor. He not only patiently walked me through his role as a Medical Outcomes Specialist but also taught me a plethora of industry topics that I had not even heard of. He was also willing to acquaint me with whatever part of his network he felt would be helpful for my learning and career goals. Indeed, his guidance has shaped my goals and helped me focus on the functional area I plan to pursue after graduation.
My primary preceptor at Cigna, Dr. Annie Schuster, is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. It’s no wonder she is such an exceptional leader – she is humble, smart, and so willing to help, and knows everyone on her team well. I am honored to have gotten to know her and connect with the rest of her team. I helped with quality measurement tool assessments to improve adherence for members and reducing alert fatigue for providers. I composed an opioid communication newsletter for Medicare members, explaining the risks of long-term opioid use and alternatives that are covered under Medicare. I also gave a specialty pipeline report for atopic dermatitis (eczema) medications with Dr. Nicole Caffiero, which helped me improve my presentation and preparation skills. It also gave me great insight on how to digest a lot of evidence and transform it into a digestible presentation in a short amount of time.
Lastly, my capstone research project with Dr. Chris Powers was such a unique look into claims data and the impact of COVID-19. We researched the impact of COVID-19 on statin initiation in persons with diabetes and its implications for Star rating measures. I learned how to create proposals and requests for data, and how to use SAS software to create linear regression models, and I am extremely humbled by this opportunity. Dr. Powers was a joy to work with, and I learned so much from him.