Summer Intern Perspectives: Irene Chung, Pfizer, Inc. Managed Care Research and Nonprofit Leadership Intern
Published in Oct. 2020
It’s truly an exceptional honor to serve as the 2020 AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Managed Care Research and Nonprofit Leadership Summer Intern. I feel extremely blessed and thankful for this opportunity to learn and grow. I do not know where to start because there are just so many positive things to talk about!
From the knowledge I have gained to the people I have met, this internship provided so much that it is hard to describe in a single article. The overwhelming amount of support I received almost moved me to tears. Rather than feeling like an intern who was going to stay for a summer and leave, I felt as though I was a part of a family. I felt acknowledged for being myself and was always encouraged to do so. That was very dear to my heart. I believe that it is one thing to deliver the work and perform in a job, and another to be united in team spirit and be part of a larger whole. This amazing internship and the wonderful working environment helped develop my confidence and leadership skills that I know I will keep forever to guide me in my future journey.
I had so many opportunities to learn about managed care and the pharmaceutical industry, engage in research projects, and meet different professionals who gave valuable advice and support. I attended learning sessions hosted by Pfizer on topics including motivational interviewing, RWE, and oncology R&D. Additionally, for my capstone research project, my team and I developed a survey to expand upon the findings on biosimilars’ barriers and strategies to overcome them, from a similar survey done by AMCP and PRIME Education in 2018. I have also worked with Phil Schneider internally to develop a survey assessing AMCP Foundation’s partnerships and to gain insights on the partners’ focus on research and future collaborations. Additionally, I am working with Dr. Cate Lockhart and Dr. Cara McDermott from BBCIC to complete a scoping review on patient-reported outcomes in diabetes to guide future research.
This amazing internship and the wonderful working environment helped develop my confidence and leadership skills that I know I will keep forever to guide me in my future journey.
The amount of support, knowledge, and real-world experience I have gained is truly invaluable and allowed me to grow both professionally and personally. Special shoutout to all my preceptors: Dr. Annesha White, Dr. John Spain, Paula Eichenbrenner, and Kenneth Garcia!
Dr. White, you always gave me words of support and inspiration and made sure I understood the world of managed care and tailored your teachings to my interests.
Dr. Spain, you always made sure I understood the bigger picture in both my projects and career goals and made sure to address any concerns I had and shared your enlightening wisdom on leadership.
Paula, you met with me almost daily to make sure I was getting the best internship experience I possibly could and gave me so many golden opportunities to grow both as a leader and in knowledge.
Kenneth, you shared your experiences as a managed care resident and provided insightful advice on pursuing a career in managed care and encouraged me.
They were so supportive throughout my experience and will forever be mentors who I look up to in my heart. I also want to thank everyone on the AMCP Foundation team—Ebony Clay, Phil Schneider, and Shyra Bias—for cheering me on and always lending a kind hand. Lastly, I want to thank all the professionals who took time out of their busy schedules to meet with me and imparted their wisdom. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
To all the pharmacy students who are considering this internship, please apply! You won’t regret it at all. It’ll be one of the best choices you make in your life.