Close Concerns, a healthcare information company that advocates for people with diabetes, seeks undergraduate applicants for its prestigious two-year Associate Program, based in San Francisco.
- The Associate Program provides new college graduates unparalleled exposure to the ‘real world’ of healthcare and business, significant work experience and responsibility, international travel, and built-in support for graduate school applications.
- For candidates considering a gap year before post-graduate studies – such as medical school – this Program is the best way to enhance your skills and knowledge, interact with healthcare leaders, and use a different part of your brain, all the while improving your chances of getting into a top graduate program.
Our family of organizations, led by Kelly Close, share a meaningful social purpose: improving life for people with diabetes, one of the biggest public health problems of our time. This is a mission that everyone here takes to heart – if you feel that you can share it, please apply.
__________________________________
The Close Concerns Associate Program
Close Concerns, founded in 2002, is a healthcare information company focused on diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity, dedicated to improving patient outcomes.
We do this by educating physicians, researchers, business leaders, policy makers, and manufacturers about the most important news and research in the field via an online publication. With thousands of subscribers at academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, drug and medical device companies, and government bodies, Close Concerns is widely read and respected in the healthcare community.
Close Concerns Associates research, write, and edit our products, frequently by attending scientific conferences and interviewing experts, including business leaders and world-class endocrinologists. Associates broaden their minds, sharpen their communication skills, and quickly become experts in all aspects of diabetes – such as therapies, medical devices, digital health, clinical research, public health, regulatory, and business issues. On occasion, Associates author and publish research papers in peer-reviewed journals or at major conferences. Most are excited by the significant level of responsibility they are given and their access to patients, thought leaders, researchers, and industry executives.
Close Concerns provides ongoing support for graduate school admissions. Most of our Associates go on to attend a top ranked graduate program. Since 2007, 55% have attended either Penn, Columbia, Harvard UCSF or Yale (most for Medical School). The specific work at Close Concerns and the reputation of the Associate Program also help to create a much stronger application and turn you into a better prepared and more compelling candidate. To support you in the application process, we provide a customized and compelling reference, free access to an excellent graduate school admissions advisor, and access to our Alums – together with time off and financial support for exams or exam prep (e.g., MCAT).
Typically, the Associate Program involves significant travel in the United States and internationally, which Associates find enriching. Our conferences have allowed our associates to travel to renowned places around the globe such as Florence, London, Madrid, Boston, Seattle, Chennai, Aspen, Austin, Barcelona, Berlin, Busan, Chicago, Keystone, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Liverpool, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Paris, Sorrento, Washington D.C., Winnipeg, Stockholm, Rome, Chicago, San Diego, Lisbon, Thessaloniki, and Abu Dhabi. Our Associates typically travel 30% – 40% of the time and collect a lot of air miles!
Our organization is located in the vibrant Lower Haight neighborhood of San Francisco – an exciting and beautiful city. Our compensation package is appropriate for living happily in San Francisco, and we provide support in finding nearby accommodation and offer excellent work benefits (including healthcare, 401(k), public transport, gym/yoga membership, a kitchen stocked with healthy foods, and a great team atmosphere).
__________________________________
About You
The Associate position at Close Concerns is ideal for someone with a science or pre-medical background; additional interests in data analysis, computer science, public health, health policy, and/or economics or business are considered a bonus! Strong critical thinking and writing skills are a must.
Requirements for successful candidates:
- Demonstrated academic excellence
- Scientific background; research and/or data science experience is encouraged
- Exceptionally strong writing, editing, and synthesizing skills
- Strong critical thinking and analytic skills
- Adaptable and flexible approach to work
- High energy and ability to keep multiple projects moving simultaneously
- Ability to work independently and to collaborate frequently within small teams
- Reliability; commitment to schedules and deadlines
- Two-year commitment to the position
We pride ourselves on our friendly and inclusive environment. Through our recruiting, we are committed to sustaining our diverse workplace.
__________________________________
TO APPLY: This is a highly sought-after position. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and you are encouraged to apply early. The official deadline is November 30, 2024. For those who apply before October 21, initial offers may be given as early as December 10 and final offers will be given in early February.
Please apply here through Workable. Please do not apply through your school’s career portal – we will not receive these applications.
Close Concerns treats everyone equally and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
In addition to the question fields in our online application, please attach the following as a single PDF document in the “Resume” field:
· Resume as PDF – please include high school GPA and rank, undergraduate GPA, major, and graduation year
Please email Sasha Gala at sasha.gala@closeconcerns.com if you have any challenges with the application form.
__________________________________
Testimonials
We are really proud of helping our Alumni of Close Concerns take another important step in their journey. Our alums have attended graduate or medical school at UCSF, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Dartmouth, and many other outstanding institutions.
Here are some reflections about the role from previous Associates:
“At Close Concerns, I absolutely loved the opportunity to scale a steep learning curve and gain deep expertise in the scientific, business, and policy aspects of the diabetes and obesity fields, all while working with some of the brightest, kindest people I’ve met. I savored being able to interview clinical trial leaders and pharmaceutical executives and ask pressing questions. My work at Close Concerns has shaped my interests in medical school and has enabled me to ask worthwhile research questions.”
– Ashwin Chetty (Yale College ’21, Yale School of Medicine ’27)
“Associates at Close Concerns have more independence and responsibility than almost any other graduates fresh out of college. The job is exciting, fast-paced, and the best testing ground I could imagine for learning how to become successful in any field. “
– Jenny Jin (Harvard College ’06, UCSF School of Medicine ’12, Resident, Orthopedic Surgeon, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, General Orthopedic Surgeon, Saint Alphonsus, Boise, Idaho)
“Simply put, I loved working at Close Concerns because I was able to work with incredibly bright, driven, and fun people all committed to working together to make an impact. The best part about Close Concerns is that you never leave the community. I even ended up co-founding Adventris Pharmaceuticals with a fellow Close Concerns alum.”
– Jen Herbach (Amherst College ’07, Harvard Business School ’13, Co-Founder and CEO, Adventris Pharmaceuticals)
“While I certainly value the skills I learned at Close Concerns, I am most appreciative of the perspective I gained. The work gave me an exhaustive understanding of the many forces driving medical care and health policy – where those forces succeed and where they fall short. My experiences at Close Concerns have fueled my own passion to be persistent, resourceful, and dedicated in my own career.”
– Eric Chang (Pomona College ’09, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine ’14, Radiation Oncologist, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles ‘18, University of Colorado School of Medicine Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Resident ‘21)