Thanks to his recent internship at Ascent Pharmaceuticals, Mohammad Nazim Dawla has discovered new intricacies and nuances when it comes to crunching numbers鈥攃ritical skills as he pursues his M.B.A. with a finance concentration.

From June through August, Dawla worked as an intern in the pharma company鈥檚 accounting department, tackling daily responsibilities such as journal entries, reconciling bank transactions, and posting accounts payable and receivable. He also handled weekly tasks, like vendor payment tracking and aligning invoices with bank statements鈥攅ssential duties that he credits with sharpening his accuracy on the job.
鈥淎scent鈥檚 mission, bringing pharmaceutical products to market, made my day-to-day tasks feel meaningful,鈥 Dawla says.
After learning to use business management and accounting software, like Acumatica ERP and Quickbooks, respectively, Dawla was excited to go to work each day. Using those programs, he was able to take on broader financial operations including sales entries, expense tracking, vendor payments, invoice processing, flagging mismatches, and generating month-end reports.
This hands-on experience using software critical to keeping a business on its feet deepened Dawla鈥檚 understanding of financial operations across different business sizes鈥攑erfect preparation for his future career in financial strategy roles or in corporate finance.
鈥淎ccounting isn鈥檛 just about numbers but about data consistency and process reliability,鈥 Dawla reflects. He did not anticipate how much effort goes into ensuring consistency across programs. The required attention to detail made for one of his proudest moments on the job as he discovered a double-posted vendor invoice between the two systems. Catching that issue early saved an unnecessary payment and earned his supervisor鈥檚 appreciation.
As he continues his M.B.A. studies, Dawla looks forward to applying newfound expertise from his internship to his lessons in the classroom. Notably, he is proud of gaining stronger technical skills in financial analysis, a sharper attention to detail, and a deeper appreciation for how finance supports overall business strategy.
鈥淚 was most excited to take advantage of opportunities to learn directly from experienced professionals,鈥 Dawla says. 鈥淚 was able to gain hands-on practice with real financial data and observe how a pharmaceutical company manages its finances in a competitive industry.鈥
More News
Future Physicians Provide Care in the Dominican Republic
College of Osteopathic Medicine students delivered hands-on care in rural Dominican Republic communities with the medical school鈥檚 Center for Global Health.
Faculty Tenures and Promotions for 2026鈥2027
Several faculty members have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship, service, and commitment to the university and its students through tenure and promotions.
Ph.D. Student Uses Game Theory to Model Manhattan
Electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student Helen Wu uses game theory to study the impact of congestion pricing in New York City.
Fellows鈥 Field Notes: Bofan He and Christine Lee
Edward Guiliano Global Fellowship recipients Bofan He and Christine Lee reflect on their experiences as they traveled to conduct academic research.
Course About Aging Provides Students With Life Lessons
A new Philosophy of Aging course is helping students build unexpected connections across generations鈥攁nd rethink what it means to grow older.
Online Business Programs Launch for Adult Learners, Degree Completers
The School of Management launches online programs for adult learners and transfer students looking to complete their business degrees.