2022 marks a milestone year for the classes of ‘82, ’92, ‘02, and ’12. All year long, we’ll be spotlighting alumni from each of these classes as they provide a retrospective on life at CU Pharmacy and their career success. ’02 alumna, Elisha DeLong Sieg kicks off the first 2022 alumni spotlight.
What are you currently doing as a pharmacy professional and how did you progress to where you are today?
Elisha DeLong Sieg, PharmD '02 |
I am currently a Medical Affairs Executive Director with Genentech. In this cross-portfolio role I am responsible for co-creating and driving an overarching Medical strategy across multiple National Accounts with the goal of providing clinical information to improve patient outcomes and customer experience. Since graduating with my PharmD in 2002, I have been fortunate to have experienced many different opportunities in Clinical Pharmacy at Kaiser Permanente, Drug Information at Micromedex, Medical Communications at PPD and Industry Field Medical roles with Takeda and Genentech.
What has been a defining moment for you as a seasoned professional?
As I think about my passions for my pharmacy career of communication, collaborations and science, a couple of defining moments come to mind. Within my field medical roles at Genentech, I have been able to collaborate and engage in outcome research studies with managed care customers, and ultimately co-authored five separate publications in Asthma and Hematology Oncology. Additionally, I was honored to be selected to present at the 12th Partnering ACO/IDN (Accountable Care Organization/Integrated Delivery Network) Conference to communicate how manufacturers can use current and future trends and technology to be a successful partner and stay ahead of the healthcare curve.
What inspired you to attend the CU Pharmacy program and what was your experience while in the program?
I was inspired to become a pharmacist after shadowing a family friend who was a hospital pharmacist at Swedish Hospital in 8th grade. I was driven by this and completed my pre-pharmacy requirements at the University of Colorado at Boulder (Go Buffs!). I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the CU Pharmacy program and was fortunate to obtain both my Bachelor of Science - Pharmacy and PharmD degrees. I am truly grateful for my education, the outstanding professors and the lifelong friendships that I was able to make.
What is your proudest moment and your favorite thing about working in the pharmacy profession?
One of my proudest moments was being invited back to the CU Pharmacy School to speak at the AMCP (Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy) Student Chapter meeting to provide my journey and answer questions about my career path. At this talk, I was able to convey my passion behind my pharmacy profession, it has allowed me to continue to deliver on my motivations of communication, collaborations and science throughout my career. Over the past five years, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to mentor and engage with the CU Pharmacy school students.
What sage advice would you pass on to current and future students that was helpful for you in preparing for the job market?
The pharmacy profession offers an abundance of opportunities to use the knowledge gained to have continued critical impact in healthcare. Define your motivations, be open to explore other options and recognize the power of networking and mentorship, as the pharmacy world is so small!