Virtual Internships Abroad Stepping Outside of My Comfort Zone

After COVID-19 affected my original plan to intern in Beijing, China, where I ended up was not what I had in mind when I first hit that “submit application” button back in late December. After some contemplation though, I realized that wasn't a bad thing.

In my virtual internship, I worked with Korean pharmaceutical company DongSung BioPharm researching cancer and photodynamic therapy treatment market trends. The work was certainly a bit out of my comfort zone, but that’s what made it so interesting and fun. My main responsibility involved drafting and presenting analysis reports based on different topics assigned to me every two weeks, with a final project of drafting a full business strategy I introduced to the company.

While the separation of having to work with employees based in Seoul from my home in California felt a bit strange at times, I also found the independence refreshing in allowing me to dictate my own working schedule. My supervisor was wonderful and receptive in maintaining strong communication and encouraging me to be creative with my research, all while being an incredibly supportive person in general. It was not uncommon for us to stay and chat for half an hour after formal presentations about our daily life updates and cultural differences.

I’ll admit, the winding road I took to the position made me wonder exactly what to expect out of a virtual internship. I can’t deny that I was disappointed in not being able to travel to China or Korea for the summer, both countries with rich cultures that I admire and love. Nevertheless, I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to gain experience working with a foreign pharmaceutical company and to learn more about the intersection of healthcare and business.

As a nursing student, I am exposed to a variety of different clinical settings as part of my academic curriculum, but had never previously deeply engaged with the connection between nursing and the pharmaceutical industry. Researching this field, drawing connections, and presenting all this information back to my supervisor was a daunting task, but also so exciting in my daily discoveries of new knowledge and information. This internship was positively challenging and rewarding in so many ways.