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Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellowship

»Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellowship

Providing a comprehensive experience in a broad range of medical activities, the fellowship program emphasizes inter-professional integrated training in clinical oncology and medical affairs through enriched, hands-on experiences. The fellowship flawlessly blends two types of expertise into one experience, which is essential for the fellow’s foundational knowledge, growth, and ultimate career success.

This 2-year fellowship prepares the fellow to: 

  • Actively participate in specific areas of medical affairs, clinical practice, and academia through intensive training and mentorship
  • Gain experience in various areas of Medical Affairs, including scientific communications, medical strategy, and elective functional areas of interest
  • Promote the value of a clinically-trained pharmacist in Medical Affairs within the pharmaceutical industry
  • Become a highly competent candidate to be recruited by the pharmaceutical industry because of their expertise in hematology-oncology disease areas and medical affairs

The first 6 months will be comprised of clinical training and inter-professional experiences, which will be delivered through clinical rotations in two oncology practices to understand real-time patient care and prepare the fellow for medical affairs rotations. The fellow will engage in clinical topic discussions at the University and participate in the CUSP Teaching Certificate Program. Additionally, training of this nature will develop the fellow in areas such as presentation organization and delivery, communication, biostatistics, pharmacoeconomics, pharmacogenomics, among other highly-sought out expertise. 

The fellow will spend the remainder year and a half at Amgen in Thousand Oaks, California, actively participating in specific areas of medical affairs, such as scientific communications, through intensive, hands-on projects with different teams. The fellow is offered a unique opportunity to integrate their clinical understanding of Hematology-Oncology with Medical Affairs, establishing a robust knowledge base and skill set to prepare the fellow for an accomplished and fulfilling career in the pharmaceutical industry.

A general overview of the fellowship is available for download here. 

This fellowship is a partnership between Chapman University and Amgen Inc., the program is co-directed by Dr. Sun “Coco” Yang, BsPharm, M. Sci., PhD, BCPPS, APh, who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and Dr. Laila Khoury-Chamoun, PharmD, who serves as the Executive Director and Therapeutic Area Lead with Amgen Inc..


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Admission & Application Information

The Fellow for the Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellowship program is selected on a nationally competitive basis. The 2025-2027 fellowship interviews will be conducted virtually. Interested candidates may submit their application and supporting materials to the Chapman University Jobs Portal.

Eligibility:

  • Academic: The applicant must have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited school or college of pharmacy and obtain a California pharmacist license by October 1st after the start of the fellowship.
  • Professional Experience: Relevant industry/FDA internships or rotations, PGY1, or equivalent experiences are preferred but not required.

 How to apply:

Required items

Submission

Deadline*

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Chapman Jobs Portal 

Friday, October 25, 2024 at 11:59 PM (PST)

Letter of Intent (LOI)

Transcript

Three Letters of Recommendation (LORs)#

 Submission link 

Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM (PST)

First-round interviews will be conducted virtually on a rolling basis. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit application materials as soon as possible to request an interview.

#Applicants must send the submission link to each letter of recommendation writer.

 

Important dates

  • The fellowship application portal opens in September 2024.
  • The program will reach out to candidates to schedule first-round interviews starting from September 27, 2024. 
  • The deadline for submitting application materials is October 25, 2024, at 11:59 PM (PST).
  • All completed letters of recommendation must be received by December 1, 2024, at 11:59pm (PST).
  • Recognizing that the choice of a Post-Doctoral Industry Fellowship is an important decision, Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellowship, in conjunction with the Alliance of Industry Fellowship Associates (AIFA), has agreed to extend fellowship offers no earlier than December 16, 2024.

 

Upcoming information webinars:

  • Information webinar (virtually): August 28th, 2024, 5:00pm-6:00pm (PST)
  • Meet with Fellow (virtually): September 12th, 2024, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (PST)

Why Choose the Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellowship?

This 2-year fellowship program provides the fellow with a well-rounded experience by engaging in clinical care activities and teaching/precepting opportunities in hematology/oncology. These prospects complement the industry experience that the fellow obtains in the various branches of Medical Affairs at Amgen. The integrated and interprofessional training provided by this program will help the fellow develop a strong knowledge foundation in oncology healthcare and medical affairs.

In addition, the fellowship offers a competitive stipend, health insurance, paid vacation, and compensation for travel to professional meetings each year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is the participation of a teaching certificate program mandatory?

Yes, all the fellows are required to participate in CUSP Teaching Skills Professional Development Program and successfully accomplish all the requirements by the end of the first year of the fellowship.

 

How much paid time off may I have?

Two weeks per fiscal year within the term of an appointment in addition to university holidays.

 

Can I attend conferences during my fellowship?

The fellowship offers compensation for travel to at least one professional meeting each year. You may discuss with the program director if additional support is needed.

