Information Practice Review

The role involves information provision to clinical trial teams in the Oncology function at AstraZeneca. This can be in the form of literature-based searches on different publication databases like PubMed, Embase, ct.gov etc. Throughout the year, as many requests can be received at different times, I have been involved in lots of small projects as opposed to one large project. I've also supported the team with using generative AI to make projects tasks more efficient. Most interactions are virtual over MS teams as most team members are based globally. Interactions can be in the form of catch up meetings (in person) with my manager, virtual meetings with other team members or stakeholders or other placement students on site.

AstraZeneca has an internal learning platform, providing multiple opportunities for personal and professional development. These may consist of project/team management skills, time management skills, coding in R/Python/SAS and more. I have also development my networking skills immensely, as I have frequent interactions in/out of the office with colleagues/graduates/apprentices/placement students as well as virtually.

During the first few months of placement, the primary focus was on our training and so we didn't have the opportunity to get involved in many work projects/have many responsibilities within the team. However, as the placement progressed and we gained more experience and understanding of stages of clinical trial development, our team members handed us more responsibility, for example with creating deliverables for stakeholders and presentations in team meetings.

It was clear from the start that we would have a lot of support from other team members. We were given two supervisors from the Cambridge office who were always available for calls to check in, and also given that our manager was based on site with us, we had regular check-ins with him over coffee. One thing I would highlight however is that a lot of the work I did on a day-to-day basis was self-directed and required a lot of personal accountability from my end to ensure I maintained productivity and focus.

Everyone in the office is very friendly and welcoming. It was great to see so many young people in the office as it provided me with many social and networking opportunities. It is clear that as a company, we want to celebrate each others' successes and achievements - this was made evident through the internal forum as well as wider talks at conferences and more. The workplace culture felt very collaborative as opposed to individualistic, which was something I valued hugely.

I enjoyed my placement immensely. I think it's one of those things where the experience really is what you make of it. There are many options to get involved with things at the company - social events (e.g. the work Christmas party), volunteering days and internal resource groups, but these are only available to you if you make the effort to keep an eye out and sign up to them. The experience was much more than just about the work itself, but the people you meet, the networking and personal growth opportunities you have available to you and you will find that you will get out of it what you put in. Being officially employed by AstraZeneca also provided several benefits which are open to permanent employees, so this was an added bonus!

Yes

When submitting your application, really consider what criteria they have asked for in a suitable candidate. As a company, everything is done together, in teams, and this means you need to align your mindset to the teamworking, collaborative culture that exists here. Also if you succeed at securing a placement here, make sure that you throw yourself at as many opportunities as you can that you come across! They make your experience even more valuable and worthwhile.