This week concludes my 12 week internship with Amgen. I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a Quality (Management) Systems Undergraduate Intern at Amgen Rhode Island. I have learned many technical skills related to Quality Compliance as well as soft skills that contribute to productivity within a professional environment. 

When I started this internship, I was unaware of what to expect never having worked in Biotechnology or Quality Compliance. Within just 12 weeks, I gained a stronger understanding of Quality Compliance and overall operations at a Biotechnology company. My understanding of my Capstone increased every day I went to work—though remote—especially as one of my three projects required me to contact many Functional Area contacts to complete my deliverables. Though there is not one instant where I felt my knowledge increase, meeting with Directors of different Functional Areas throughout the summer aided in increasing my understanding. Having insight into different departments allowed me to understand Amgen operations flow, helping me work on my project and understand the help it will provide to daily operations even after my departure.

In the beginning, I was unfamiliar with the vocabulary used both in a professional corporate setting and the Quality Compliance setting. An SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) had been available to all interns, regardless of department, with abbreviations that are used daily such as Functional Area (FA), Subject Matter Expert (SME), Point of Contact (POC) and more. Even having this SOP easily accessible, it took all the interns time to get adjusted to these abbreviations. Due to the virtual setting, many of us also struggled with setting up Webex meetings as it was an unfamiliar software. My manager had explained how to do this so I got significantly better as time went on but there was a learning curve in the beginning with this as well. These two main challenges are likely due to lack of familiarity as the vocabulary and software used in a professional corporate setting are not always the same as an academic setting.

I increased my technical skills by working with Smartsheets, creating a Service Level Agreement, drafting A3s, modifying SOPs to create ANSK documents from TRNQs and more. I increased my soft skills in many areas, specifically project management and communication development. This helped me ensure I was getting the information I needed to continue my work without hindering the productivity of others.

I found this experience to be valuable for many reasons that extend beyond technical and soft skills. This experience only confirmed that my future plans are the right plans for me. Working with a Biotechnology company assured me that my professional goals are capable. I am excited to pursue my Biotechnology academic interests after graduating from Pitt and hope to continue working in the Biotechnology field. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity with Amgen and am excited to apply what I have learned over the summer to my academic career this fall.