  • The national/international conferences or certificate programs that our fellows attended over the years:
    • ASHP Midyear Conference
    • CSHP Annual Seminars
    • ASCO Annual meeting
    • SWOG Spring/Fall meeting
    • IPhO annual meeting
    • ASHP Pharmacogenomics Certificate
    • CITI Good Clinical Practice Course (US FDA focus)

 

May I request re-location reimbursement?

We will evaluate the re-location reimbursement request on a case-by-case basis.

 

To whom should my Letter of Intent & Letters of Recommendation be addressed?

Please address your Letter of Intent & Letters of Recommendation to:

Sun (Coco) Yang, BsPharm, M.Sci., Ph.D., BCPPS, APh

Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice

Chapman University School of Pharmacy

 

Laila Khoury-Chamoun, PharmD

Executive Director and Therapeutic Area Lead, Amgen Oncology Scientific Communications,

Amgen Inc.

 

How does this program prepare the fellow for their future career goals?

The mentors at CUSP and Amgen are extensively experienced in their fields and are committed to personalizing the program in a way that aligns with the fellow’s career goals. The fellow’s hands-on training emphasizes professional skills development, including a key communication component between the fellows and their mentors to ensure success in this program. The program also offers opportunities for fellows to attend professional conferences or workshops to extend their professional network and improve their knowledge in the related fields.

Priya Patel, PharmD
2019-2021 CUSP-Amgen Fellow
"It provides the ideal balance between structure and flexibility, while catering to each individual fellow’s interests. The program directors and preceptors were truly invested in equipping me with the tools needed for my career development and utilized a hands-on approach to create beneficial learning opportunities.
More about Priya's Experience
Nazgol Emami, PharmD, MBA
2020-2022 CUSP-Amgen Fellow
"This fellowship allowed me to explore and experience various roles in medical affairs and beyond. Throughout my experience, I worked with brilliant individuals and was a part of wonderful teams. My mentors were always there to support me every step of the way as well. Looking back, I know that I certainly made the right decision in choosing thi...
More about Nazgol's Experience
Jessica Pham, PharmD
2021-2023 Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow
"With the guidance of the program directors and preceptors, I was able to tailor my experiences and pursue opportunities to help reach my professional and personal goals. Since the beginning, my mentors and colleagues were wholly devoted to my professional growth, ensuring that I continued to develop and refine skills that will be embedded in me...
More about Jessica's Experience
Eline Kocharyan, PharmD
2022-2023 Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow
"The fellow concurrently gains direct teaching, research, and precepting experiences in both academic and industry settings. These opportunities provide important clinical and professional insights that translate into the industry-focused work at Amgen, which includes training in Medical Affairs and elective functional rotations."
More about Eline's Experience
Madison Ward, PharmD, RPh
2023-2024 Chapman-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow
"This program lays a solid foundation for a successful and fulfilling career in the pharmaceutical industry. Participating in an interdisciplinary patient care team has allowed me to enhance my clinical skills and deepen my knowledge in hematology/oncology. "
More about Madison's Experience

Meet Our Fellows

photo of Jacob Pritchard, MBA, PharmD

Jacob Pritchard, MBA, PharmD

2024-2026 CUSP-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow
Jacob Pritchard, PharmD, MBA, is the CUSP-Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow for the 2024-2026 term. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his Master's in Business Administration at The Citadel. During his time in South Carolina, Dr. Pritchard worked at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, working across outpatient and inpatient pharmacy settings. He co-authored a review article titled "Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria: Focus on the Real-World Use of Novel Beta-Lactams in Children" and delivered a Grand Rounds presentation on blinatumomab in relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dr. Pritchard's professional passion lies in oncology, driven by his commitment to enhancing the lives of cancer patients. He eagerly anticipates starting his role as the Postdoctoral Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow, where he will collaborate within interdisciplinary care teams in clinical settings and gain invaluable medical affairs training at Amgen.
photo of Dr. Akash Patel, PharmD

Dr. Akash Patel, PharmD

2023-2024 Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow
Akash Patel, Pharm.D. is the 2023-2024 Amgen Oncology Medical Affairs Fellow. Dr. Patel obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Chapman University School of Pharmacy. During his time in pharmacy school, Dr. Patel was involved extensively with research projects and state organizations, mainly the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA). From his experience, he gained exposure to different aspects of the pharmacy profession and developed an interest in advancing the pharmacy profession and improving the standard of patient care through the biopharmaceutical industry. Through his academic clinical rotations and his Clinical Operations internship with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, he has solidified his passions and looks forward to making meaningful and lasting contributions to healthcare.
Contact Us
Dr. Sun "Coco" Yang
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice

CUSP Launches Fellowship with Amgen

This fellowship program was uniquely designed to include six months of focused oncology clinical care training as a prelude to enhance the progression of the fellow as they enter their medical affairs training phase.