The research was at at standstill while I was there
Advice
Take advantage of your time there
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Student Trainee
July - September 2019 • Irvine, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed working within a community of caring, supportive co-workers and mentors who were dedicated and passionate about protecting the public health and treated me as an equal despite my young age and lack of experience coming in. My co-workers and supervisor were very attentive and understanding of my needs (for learning as a trainee, and in terms of work-life balance) and made a great effort to provide me with a well-rounded, immersive, and educational experience that transformed my view of the FDA (I, like many, had many misconceptions and little knowledge of the agency prior to joining). I built many meaningful relationships and had a chance to observe the proactive management mindset and strategies of top officials in the agency.
What I wish was different
Because I only worked during the summer and started my internship later than expected, my time working at the agency was short; I would have liked to spend more time getting to explore FDA operations more in-depth and build closer connections with people. I joined meetings and attended company-wide events, but most of my time was spent sitting in a cubicle in front of a computer screen, which I found did not suit me personally.
Advice
Enter the job with an open mind, don't be afraid to ask questions, reach out, and seek opportunities to connect with people and learn about what they do. Many of the people at FDA have worked in the agency (or some related government agency) for a long time, or have worked in related industries/careers and can offer a lot of valuable insight from their experiences.
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Biomedical Engineering Research Intern
June - August 2019 • Silver Spring, MD
What I liked
Great experience in data mining, formulation projects, networking
What I wish was different
More structured project with deadlines
Advice
Utilize the resources and connections at your disposal at the FDA. Lots of people to talk to about virtually any field
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FDA Contractor
October 2019 • Silver Spring, MD
What I liked
Very flexible, many projects and events to attend, always busy
What I wish was different
Hard to find affordable housing, commute can be challenging
Advice
Stay busy and sign up for everything!!!! There are so many unique opportunities here if you take advantage of special events.
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Data Quality Analyst
July - August 2018 • Silver Spring, MD
What I liked
The team was great and helped me however they could. The fda itself has a positive culture. I wanted to do some hands on statistic coding and get experience working with larger data sets and that did happen.
What I wish was different
The team was under resources and understaffed. They didn’t have enough time/manpower to plan my project. Also there was a lot of bureaucracy.
Advice
learn SQL if you want to work with data and be prepared for bureaucracy if you go into government
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Pathways Intern
May - July 2018 • Silver Spring, MD
What I liked
Friendly coworkers, helpful supervisor
What I wish was different
More applicable to my major (Public Health)
Advice
Network, feel free to reach out to full time employees and hear more about what they do
