Penelope Nwaukwa, PharmD

Penelope Nwaukwa, PharmD graduated from the University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2023, she joined the University of the Pacific Fellowship in Industry Program partnered with Day One Biopharmaceuticals in the functional role of Clinical Science. We caught up with Penelope to gain her insight on her current role in Day One Biopharmaceuticals and to provide feedback to prospective PharmD students interested in the fellowship route into industry.

How has your fellowship been so far?

"It is still early on, but my fellowship has been great so far. I am the company's (Day One Biopharmaceuticals) first fellow. At times I do feel imposter syndrome, but my program mentors are fellowship trained themselves. So I know I am in good hands. My team is very supportive of my goals, and I'm excited to continue to meet different people in the company and learn from them."

What made you decide to pursue a fellowship route?

"I felt a fellowship would offer the experience that I needed to develop my skills in a supportive environment, surrounded by mentors who are dedicated to my professional development. It would also provide more opportunities for lateral and horizontal career growth in the future."

What made you decide to pursue your functional area? Did you apply to other functional areas during the fellowship application process?

"Previous clinical development related internships and rotations have shown me that I enjoy study design and working with patient data. In addition to clinical science, I also applied to clinical operations and general clinical development fellowships. I've always had a preference towards clinical science but felt that if I didn't get a clinical science fellowship, I'd still be able to get similar experiences in a clinical operations or clinical development role since they work closely together."

Have you considered applying into an entry level position (rather than a fellowship route)? Why or Why not?

"I would have applied for an entry level position if I didn't land a fellowship so that I could continue pursuing my goals and get my foot in the door. You never know who may take a chance on you and might be willing to teach you. Even without a dedicated training program, you can always learn on the job."

What advice do you have for PharmD students seeking to pursue a fellowship?

"Explore away and always stay true to yourself. When you're honest about what you like and dislike, finding the right career for you gets easier. Be open to new experiences, you'll never know what they might bring."

What advice do you have for students seeking a fellowship opportunity but say that they don't have experience/ internship/ rotations in the functional area/ etc...?

"Don't let a "lack of experience" keep you from pursuing an area you are interested in! As long as you do your research and have good reasons for why you want a particular position you'll be surprised at how far you'll go. Everyone has something unique they can bring to the table and fellowship programs are meant to teach you. No one expects you to know everything coming in. Figure out ways that you can apply the strengths and experiences that you do have to the position that you are going for."