Internships are a hallmark of the MBA experience, enabling b-school students to gain real-world experience, rub elbows with company execs and—both literally and figuratively—get their foot in the door. But now, in the day and age of COVID-19, social distancing and office regulations mean many internships have moved online. In this edition of Fridays from the Frontline, an MBA student at UCLA Anderson, Thea Whyte, shares a look inside her virtual summer internship.
Day in the (Virtual) Life: Biogen
By Thea Whyte, UCLA Anderson MBA ’21
Hello! My name is Thea Whyte and I’m a rising second-year student at UCLA Anderson. I grew up in Canada and initially moved to the U.S. to complete my undergraduate degree at Loyola University Chicago. After graduation, I joined Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, a major U.S. health insurer, where I worked on the External Communications and Strategy teams across Washington, D.C. and Chicago. In my most recent role, I had a chance to serve in an internal consulting function and quickly came to see how driven I was by problem solving and project-based work. I knew if I wanted to build a career in the function that getting an MBA was an important next step so I left my job to join the Class of 2021 at UCLA Anderson.
When looking at MBA programs, Anderson quickly moved to the top of my list as it allowed me to get an education at a top-tier business school, while also being able to draw upon the resources of its world-class medical center and school of public health. What ultimately made me choose the school, however, was the strong sense of community I felt far before I got to campus. This summer I’m interning at Biogen, a Cambridge, MA based biotech company, completing an operational efficiency project for one of its lab-based teams. An unexpected silver lining of remote work has been that my plants are probably getting the most attention they’ve ever gotten. Here is a glimpse into a day in my (and my plants’) virtual life.
5:00am – Wake up. Boil water for my french press and get in a quick meditation through Headspace. Anderson students get a free membership! Open the windows and position my plants to get as much morning sun as possible.
5:30am – Log-on. While I am currently in Los Angeles, I follow Biogen’s east-coast hours to get the best access to my teammates. Create a prioritized to-do list for the day. Eat breakfast while reading through emails and notes from days prior. As someone who took no science classes after high school, I have come across a lot of new terms this summer so I keep detailed notes to reference back on.
7:30am – Virtual Tour of the Lab. While most Biogen employees are not allowed back on Biogen’s campus yet, lab personnel have been reintegrated with social distancing practices. My manager walks me through one of the team’s labs so I can better understand the processes I have been analyzing.
9:00am – Lunch (or really breakfast) and Learn. Over the course of the summer, Biogen arranges presentations from staff across different specialties. MBA students take part in an additional series with smaller group discussions with key leaders. Today we hear from Deb Glasser, Vice President, Head of US Alzheimer’s Franchise.
1:00pm – Review Analysis To-Date. Take another look at the project work I have done so far. Pull out my class notes from that Operations course I took earlier in the year and check my thinking. Feel very grateful for Professor Corbett. Reposition my plants for the afternoon sun.
2:30pm – Prepare to Log-Off. Make summary notes of the day. Send any updates to my manager and look ahead to tomorrow’s calendar.
5:30pm – Wind Down. Get some fresh air. FaceTime friends and family. Do a lot of stretching. Maybe play some Sims. Move all my plants back to their nighttime positions.
8:00pm – Get Offline. For the last hour of my day, I make an effort to stay away from electronics as much as possible. Sometimes that means painting, other nights it means reading. I set a humidifier to give my plants some extra moisture overnight. Complete a relatively extensive bedtime routine and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
ABOUT THEA
- Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Undergraduate Studies: Loyola University Chicago
- Pre-Anderson: Consultant, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
- MBA Summer Internship: Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Intern, Biogen
- Post-MBA Goals: Strategy
- Leadership@Anderson: VP of Marketing, Admissions Ambassador Corps, VP of Conference Marketing, Healthcare Business Association
- Activities@Anderson: Strategy and Operations Management Association, Tech Business Association at Anderson (AnderTech), Wellness and Yoga Club, Wine Club at Anderson
