Summer Intern Perspectives: Samantha Zakhem AMCP/Pfizer Inc. Summer Intern

My internship over the summer of 2023 was a great opportunity for me and I got to experience a lot of the managed care side of pharmacy. While I was in the internship, I got to firsthand experience reviewing prior authorizations, doing new drug review presentations, presenting on new drug topics and working on my capstone on CGRPs throughout it all. I had such an immersive experience and learned a lot of new skills that will be applicable to me in the real world, once I get a job in industry or managed care. I strengthen my communication skills, my presentation skills as well as my time management skills. Being a virtual setting was challenging at times, but I managed to make the best of it and learn as much as I could. I got to attend the Excellus BCBS Offsite in Rochester, NY over the course of the internship which was such a unique and amazing opportunity to meet everyone that I am working with in-person and getting to explore a new city. In addition, I also enjoyed interacting with the other interns and getting to work together and attending many meetings from various pharmacists at Pfizer to learn what they do. I could not have done this internship and capstone project without the help of Chris Diehl PharmD, MBA, BCACP for being my Excellus BCBS preceptor; Kevin Lynch, BS Pharm, PharmD, BCPS, MS, MBA and Tom Heard, BS Pharm, PharmD, BCGP as my Pfizer preceptors; as well as Justin Bender, BS and Bailey Wolanski as being the data analyst for my CGRP capstone project. I will be presenting my CGRP capstone project on the Total Cost of Care with CGRPs at the 2023 AMCP Nexus conference in Orlando, Florida this October and I am looking forward to it.

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