Navigating Pharmacy Internships for Undergraduates: A Comprehensive Guide

For undergraduate students aspiring to a career in pharmacy, internships offer a vital bridge between academic knowledge and practical application. They provide invaluable real-world experience, networking opportunities, and a clearer understanding of the diverse career paths within the pharmaceutical field. This article will guide you through the landscape of pharmacy internships, covering everything from preparation and application to making the most of your internship experience.

Why Pursue a Pharmacy Internship?

Pharmacy internships are wonderful opportunities for pharmacy students. Not only are you able to distinguish yourself from other students, but you can begin to understand the array of exciting and diverse career paths within pharmacy.

Many pharmaceutical companies often offer a 10- to 12-week summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate students. During this program, interns have an opportunity to work with dedicated mentors from the company on real-world industrial problems related to drug discovery and development as well as to participate in other training activities organized by the internship program office. Depending on the particular project and student performance, interns should be able to accomplish one or more short scientific projects. Some interns may be able to present the results of their work in the form of scientific papers or conference talks or even land a job through the training. This short-term working experience in pharmaceutical companies will help students better understand the pharmaceutical industry, learn the process of drug discovery and development, and build a strong network with experts and fellows in the pharmaceutical field, which can positively contribute to future career development. Thus, it is of extreme importance to make full use of this rare opportunity to explore the pharmaceutical field, to nurture yourself, and to prepare for a career after school.

Students have to choose between industry and academia at the end of their formal education. One great opportunity to assess their ability in industry is to intern in a company during their academic training.

For prospective pharmacy students, hands-on clinical experience and shadowing current pharmacists will be both helpful and eye-opening.

Read also: Explore Pharmacy Studies at UCF

Preparing for Your Internship Search

Start Early

You need to start looking for internship postings and consulting seniors as early as possible. Submissions of internship applications usually start in December, and an offer is typically issued in March of the next year (the dates vary widely among companies). If you are enrolled in a Master of Science (MS) program and planning to intern in the first summer, you should start preparing right after orientation. Early preparation not only gives you more opportunities to find a suitable position, but also lends you a much longer time to prepare your basic skills. The earlier you start your internship search, the more time you have to ask coordinators questions and receive responses before submitting applications.

Develop Relevant Skills

If you start searching before December, you may not see job postings for the next year, but you would see those from the last year, which could guide you in skill preparation. Often the postings list basic requirements and preferred skillsets. Those do not change significantly from year to year. For example, cheminformatics-related programs may expect you to have some experience with particular software and tools (e.g., Pipeline Pilot and Spotfire), while bioinformatics-related programs may expect you to know a bit about public databases (e.g., Gene Expression Omnibus [GEO]) and sequence processing tools and pipelines. These skills can be extended through the courses you are/will be taking or through online programs. You do not need to be an expert, but broader experience is always a plus.

Networking: Leverage Your Connections

Other than making your profile perfectly match the job description, you can try networking, which is sometimes very helpful in getting an interview. As a new student with no connection to industry, what should you do? The best person to consult is your advisor, who knows you best and has many more connections. Many companies would send the job posting to your advisor and also contact your advisor before they made a decision to hire you. Therefore, do make a good impression on your advisor and tell him/her ahead of time that you would like to apply for an internship. The seniors in your group or school are another valuable resource. Ask them (especially those who have interned before) if they know of any openings anywhere or know anybody who could forward your resume to your dream company. Another possible way to get an internship would be to contact company scientists directly if you know their work and it is in an area of your interest or expertise. They may be able to work through the internship office if they see a fit. Follow-up with professors who mention their research or something you would want to participate in. Remember, even if you can’t join their lab or help with their project, they might be able to direct you to another opportunity. It never hurts to ask!

The Application Process

Tailor Your Resume and Cover Letter

Interviewers often get a pile of resumes for one position, but only a few of them will be selected for an interview. Except for those resumes coming from prestigious schools or labs, most other resumes, particularly from fresh graduate students, do not have much to distinguish them. In that case, how do you make yours stand out?

