2022 Student Fellowship Spotlights
As the end of the school year is approaching, the class of 2022 is looking towards their life post-grad. One path that students at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy follow is a fellowship after their last year in school. The application process is rigorous and it is a great accomplishment. Here we have spotlighted some of the amazing students who have been placed in a fellowship.
"It is a privilege to chair the RF prep committee now in its 10th year. The goal of the program is to pair students with mentors consisting of both faculty, clinical partners, and alumni to provide students guidance for completing the application process. We are thrilled that our students have been placed with excellent fellowships for the coming year," said Amy K. Kennedy, PharmD, BCACP, Associate Professor & Assistant Department Head, Pharmacy Practice & Science, Chair, Residency-Fellowship Preparation Program.
Hannah Muasher
Where is your fellowship?
I have accepted a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Oncology and Rare Disease Marketing with Blueprint Medicines in conjunction with Northeastern University in the greater Boston area.
What sort of work will you be doing?
As an incoming marketing fellow, my work will be focused on marketing strategy and tactical execution on one of Blueprint’s brand teams. With Blueprint’s ongoing global expansion and FDA approval across various indications of their precision therapies, there is a lot of opportunity for exciting work this upcoming year. The value of a PharmD in this role is to bridge clinical understanding of the disease state and the product at hand with tactical approaches through an innovative lens in order to deliver key messaging to the right target audiences. This will translate into key workstreams such as executing promotional materials, coordinating elements of marketing operations and market research, as well as cross-functional collaboration. The ultimate goal is to execute message delivery to patients and healthcare providers by communicating the value of our product and its positive impact on patient health outcomes. In addition to the work at the sponsor company, the Northeastern University component of the fellowship includes facilitating didactic education, engaging with faculty, as well as broadening my network with other Northeastern fellows through professional development programs, teaching seminars, and fellowship committees.
How did the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy prepare you for this opportunity?
The addition of the Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) as a local chapter at the University of Arizona has opened up many doors for opportunities to expand my interest in the industry. I joined IPhO’s VIP Case Competition where I was able to build a foundational understanding of the marketing functional area. Additionally, I joined the Residency-Fellowship Program organized by Dr. Kennedy where I worked with two incredible mentors that walked me through the fellowship process. The college has provided me with the opportunity to expand my extracurriculars through leadership in multiple organizations, quality improvement, and senior research projects, and unique fourth-year APPE rotations that helped set me apart in interviews.
What advice would you give to other students preparing to apply for fellowships?
The most valuable advice I would give to students interested in applying to fellowships would be to embrace your curiosity throughout your experiences and invest your time in opportunities that will help you develop your brand. Advocate for yourself and actively look for resources that will help set you apart. As someone who did not learn about industry internship opportunities early on, I had to set myself up for success through alternative avenues by being an active and eager learner. Utilize your network to your advantage. Maximize your opportunities during APPE rotations such as developing your presentation skills and leading projects that would be translatable during interviews. Landing a fellowship is possible as long as you have the drive and willingness to put in the work.
How do you feel this fellowship will contribute to your future successes?
This fellowship will provide me the opportunity to develop invaluable experiences that will best prepare me for a career in the industry with a focus on marketing. Working at a smaller yet rapidly growing biotechnology company will allow for more visibility in the company as well as an enhanced learning experience in this commercial role while surrounded by intelligent and like-minded professionals. I strive to develop unique skill sets throughout this fellowship to best set me up for a rewarding career. I am incredibly excited to begin this next chapter in Boston and join the Northeastern Fellowship Program!
Chloe Grace
Where is your fellowship?
My fellowship is a two-year program. The first year will be spent at UIC in Chicago pursuing an MS degree. The second-year will be spent in Manhattan working at Pfizer.
What sort of work will you be doing?
I will be pursuing an MS degree with the college of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy, and at Pfizer, I will be working within the health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) group in breast cancer therapeutics. HEOR can be thought of as a niche in data science. The work includes designing and executing studies that gather and utilize real-world data. For example, this might be a retrospective study of a medication using real-world data obtained from patient medical records or implementing patient-reported outcomes measures in a clinical trial. HEOR also focuses on the ‘value’ that medicines have, and helps translate that to information that is usable by payers so that medications can actually reach (and therefore benefit) patients.
How did the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy prepare you for this opportunity?
During my PharmD training, I met my elective course requirements through independent study with a professor in the COP (shoutout to Dr. Karnes and the Karnes Lab). This was a wonderful opportunity to see another side of pharmacy, and research, that we are not traditionally exposed to in the core curriculum. Not only did I discover that I really enjoy research and data science, but the research projects I was involved with were instrumental in securing a fellowship.
What advice would you give to other students preparing to apply for fellowships?
Start researching industry functional areas as soon as possible if you think it is something you might be interested in - Utilize UofA alumni and IPhO to learn more! If you are able to obtain industry-specific opportunities like an internship or APPE rotation, that is great, but don’t feel like it is a requirement! Fellowship recruiters want to know that you have a solid understanding of your functional area of choice and that you have translatable skills (soft skills, communication, presentation skills, etc) - which can be developed anywhere! Try and create opportunities for yourself that relate to your area of interest. If you want to pursue research, get involved with faculty research. If you are interested in medical affairs/info, put yourself out there with projects and presentations.
How do you feel this fellowship will contribute to your future successes?
The pharmaceutical industry is characteristically tough to break into. Fellowships offer a great way for PharmDs to get their foot in the door, learn additional skills, and gain experience with a company. HEOR is a research-heavy functional area, and it was important to me that I furthered my education traditionally (with a graduate degree), and experientially (with Pfizer). A fellowship allows me to accomplish both.
Sarah Tanveer
Where is your fellowship?
