Intern Perspectives: Raquel Erb, AMCP Foundation/Sanofi Internship in Specialty Care

This summer I had the amazing opportunity to complete the AMCP Foundation/Sanofi, Inc. Specialty Care internship. As a 3rd year pharmacy student with prior managed care experience in Medicare Quality, I was eager to gain hands-on experience in the world of specialty pharmacy. Over the past few months, I have been immersed in impactful projects and collaborated with top-notch mentors, growing both professionally and personally.

One of the highlights was working alongside Anna Bruckelmeyer, PharmD, BCPS, a Clinical Team Lead at Blue Cross NC. Seeing firsthand how her team implements pharmacy policy gave me valuable insights into the intricacies of specialty care. I also had the privilege of working with Manny Nunez, PharmD, MS, Global Medical Director for Neurology & Immunology at Sanofi. Learning about the structure of the specialty care team at Sanofi and meeting with industry experts expanded my understanding of the pharmaceutical landscape. Additionally, I was fortunate to have mentors from AMCP including Charlene Dohanh, PharmD and Michelle Rice, who brought unique perspectives from different areas of pharmacy and healthcare relating to my capstone project.

My internship was enriched by the variety of projects I contributed to. A significant part of my role centered around a capstone focused on summarizing the clinical and economic impacts of a quantity limit for hemophilia factor products. I'll be presenting this work at AMCP Nexus 2023, which is an exciting opportunity to share what I've learned. I also collaborated with other Blue Cross NC pharmacy interns on an initiative examining health equity and social determinants of health which expanded my understanding of how healthcare intersects with social factors. Within the specialty team, I learned about various specialty initiatives like medical edits, split fills, and the hemophilia network which gave me a comprehensive view of the many moving parts within healthcare.

In closing, this internship provided invaluable growth and learning opportunities. I expanded my network by connecting with experts and peers, honed my presentation skills through meetings and conferences, gained insights into research and study design, and developed skills for success in a virtual corporate setting. As I look ahead in my career, I am thankful for this internship opportunity and the guidance of my mentors. I am eager to continue building on these experiences and make a difference in specialty care and healthcare overall.

In addition to my primary preceptors, I would like to say a special thank you to Ebony Clay, Paula Eichenbenner, Elene Wogedersgne and I would like to thank my intern class, the AMCP Foundation, and Sanofi for giving me the opportunity to take part in this program.

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