Understand Deadlines and Requirements

Different pharmacy internships have different deadlines and requirements. Some internships have a certain year or major they’re looking for. If you’re confused, give them a call! For internships that allow hands-on clinical experience or shadowing, you have to complete health forms, and filling them out incorrectly can delay the process. Additionally, with rolling admissions, applications are reviewed as they come in, which means your chances of acceptance are higher when you apply early! For example, NYU’s Health Career Opportunity Program deadline was amidst finals week, and although a letter of recommendation letter was not required, it was viewed favorably. By starting the process early, I was able to give professors and supervisors the time they needed to write me strong letters of recommendation.

Seek Feedback

Ask for help reviewing. Politely ask more experienced peers or mentors to look over your cover letters, resume, or CV-and don’t forget to thank them!

The Interview

Prepare Thoroughly

An interview can be conducted any time after you submit your application. You may have two interviews for a program and often may have one week or more for preparing an interview. The manager or mentor usually conducts the first interview by phone, followed by another phone interview from human resources (HR) if the manager or mentor approves. Therefore, impressing the manager or mentor is key. In addition to being familiar with all the job requirements and each point in your curriculum vitae (CV), knowing your interviewer's background in advance can be very helpful.

Show Enthusiasm and Ask Questions

The phone interview is a great chance to learn more about the position and show your interest, curiosity, and excitement about the internship opportunity. Don't be afraid to discuss the projects you will be working on, the sources you may use, or any questions that will demonstrate your interest.

Maximizing Your Internship Experience

Congratulations if you get an offer, but keep in mind that three months is a really short time, especially if you want to accomplish an impressive project, so be sure to prepare in advance before you start.

Set Clear Expectations

As per the advice of my former pharmacy supervisor, students that start an internship with realistic expectations are the ones that have the best experiences. It’s okay to enter an experience with high hopes, but remember that as a student you are not yet a licensed professional, so you are limited in the role you are legally and ethically allowed to play. Depending on the internship, you’ll likely learn how to keep things running smoothly, be able to sit in on department conferences, and/or make the rounds. Remember, never be afraid to ask questions and always ask for feedback.

Plan Your Project

You should take one project first and focus on it. Your mentor may already have a detailed proposal or may only have a general idea. Whatever the situation is, at the beginning you have to sit down with your mentor to discuss your expectations of each other and your objectives and then come out with a practical way to achieve them. If you are not able to come out with a concrete plan immediately, literature review is a helpful way to start. Sometimes, you may want to propose an alternative plan if you can foresee some potential problems.

Time Management

A 12-week program can be divided into three phases: 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks would be taken up by the orientation, group introduction, training, and project planning. In the 9th or 10th week, you would start wrapping up your work, and in the following week, a poster session would be kicked off, so you basically only have about 6 weeks to devote to your work. Thus, you have to make a clear timeline at the beginning and note every day what you will do and what you have done so that your work is kept on track. It is suggested that you have a weekly meeting with your mentor and coworkers to discuss your progress and address any problems right away.

Embrace Teamwork and Communication

Industry greatly values teamwork. Other than your mentor, there may be other colleagues involved in your project, so be ready to communicate with them. Since you basically only have 6 weeks or so to devote to your project, don't waste your time working on something that has been done already. Particularly, at the beginning you need many sources to jumpstart your project. Don't be afraid that you will look stupid by asking basic questions. Your goal is to understand the field and project better, work with your teammates to move forward more productively, and enjoy the progress of learning in the meantime. In big companies, collaboration between diverse groups happens quite often. Many companies even hold regular social events so that scientists from different backgrounds can mingle. Take advantage of these opportunities to talk about your work with others. As many of them don't know your work, being confident will help convince your audience to listen to your work and appreciate it. Some work-for example, developing a tool for analyzing microarray data-may not seem particularly novel to computational biologists, but for many bench biologists, this tool could save time significantly. Timely feedback may not only inspire your work, but may also help establish potential collaboration. Finally, a poster session offered at the end of the internship can be a good place to “sell” your project.

Engage in Learning Opportunities

Journal club, seminars, team meetings, intern training sessions, and many other activities organized by the education office provide opportunities to learn about the company and the process of drug discovery and development. Many companies organize a session in the middle of the summer to introduce the company and hold a social event to help interns communicate with company leaders and management teams. The group or department also has regular meetings that allow you to learn about the work of your colleagues. In addition, an internal e-source is extremely valuable in nurturing yourself. Many companies have their own internal wiki or SharePoint sites, from which you can learn about group projects without bothering your colleagues. You can even participate in drug discovery training for free through their e-learning sources. Other than communicating with your mentor and coworkers, you should also be active in engaging with other colleagues, either at the lunch table or during casual talk. It is encouraged to make an appointment with other colleagues individually. Just simply say hi to them and inquire whether they have some time to have a chat. Despite the busy schedules of your colleagues, they often would be very happy to find some time for you in order to learn more about you, discuss their projects, and share their working experience. If you are living with other intern fellows, don't miss that social time either. Otherwise, try to find someone, talk with him or her, and share your experience.

