Full-time Associate, San Francisco

Celebrating its 20-year anniversary in 2022, Close Concerns, a healthcare information company that advocates for people with diabetes, seeks undergraduate applicants for its two-year Associate Program, based in San Francisco.

·       The Associate Program gives 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 post-graduate studies, such as medical school, it 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 many talented alums have gone on to stellar careers in medicine, public health, and business. 

·       This is the eighteenth year of the Associate Program, and we have three places available for successful candidates. 

 

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 Associate Program runs across the three sister organizations:

·       Close Concerns, a healthcare information services provider;

·       dQ&A, a research company focused on understanding and amplifying the voice of people with diabetes;

·       diaTribe, a nonprofit with a mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes and prediabetes, and to advocate for action. 

Associates work primarily for one organization, but you will most likely interact with people from all three organizations on a daily basis in our young, dynamic, and social workplace. We currently have Associate Program openings at Close Concerns and dQ&A.  

Please apply for the program by clicking this link, which is also repeated below. If you so wish, we will automatically consider you for openings at our sister organization dQ&A, so you only need to apply once. We will answer all your questions during the selection process, and you can always express any preferences in your cover letter.

 

The rest of this document covers the specifics of the role at Close Concerns. Follow this link to learn more about dQ&A.

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, edit, and publish 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.  From time to time, 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. 

Typically, the Associate Program involves significant travel in the United States and internationally,which Associates find enriching. In 2019, we attended conferences in Aspen, Austin, Barcelona, Berlin, Busan, Chicago, Houston, Keystone, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Liverpool, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Paris, Pasadena, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sorrento, Washington D.C., Winnipeg, and more. In 2020, conferences were held virtually, but we are now seeing normal travel resume. So far in 2021 and 2022, our Associates have traveled to Stockholm, Rome, the US Virgin Islands, New York City, Barcelona, New Orleans, Aspen, Chicago, London, and Abu Dhabi. Close Concerns Associates typically travel 30% - 40% of the time and collect a lot of airmiles! Free days are usually arranged while traveling and going early is encouraged.

Close Concerns provides ongoing support for graduate school admissions, through our extensive network of advisors and our access to Associate Program alums, with their detailed knowledge of schools and the application process. Close Concerns also provides references, free access to an excellent graduate school admissions advisor, and time off and financial support for exams or exam prep (e.g., MCAT). 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.

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).

 

The Associate position at Close Concerns is ideal for someone with a science or pre-medical background with additional interest in business, public health, and/or health policy. Strong critical thinking and writing skills are a must. 

Requirements for successful candidates:

We pride ourselves on our friendly and inclusive environment. Through our recruiting, we are committed to sustaining our diverse workplace.

 

This is a highly sought-after position – if you are interested, please apply now at this link. The deadline is December 15, 2022 but applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and you are encouraged to apply early. 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:

Please email Rebecca McClure at rebecca.mcclure@closeconcerns.com if you have any problems with the application form.

 

We are really proud of helping Alumni of Close Concerns, dQ&A, and The diaTribe Foundation 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.

 

 

“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. “

 

“Simply put, I loved working at Close Concerns because I was able to work with incredibly bright, driven, and fun people. Coming from finance, it was a breath of fresh air to be able to actually make something happen when I had a good idea. I really felt like I was making an actual impact with my work.”

 

“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.” 

“diaTribe has provided me with an incredible community of like-minded peers who want to impact the public health field. As a part of a small team, I was given a huge amount of responsibility coming out of college. Beyond immersing myself in diabetes, this job taught me how to think on my feet, be an effective communicator and leader, and fail fast on the way to success.”

 

 

“dQ&A has provided me with a unique opportunity to advocate for people with chronic illness, gain practical business acumen, sharpen my analytical and management skills, and address a public health crisis. The multifaceted nature of the role helped me to develop a well-rounded skillset and perspective on healthcare that will be invaluable in my future in medicine. With the intimate, dynamic work culture of a startup, but with far-reaching impact and influence in the diabetes sphere, dQ&A is a phenomenal launching pad for anyone pursuing a career in healthcare or business.”

“At dQ&A, I’ve enjoyed working with a small team that has encouraged me to grow both personally and professionally. Over the last year, I’ve learned to lead an international patient research service that covers 8 countries and counting. I have also been able to develop a well-rounded perspective of the diabetes landscape. Notably, my work has led me to interact with stakeholders from every corner of the healthcare industry. I’ve asked people with diabetes about the challenges they face, I’ve shared this data with manufacturers designing new technologies, and I’ve gotten an inside look at how agencies decide which therapies to approve and reimburse. As I pursue a career in medicine, I am excited to build upon the skills and perspectives that dQ&A has given me.”