Pharmacy Internship Elective – Student Spotlights
April 4, 2022 • Uncategorized
Internships: Innovation & Entrepreneurship I
A new internship elective offers pharmacy students a chance to explore pharmaceutical industry experience with an on-site internship. Students can gain experiential knowledge of biotech startups, incubator laboratories, pharmaceutical and industrial companies, and/or research administration.
Apply by April 8 to be considered for interviews.
Questions? Contact Rebecca Cunningham, PhD , Associate Dean for Research, HSC College of Pharmacy
Two third-year students currently in the course said the internship experience has opened their eyes to new fields and helped them better define their career paths.
Victor Amajor, Class of 2023
Describe your current internship:
I’m currently a research intern with Kinetiq Therapeutics and most of our work involves hands-on experimentation. During my time with Kinetiq, we have been working on optimizing the extraction, isolation, andpurification of proteins for potential study.
What has it meant to you to have this experience during pharmacy school?
This internship has been an opportunity for me to explore fields of research that I didn’t know pharmacists could be involved in. It’s allowed me to build a completely different set of skills that I believe will be an asset in my career path.
Has it helped you narrow your career focus and how?
It definitely has. I entered the college of pharmacy with some interest in research, but I wasn’t sure which fields would interest me. My experiences with this program and the pharmacometrics program have gotten me interested in clinical research. I hope to pursue this in the future and my mentor, Dr. Cao has been helping me develop a plan to reach that goal.
What are your career goals?
After graduation, I hope to take part in a research fellowship to gain experience and improve the skills I’ve learned so far. After that I’m hoping to pursue a career as a pharmacologist.
Joan Ekeruche, Class of 2023
Describe your current internship:
I am currently working as a market analysis intern with ENTVantage Diagnostics, a clinical stage diagnostics company that provides physicians with rapid information on the underlying cause of upper respiratory illnesses with a point-of-care test that determines if the cause of symptoms is from viral or bacterial nature and assists providers to reduce the number of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. This semester, I am focused on gathering information through physician interviews, market research, and survey analysis to determine if a market exists for a central laboratory processed sinus diagnostic assay.
What has it meant to you to have this experience during pharmacy school?
Completing this experience during pharmacy school has solidified my interest and passion for working in a pharmaceutical company. I have been able to integrate my clinical knowledge and professional skills with the aim of making a positive impact in healthcare one patient at a time. New rise of diseases means new treatment measures, and the effect cannot be seen until these new treatment measures reach the patient. The result of individualizing and advancing patient care can truly be seen when patients are not restricted access due to market barriers, and this internship has given me firsthand experience on trying to bring a new product to market and the analysis of what is involved.
What are your career goals?
My career goals include working within the pharmaceutical industry in the medical affairs department, as well as working as a consultant, much of which involves informing key leaders on drugs and devices, as well as educating health professionals on new therapeutic measures that will improve the well-being of patients and combat the health decline among the global population. I am exhilarated at the opportunity of being part of a culture that strives to provide resources and solutions to personalize health care, assist health providers with diagnosis and always put the patient first.
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