Posted by Sara Khor
Lizzy is one of our recent PhD graduates from the CHOICE Institute (Class of 2020). We are very excited to have Lizzy share her experience and tips with us!
“I found that a methodical, small-steps approach helped me not feel overwhelmed by whole process.”
Lizzy Brouwer
Why did you choose to do a PhD? And how did you choose health economics?
I fell into health economics as a way to merge my two loves as an undergraduate student: social policy and mathematics. I was interested in researching and promoting policies that increased equitable access to affordable health care, which lead me to a Master of Public Health in health policy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. We were required to take several economics courses as part of the curriculum, and I loved applying economic principles to real-world data in order to answer health policy questions. After a few years in research, I realized I wanted to dive deeper into the methods I was using and eventually take a bigger leadership role in projects. That led to a PhD program.
What was the topic of your PhD?
My dissertation was titled, “Exploring the uptake of value-based formulary strategies and their application to specialty drugs.” My first aim explored whether patient out-of-pocket costs were associated with value as defined by cost-effectiveness analysis to understand the integration of value information in private formularies. My second aim looked at the use of patient assistance programs (also commonly referred to as copay coupons) for specialty drugs and how their presence affected patient demand. The purpose of this aim was to understand if patients were responsive to changes in out-of-pocket costs for specialty drugs in the face of manufacturer-provided financial assistance, and therefore whether value-based insurance design could be an effective lever in that context.
What are you currently working on? Does this align with your training or your research interests?
I am currently working in two jobs. The first is as a research scientist at CHOICE building models in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). This exciting opportunity allows me to be involved in national conversations about drug value with one of the leading health economics organizations in the United States, with the added bonus of continuing to work with the wonderful CHOICE faculty. My other role is a research associate with Curta Consulting, which was founded by CHOICE alumna, Lisa Bloudek. In this position, I work on research projects and model building for various biopharmaceutical companies. I really enjoy the fast pace and the wide variety of topics covered, as well as better understanding the role and nuances of health economics in the private sector.
Can you share one of your favorite or proudest moments during the PhD years?
I had my first child during my 3rd year, and it was harder than I anticipated to manage my family responsibilities while also moving my dissertation forward. When I returned from maternity leave at the beginning of fall quarter, I was determined to regain any lost momentum and I created an ambitious timeline for myself. Therefore, my proudest moment of the program was in the spring of that academic year when I had my long dissertation proposal approved, my general exam scheduled, and was awarded both the Lou Garrison Award for work in Health Economics and the PhARMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Health Outcomes. It felt like validation for my commitment to momentum during the previous months.
I also scheduled regular meetings with my chair and printed out an itemized agenda for each meeting to ensure our time was used efficiently… By writing everything down and methodically checking it off, I was able to feel reasonably sure I was not dropping any of the details I was juggling.
What do you think are the “secret sauces” of a successful PhD experience?
Every student is different and will have different paths to success, however I found that a methodical, small-steps approach helped me not feel overwhelmed by whole process. This meant outlining major milestones and then breaking down all the steps needed to get there. Once the larger tasks were broken down, they felt much more manageable. For example, I created deadlines for myself to produce and submit drafts of my dissertation products (short proposal, long proposal, analysis plans, manuscripts, dissertation chapters, etc), and I stayed (mostly) accountable to those deadlines. I also scheduled regular meetings with my chair and printed out an itemized agenda for each meeting to ensure our time was used efficiently. For example, if there was a roadblock in my research, I tried to outline the problem and suggest 2-3 paths forward for us to discuss. By writing everything down and methodically checking it off, I was able to feel reasonably sure I was not dropping any of the details I was juggling.
Advice for current/ future PhD students?
You can do it! Take breaks, have fun, and finish the darn thing 😊
Incremental Thoughts 