Summer Intern Spotlight: Jeannette Dimpel

Our Commercial & Regulatory teams gained a new colleague this summer with the addition of Jeannette Dimpel! Jeannette, a rising junior at Notre Dame University, joined the Phamily as a summer intern with Phathom's Commercial and Regulatory teams.

A Science-Business major at Notre Dame, Jeannette applied her academic technical science training in a real-life setting throughout the summer. Learn more about Jeannette's favorite aspects of her Summer@Phathom!

Tell us about your summer internship. What team did you work with and what was your role?

This summer, I worked on the Quality & Compliance team under Karla Rowe , Director of GxP Systems & Compliance. I also worked on the Regulatory team under Nanci Knipfer , Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. In Regulatory, I reviewed and created documents for the NDA and Annual Report. Additionally, I collaborated with the Regulatory team on the EE label. On the Quality team, my role was primarily focused on organizing several systems. I also organized and assigned periodic reviews for training curriculum by department within our system.

What are you studying at Notre Dame? Did this internship align with your major?

I am studying Science-Business at Notre Dame. This internship aligned well with my major and provided valuable experience in the pharmaceutical industry, where I hope to have a career after graduating. The Science-Business program includes a high level of technical science training through a pre-medicine track in the College of Science. Additionally, I take a variety of courses from the Mendoza College of Business through my program. In my role within the R&D team at Phathom, I was able to apply skills I have developed from both schools. For example, my technical background has increased my attention to detail which was vital for reviewing FDA documents and performing quality checks within our systems for the Quality team. Furthermore, I came into this internship with a basic understanding of the Microsoft Suite, mostly from use of the applications for my business courses. This internship has greatly improved my skills within the Microsoft Suite, and the tools I have learned in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint have enhanced my abilities to organize and communicate data.

How did you learn about the Phathom internship and what interested you about the role with the Quality & Regulatory team?

I learned about Phathom as a company and the Phathom internship from Jonathon Raap, National MSL Lead at Phathom. As someone with an interest in pharmaceuticals, I was immediately drawn to Phathom’s tenacity and commitment to providing quality treatments for patients struggling with GI disorders. Prior to the Phathom internship and outside of my education, the only pharmaceutical experience I had was drug discovery research in academia. Because of the combination of my technical and business background, R&D seemed like a natural place to start as I entered the pharmaceutical industry. The Quality & Regulatory role that I had this summer showed me the multifaceted career paths I can pursue in R&D that do not require a lab coat.

What was your main focus or project for the summer?

My main project for the summer was the organization and oversight of departmental reviews of training curricula for R&D personnel. I outlined the training that was scheduled within our system by starting with a matrix containing all training requirements and learner roles within the system. From that, I created individual matrices for each reviewer who received an excel spreadsheet detailing the curricula that they would review in the system once assigned. By reviewing this information beforehand and outside the system, I was able to streamline the curricula editing/approval process. Finally, I created a new master file which outlined the updated training requirements for all R&D personnel.

What skills did you develop that will help you in your academic and professional career?

Over the summer, I developed multitasking skills as I worked on projects for the Regulatory and Quality teams. In both my academic and professional career, multitasking is pertinent to success; especially at a smaller company such as Phathom, where your role may be much more extensive. By working on projects for both teams, I learned to create timelines and switch between big picture and detail-oriented thinking. As I progress in my career, the number of tasks that I will have to manage will only increase; therefore, improving this skill has prepared me to be efficient and organized while in a role with many moving parts.

What aspect of your internship did you find the most challenging, and how did you overcome that challenge?

Staying organized and on top of the various projects that I was working on was the most challenging part of my internship. I learned many processes within different systems that were all unfamiliar to me at the beginning of the summer. I worked on multiple documents for the same clinical study within Regulatory, and I also worked on projects for a variety of people at Phathom. As a result, keeping track of the requirements and applications of each assignment was difficult at times. I tackled this challenge by keeping detailed notes of new processes I learned and weekly to-do lists. I also organized my emails and files into separate folders for each team and project on which I was working. This allowed me to find information quickly so that I could spend more time focusing on the task at hand.

Describe your Summer@Phathom using three words.

Comprehensive | Compassion | Dedication

What is your biggest takeaway from your internship with Phathom?

My biggest takeaway from the summer has been connecting with everyone from the Buffalo Grove office. I was able to meet with people from various departments within R&D to learn about what they do and how they got to their current position. I was able to meet with several colleagues in the Florham Park office to discuss their roles as well. As someone who is interested in going into the pharmaceutical industry, it was incredibly helpful to learn about the different career paths within the industry.

What advice would you give to future Phathom interns?

Get to know as many people as you can and ask questions!! Every Phathom employee has a unique experience to share. I have received so much insight and advice just from learning about peoples’ different backgrounds and how they got to where they are now. Phathom is committed to hiring only the best, and as such, each member of the Phamily is a delight to be around. Just be yourself and don’t be nervous; everyone is extremely welcoming and before you know it, the time will have flown by (at least it did for me)!

What is your favorite aspect of the #PhathomPhamily ?

In my time among the #PhathomPhamily , my favorite aspect of the company’s culture has been dedication. Everyone is dedicated to bringing revolutionary medicine to patients in need. Team members are not only driven by the company’s impact but are also driven to work hard for each other. Additionally, Phathom employees are dedicated to promoting a collaborative and uplifting environment. This entrepreneurial Phamily is built on fellowship, and I am glad that I was able to be a part of it!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, I see myself as an established employee at a pharmaceutical or biotech company. I will be more knowledgeable about the industry and my role. I also hope to work for a company that promotes learning and the growth of my skillset. In five years, I will be settled into the city that I live in, and I hope to be on a team with collaborative and friendly coworkers.

What’s your favorite PHAT hashtag?

#PHATandHappy

I never went hungry during my time at Phathom. I loved sitting down at lunch to talk and get to know my coworkers; plus, the food we ate was always so amazing! I felt truly blessed to be working for a company that took this much care for their employees. In my family, food is what brings us together and we always share a meal for special occasions. I experienced this in the Phamily as well and that is a testament to the unique culture at Phathom. However, this is not my favorite hashtag purely because I was well fed this summer (#PhathomPhifteen ). To work at Phathom is to be a part of something great. This company is bringing revolutionary medicine to patients in need, while also creating a first-class culture. For this reason, my internship has definitely left me #PHATandHappy .

What is your favorite memory from your Summer@Phathom?

Throughout the summer, there have been a few times that I have mentioned my desire to go on the Architecture Boat Tour in Chicago while chatting with people at lunch. I love looking at architecture and the river is the best place to see Chicago’s skyline! Towards the end of my internship, I was able to go downtown with my manager, Karla, who took me on the boat tour. I was beyond grateful for so many reasons; not only because Phathom helped facilitate the tour, but also because it showed that people had listened to me speak about my interests.

The architecture tour was amazing, of course and I was shocked at the amount of Art Deco in Chicago. But feeling like a part of the Phathom Phamily made the day that much more enjoyable, and it is a memory I will always cherish.?

Thank you, Jeannette, for being a wonderful addition to the Phamily this summer! Your hard work, positive attitude, and contributions to the Phamily are much appreciated. You will certainly be missed, but we wish you all the best as you begin your junior year at Notre Dame!