• Amanda McKibbin Dan Crawford

    Amanda McKibbin

    Associate in Quality Assurance Group, Batch Disposition Group
    Campbell University, pharmaceutical sciences, 2011

    Amanda McKibbin heard about Biogen Idec’s internship opportunities at a career fair for the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers. At the fair, McKibbin spoke to an HR director about starting a career at Biogen Idec, and lined up an interview for the following week. One year later, she’s a full-time employee and works everyday to help find therapies in neurology, immunology, and hemophilia to help improve the lives of people worldwide.

    How did you first become interested in pharmaceuticals?
    I wanted to involve science in my career because it’s always been a strong subject for me. I also wanted a job where I could help people and in biotechnology, I have the opportunity to touch the lives of so many people. As a doctor, you only can interact with the patients that come into your office, but in biotechnology you can help many more through medicine. For instance, my boyfriend’s aunt takes one of the drugs we manufacture, so the fact that I could help his family member really drew me to the company.

    What surprised you the most when you started?
    The amount of detail involved in making a drug. In school we learn the process of researching, testing, manufacturing, testing again, then releasing the drug, but I didn’t understand how many details and how many groups of people are involved in those individual steps. It’s a lot more than you learn in school, and things change everyday so you need to adapt to those changes.

    How is being a full-time employee different from an intern?
    The responsibility is definitely different: My plate is a lot fuller, my phone rings more, and my email fills up quicker. As a full-time employee, people are calling me for answers, while as an intern, I was the one asking the questions. Being full-time has also allowed me to mentor the interns we have this summer, which I like because I was in their shoes last year.

    What is the biggest challenge you face?
    The biggest challenge for me is that I’m the type of person that likes to get everything done on time, but things change on a regular basis. I may come in with a plan but I get pulled away from those responsibilities to go help with something else.

    What is the biggest misconception about Biogen Idec?
    A misconception about not just our company but healthcare companies in general is they are just out to make money. Once you meet the people that work here, you realize that’s not what it’s about. We want people to live a better life. We are passionate about what we do and take pride in everything we do.

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