At BlueCross, internships aren’t just a traditional summertime experience. Our BlueBridge internship program extends year-round and helps students get experience in their intended careers in several fields, like information technology, communications or clinical roles.
To celebrate National Intern Day on July 30, we asked two interns how they found their way to BlueCross, their experiences in the program and how they’re preparing for their careers.
Kelsey Boyd-Thompson is part of the BlueSky Tennessee Institute, the accelerated degree program offered in partnership with East Tennessee State University. She’ll receive a bachelor’s degree at the end of the 27-month program, which is divided into three rotations to give students experience in multiple fields.
Alex McQuade, a PharmD candidate at Purdue University, is interning on the clinical formulary team. He’s completing his yearlong internship remotely from Indiana, taking advantage of our remote-first work model.
How did you come to learn about internship opportunities at BlueCross?
Kelsey: I was interested in a degree in technology, so I decided to apply to the BlueSky Institute. In the last year of the program, the internship gives us hands-on experience within three different rotations to apply our educational knowledge into practical application.
Alex: I learned about the internship program through a LinkedIn job offering. At the time, I was looking to explore work as a pharmacist in managed care organizations.
I had previously been exposed to clinical jobs and the pharmaceutical industry, but when I saw this position, I knew it could broaden my perspectives to consider budget impact of medications.
What stood out during the application process?
Kelsey: One thing that stood out was how invested everyone is in the success of the interns. Throughout the program, I’ve seen how much people genuinely care about helping interns learn, grow and gain meaningful experience. That level of support made a lasting impression on me.
Alex: My interview for the internship was a group interview with four people I work closely with now. It was extremely welcoming. I enjoyed getting to know each of their career journeys. I felt that it was a great way to learn more about what pharmacists do on the clinical formulary team.
What has your work as an intern entailed so far?
Kelsey: My work has mainly been tasks that help to prioritize projects. I’ve always been interested in the data realm, so I was able to learn new data digestion techniques, data manipulation and interpretation components.
By being able to explore while still prioritizing the goal in front of me, I’ve come to understand the value of learning new technologies instead of relying on one way to do a task.
Alex: My work has been incredibly exciting. On the clinical formulary team, we look into how we will place newly approved medications onto the formulary. This often includes forecasting for the following year’s formulary. My projects have been research-focused. If someone on the team wants to look more into the clinical evidence surrounding a medication, they sometimes ask me to provide this. This gives me an opportunity to explore clinical evidence comparison.
What project has been a highlight?
Kelsey: During my first rotation, I was given the opportunity to explore a dataset without a predefined outcome. My team believed there could be valuable insights within the data. Through analysis, I was able to identify patterns between the data and existing workflows that could help provide better insights into how those workflows operate.
Alex: A project of mine was a comparison of two medications approved for a rare condition. I had the opportunity to present the research I did on both medications. It was awesome to see how BlueCross invests so much time to make sure they understand the impact of clinical decisions.
What have you learned that can be carried over to your career path?
Kelsey: Throughout my internship, I’ve always been encouraged to explore and learn — whether it be a new business term, a company-specific program or a new technology. At the end of the day, learning something new isn’t only valuable to your work, but it is valuable to yourself, as well. That mindset of continuous learning is something I plan to carry with me throughout my career.
Alex: Prior to this experience, I had never understood the way certain decisions were made.
Knowing the thought, agreements, comparison of evidence and financial impacts that go into every choice has given me an appreciation for the impact health plans can have on public health.
I’ve learned that many of the decisions we make at BlueCross are safety guardrails to protect our members. That process has given me a passion for working in a managed care organization since I have seen how public health can be positively impacted.
For more information about available internships at BlueCross, visit https://careers.bcbst.com/internships/.