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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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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.
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...
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...
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."
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. "

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.
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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.