Horizon Therapeutics in conjunction with Rosalind Franklin University in the greater Chicago area
What sort of work will you be doing?
As part of a global medical affairs fellowship, I will be rotating in different areas of medical affairs. These areas include medical information, health economics outcomes research, field medical and medical affairs operations, global medical publications, medical education, and external research. I will participate in the development of medical strategies for the company’s products and I will assist in the development of medical content for congresses, symposia, and advisory boards. I will also be participating in a teaching certificate program, where I will have the opportunity to participate in didactic teaching, small and large group recitations, pharmacy laboratory skills facilitation, and introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiential teaching.
How did the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy prepare you for this opportunity?
I signed up for the residency-fellowship program and was paired up with an incredible mentor that guided me throughout the fellowship application process including CV and cover letter tips, interview prep, and so much more. Extracurricular opportunities made available to me by U of A such as IPhO, AMCP, NASP, Kappa Psi, and NCPA also allowed me to develop skill sets that are transferrable to the industry. I leveraged these talking points during situational-type questions that were asked in interviews.
What advice would you give to other students applying to fellowships?
Start your fellowship application process EARLY. This means utilizing the summer months before P4 to reach out to current fellows to expand your network and broaden your understanding of the industry. Remember that interviewing is a two-way process and do not be afraid to let your personality shine through interviews. Have faith in the process and remember that fellowship is not the end all be all!
How do you feel this fellowship will contribute to your future success?
I believe this comprehensive fellowship will set up a solid foundation to launch a meaningful career in the pharmaceutical industry. Through exposure to different realms of medical affairs and networking opportunities available through the partnering university Rosalind Franklin, I believe I will be able to become a competent professional within medical affairs.
Patrick Maloney
Where is your fellowship?
My fellowship is at RevHealth in Morristown, New Jersey. RevHealth is a pharmaceutical marketing agency with a wide variety of clients, including some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies.
What sort of work will you be doing?
I will be creating educational material and promotional content for healthcare providers and patients. I will also get the opportunity to work directly with clients to analyze their products and develop marketing strategies. In addition to working at RevHealth, I will be a teaching assistant for the pharmaceutical marketing course at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University.
How did the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy prepare you for this opportunity?
The college has made many connections within different areas of pharmacy which allowed me to explore the profession through APPE rotations. After my rotation at RevHealth, I realized I wanted to work in the industry. To achieve that goal, I decided to pursue fellowship opportunities. The faculty at the college were immensely supportive and prepared me for the application process. Dr. Kennedy was my advisor in the RF Prep program, and I could not have done it without her guidance.
What advice would you give to other students preparing to apply for fellowships?
Get as many industry APPE rotations as you can at the beginning of your rotation schedule. Additionally, send your applications in EARLY. You’ll hear that a million times, but many programs select fellows far ahead of the application deadline.
How do you feel this fellowship will contribute to your future successes?
This fellowship will help me incorporate my clinical education into content creation that can reach thousands of patients and practitioners. The opportunity to work in a variety of different departments with cross-functional teams will be an invaluable professional experience.
Tim O’Neill
Where is your fellowship?
Alexion Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts, in conjunction with Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS).
What sort of work will you be doing?
Global Medical Communications/Medical Affairs. This includes helping prescribers answer drug information questions, reviewing publications and marketing material for clinical accuracy, and assisting medical affairs staff with conferences and prescriber outreach.
How did the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy prepare you for this opportunity?
The College allowed me to form the Industry Pharmacists Organization and provided me with a list of alumni that have entered the pharmaceutical industry. This built the network that allowed me to be informed about this career pathway, while my education built a strong foundation in literature analysis and presentation skills that will allow me to succeed in this path.
What advice would you give to other students preparing to apply for fellowships?
Speak to people that are in the path you are pursuing. Their journey will inform yours, and maybe if it’s a path you want to take in the first place. Then be as prepared as possible for a very early application cycle.
How do you feel this fellowship will contribute to your future successes?
My two-year fellowship will give me exposure to at least 3 main jobs within medical affairs and also give me exposure to people working in many other areas. This network and the skills I learn will allow me to be able to choose my next steps in a full time industry career, which I would not be able to do without getting in at this level.
Mentors
Amanda Klein and Michele Ciambella served as mentors for these students. They have played a crucial role in assisting these students through the application process.
“As a University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy alumnus and preceptor, it is rewarding to see UA pharmacy students interested in pursuing careers in drug development. Pharmacists are uniquely educated to excel in various opportunities in the biopharmaceutical industry. As the interim Executive Director of the Transplant Therapeutics Consortium at the Critical Path Institute, my rotation allows students to become immersed in projects and education, stretching from research to regulatory interactions. These experiences can help propel students into broader professional pathways with the opportunity to improve the lives of patients globally."
- Amanda Klein, PharmD, CDCES, Interim Executive Director, Transplant Therapeutics Consortium (TTC)
"I was honored to mentor such driven and intelligent students through their fellowship application process. Fellowships are highly competitive and the application process is much different than applying for residencies. All the students were engaged, willing to learn, and made the most of all the guidance and resources I could provide them. Being such a competitive environment, I am impressed and proud to see this many students be so successful. Fellowships can easily have over 100 applicants for just one position, so for these students to get one, especially being from a state with little to no industry presence, is a big deal and they should feel very proud of themselves. I look forward to seeing all of the amazing things these students will accomplish in the pharmaceutical industry. I’m also hopeful that as more students learn about opportunities in the industry, we can all continue to support each other and grow the UofA COP’s presence in the industry."
-Michelle Ciambella, PharmD, RPh Global Medical Affairs and Global Medical Communications Fellow
Story by: Gracie Lordi