Samantha
She/Her
Associate, Menlo Park
- Why did you choose AG?
- I joined AG because of the people. My first exposure to AG was an informational recruiting presentation, and right from that very first interaction, I thought that AG employees were warm, welcoming, and deeply intelligent people. In the many years since then, I’ve really enjoyed working with such smart, driven colleagues across functions, including our Recruiting and Learning & Development teams.
- What do you work on at AG?
- I primarily work on health care projects that relate to health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), market access, and commercial strategy. I’ve also worked on several litigation cases.
- What do you enjoy most about your work? What do you find most challenging?
- The diversity of projects is what I’ve found most rewarding. At AG, we have the opportunity to work across offices, practice areas, and project types. In each project, my particular role may vary. That means that I am constantly growing, whether in technical skills, teamwork, or content area expertise. What I’ve found most challenging is managing the competing priorities that come from working on several projects at once.
- How does life at AG compare to grad school?
- The main difference I’ve found is that AG is much more fast paced than graduate school. In the health care practice, we tend to work on several projects at once, and prioritizing and advancing each project can be challenging. The main similarity with graduate school is that folks are interested in developing new skills and helping others do the same.
- What new experiences have you had since joining AG?
- I have had so many new experiences since joining AG! I’ve built programming proficiency in Excel and R, and developed qualitative skills in research, writing, and strategic thinking. I’ve had opportunities to lead meetings with clients, coordinate with team members on the completion of complex tasks, and mentor and train junior colleagues. I also tried skiing for the very first time on an AG ski trip!
- What do you think of the case team dynamic?
- Working across case teams has been a really rewarding experience. I’ve found that team members will lift you up with creative ideas, insightful feedback, and a willingness to jump in and help solve problems.
- Have you had any surprises or breakthroughs since joining AG?
- I’ve been surprised by how much learning truly happens at AG. I didn’t realize that there would be such an emphasis on the development of junior staff when I joined. Now as a more tenured associate, I am always looking for opportunities to help newer colleagues define and achieve their goals.
- What is it like to work in your office? What is the culture there?
- Menlo Park is a small office where everyone knows everyone’s name. I’ve found the culture to be supportive and friendly, with folks chatting about projects over lunch. We also enjoy spending time together outside of the office - some of our most fun office activities have included San Francisco Giants games, kayaking in the San Francisco Bay, and winning a local trivia night.
- What do you do when you’re not working?
- I enjoy listening to podcasts while walking outside; watching women’s soccer and University of California, Los Angeles football; and reading. I love learning about history, so visiting museums is a favorite activity of mine too.
