Discovering the significance of patient engagement through an internship

Karishma Parekh (Clinical Medicine, 2025) spent the summer interning with the Patient Engagement team at Oxford PharmaGenesis. The internship, offered on a yearly basis to Green Templeton students by PharmaGenesis, provided Karishma with valuable exposure to an important facet of healthcare that goes hand in hand with clinical practice.

Karishma said: ‘I developed skills in navigating and quality-checking clinical study reports and protocols, which enhanced my understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and its regulatory landscape. Working on projects for different regions, such as the USA and Brazil, gave me insight into how drug regulations vary internationally.’ 

She got involved in a large range of projects, including quality control and drafting trial results summaries, reviewing and also developing slides for educational meetings, drafting a facilitation guide and slides for a patient meeting and also working on restructuring a manuscript to put her experience in schizophrenia research to good use. 

Sarah Griffiths, Communications Director at Oxford PharmaGenesis, said: ‘It was clear that she’s had an excellent grounding in medical literature, research and publishing. She demonstrated accuracy, critical thinking and was adept and adjusting her work to the differing needs of the target audiences.’ 

The role of patient engagement is a critical component of healthcare which brings to light the importance of involving patients in their own care. Healthcare providers work together with patients and their family to enhance safety and quality of products as well as service delivery.  

‘Low health literacy is a major determinant of poor health outcomes’ Karishma emphasised. ‘I am determined to carry the skills I have gained from this experience into my future clinical career, to ensure that patients can feel empowered to make informed decisions about their health.’ 

About Oxford PharmaGenesis

Oxford PharmaGenesis is an independent, award-winning, global Health Science consultancy providing communications services to the healthcare industry, professional societies, and patient groups. The company also partners with Green Templeton College to fund a DPhil studentship in Translational Health Sciences. These initiatives exemplify how alumni and corporate partners can bridge the gap between academia and industry. 

Paul Farrow, Executive Director at Oxford PharmaGenesis and Associate Fellow at Green Templeton College, said: ‘I’m incredibly proud of the feedback we receive on our internship programme with Green Templeton. Now in its fourth successful year, it offers students a unique window into the world of healthcare communications that I am sure will be valuable for their future careers. Collaborating closely with our Patient Engagement and Open Pharma teams, these internships support our mission to advance patient-centred and open-science principles across the pharmaceutical industry.’ 

Join us in empowering students

The story of Karishma and Oxford PharmaGenesis is just one example of how Green Templeton connects students with transformative opportunities through the support of alumni and donors. 

You can be a part of this impact. Whether by offering internships, mentoring students, or funding scholarships, your support helps empower the next generation of leaders. 

To learn more about how you can support Green Templeton College and its students, please contact development@gtc.ox.ac.uk or visit our support page.

The college is deeply thankful to PharmaGenesis for supporting and empowering students.