Your Path
To Industry
Starts Here

Sissy Owusu-Addo, PharmD
Manager–Americas Regional Regulatory Scientist
ImBu

What was your motivation to pursue the pharmaceutical industry as a career path?

I have always been interested in working in the pharmaceutical industry since undergrad. I enjoyed learning how medications were created and wanted to be in a career that would serve patients on a broader scale. I loved the various roles that came with industry and how they blended well together.

It's summertime—or as I like to call it “Fellowship Preparation Pre-season”—which means a busy time of the year for our IPhO coaches, as proactive industry-interested students begin the process of identifying and selecting their functional priorities and continuing to develop and complete their CVs and cover letters in preparation for submitting fellowship applications in the late summer and early fall. Year after year, the competition for these coveted positions keeps increasing.

Back in the fall of 2023, in the Coach's Corner, I described how challenging it can be for students to select an Industry Career Coach, now that there are more choices than ever. When I created the IPhO Coaching Service in 2013, not only were we surprised how popular it had become, but we also never expected the current quantity of options.

Namareq Musa, PharmD
US Medical Information/Publications Fellow
Pfizer / Howard University

When I first started my fellowship journey, I knew I had to do more than just apply—I had to truly understand what I was getting into. I wanted to learn everything I could, not just about the functional areas, but also about the therapeutic space and the role of a fellow within these pharmaceutical companies.

So, I started reaching out to current fellows, former preceptors, classmates, and anyone willing to share their experiences. There were moments when the process felt overwhelming. I found myself constantly refreshing my inbox, second-guessing whether I had prepared enough, and wondering how I’d ever manage to stand out in such a competitive field. But looking back, fellowship season turned out to be one of the most fulfilling times in my professional life.