Document Your Work

You will find that time is flying fast, and soon you have to wrap your work up. Due to the short-term working period, it may happen that you could not finish the project as planned, but you need to document your work in an accessible manner so that your colleagues can continue the work without much effort. Be sure to store the data, analysis, documents, and code as specified several days before leaving so that your colleagues have enough time to look at your work and ask you questions face-to-face. Some groups have a source code version control tool; be sure to test it a few times before you leave. If you think the work is publishable, be sure to talk with your mentor in advance and discuss the work that needs to be done before you leave.

After the Internship

Maintain Connections

Finishing the internship does not mean the end. In addition to working on a manuscript, you may need to work with your colleagues. By this point, your professional network should be established. If you are interested in working in industry, definitely let them know that you are looking for opportunities. Some interns may land a job after the internship or benefit from the internship during their job hunting.

Examples of Internship Programs

Vertex Summer Intern Program: The Vertex Summer Intern Program offers students the opportunity to learn about the pharmaceutical industry through a hands-on experience as well as mentoring and coaching from Vertex managers. As a part of the Vertex Summer Intern Program, you will be working closely with and learning from some of the brightest people in the industry. Students can expect to be challenged by their summer project plan, connect with other interns, and feel valued by the Vertex community. Recruitment process kick-off in October, interviews conducted November - March, internship begins in May/June and concludes in August.
Michigan Medicine Department of Pharmacy Services Internship Program: The mission of the Michigan Medicine Department of Pharmacy Services Internship Program is to prepare pharmacy interns to become leaders in health-system pharmacy practice. Interns will be challenged to solve issues in health-system pharmacy with the mentorship and guidance from an experienced pharmacy department staff who are leaders in the profession. The Pharmacy Internship prepares pharmacy interns for residency and careers in health-system pharmacy practice, and aims to prepare student pharmacists to provide the best possible patient care and so they can achieve future career goals. The Michigan Medicine Pharmacy Internship program focuses on the following areas for development: Patient Care Skills in Pharmacy Operations and through Clinical Practice Exposure, Professionalism and Leadership.
NYU Langone Hospitals Pharmacy Intern: Responsible for acting as an assistant to a Licensed Pharmacist under direct supervision by filling medication cassettes, automated dispensing machines, compounding sterile and non-sterile products, doing shelf checks and performing general organization of the pharmacy. In addition, the intern may be called upon to assist in quality assurance/performance improvement projects and patient specific data collection. Job Responsibilities include: Demonstrates proficiency with unit dose drug distribution, knowledge of state and federal laws related to the handling of controlled substances, proficiency with the automated dispensing machines, medication procurement, stocking and deliveries, hospital information system, extemporaneous compounding on non-sterile products including capsule, ointments, oral/topical solutions and other kits and Aseptic technique IV room procedures and USP standard.

Diverse Career Paths

Whether you seek to serve patients in community pharmacy, long-term care, managed care, specialty pharmacy or home infusion, your work will be impactful and purposeful. Within Student Pharmacist opportunities, there are two experience paths you can take. A variety of rotations in different practice settings are available within the same organization. Students entering their final year of a PharmD program can discover advanced leadership experiences to become a clinician, manager and leader - the three critical roles essential to a career as a pharmacist.

Community Pharmacist: Learn what it means to be a community pharmacist by counseling patients, delivering immunizations, understanding the legal requirements for dispensing prescription medications and ensuring the pharmacy is staffed and scheduled to meet patient needs.
Clinical Pharmacy: With the support of a clinical pharmacy team, you’ll learn how formularies are created and managed, complete drug utilization reviews and evaluate new client offerings to identify how building the right health plan can lower health care costs and improve patient outcomes. Work as a member of a health care team, managing complex disease states and the associated medication regimens. Leverage your clinical skills through patient safety reviews, therapy recommendations, lab monitoring and much more.

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