IPhO News

IPhO is pleased to announce five fellowship partnerships for 2020-21! For the programs listed below, IPhO is a full partner in both recruiting and program administration. Candidates were identified through the 5,000+ National Student Network with nearly 90 chapters, and all recruiting was successfully accomplished through the IPhO FellowMatch service.

These IPhO fellows will be leaders within the National Fellows Council, and they are involved with national IPhO leadership. The group got together for a "virtual meet and greet" earlier this summer and enjoyed a fun evening of networking!

IPhO is pleased to announce the addition of another new student chapter to our growing national network!

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Butler University. IPhO now connects them to a national network of nearly 90 chapters and more than 5,000 student pharmacists with similar interests, as well as a national network of hundreds of industry fellows and thousands of industry pharmacists.

Several more schools are in the late stages of filing their chapter applications and will soon join the growing national network.

To start a chapter at your school, click here.

For the student benefits of joining IPhO, view the National Student Brochure here!

Hi everyone, my name is Reba Doohkie and I attend the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (go gators!) with an anticipated graduation year of 2021. I am currently the South Atlantic Region Regional Student Officer for IPhO.

During my first year at UF, I attended my first IPhO meeting and decided to get involved as an active member. I quickly discovered that industry is the career path for me. I began my second year as the Director of Communications and stayed involved the year after. By attending their meetings with guest speakers and participating in the VIP Case Competition, I was able to learn more about non-traditional pharmacist roles. What interests me the most about a career in industry is that there are many options to choose from, yet they are all connected by a common goal to deliver affordable medications to patients in need.

IPhO is proud to partner with Pharmacy Initiative Leaders (PILs) to award IPhO 2020 Annual Meeting scholarships to two student pharmacists of color. The chosen students will receive complimentary meeting registration, courtesy of IPhO, as well as $500 from PILs to assist with any Midyear expenses. The first-place scholarship winner will also join the 2020-2021 PILs Coaches Program.

These scholarships support and empower the success of more pharmacists of color in the pharmaceutical industry.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
AUGUST 1, 2020

REQUIREMENTS:
Minimum GPA: 3.00
500 word essay
One Letter of Recommendation
Curriculum Vitae with head shot
One copy of your unofficial transcript

APPLY TODAY

A unique internship opportunity changed Nicole's career interests and she never looked back!

She describes what drew her to pursuing an industry career and why she believes pharmacists are so well suited for industry roles.

Listen in as Nicole shares some tips for maximizing your time in pharmacy school to help advance your industry career!

Are you a current pharmacy student interested in sharing a story? Click here to let us know!

Greetings, my name is Adesola Adenote. I am a member of the Class of 2022 at Texas Southern University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and I am also our IPhO chapter's incoming president.

During my first year in the pharmacy program, I knew that I wanted to pursue an industry focused career. However, I believed it was important that I learned more about different fields of pharmacy to enhance my understanding of the importance of the role an industry pharmacist plays. A career in industry would allow me to utilize the knowledge and skills gained from the clinical and retail sides of pharmacy and allow me to be a well-rounded industry pharmacist. I would be able to challenge myself to view matters from all angles.

Not familiar with the IPhO VIP Case Competition? You should be! It's what inspired Michael to pursue the pharmaceutical industry. It opened his eyes to a whole new side of regulatory affairs.

Listen in as Michael shares some tips for maximizing your time in pharmacy school to help advance your industry career!

Are you a current pharmacy student interested in sharing a story? Click here to let us know!

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Purdue University / Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Function/Discipline: Early Clinical Operations

Fellowship Years: 2020—2022

Alma Mater: MCPHS University

Andrew Lee, a current Early Clinical Operations fellow, shares his advice for feeling confident and succeeding in your fellowship interviews. His key ingredient? Authenticity.

Have a fellowship question? Click here to ask a current fellow!

Company: Pfizer

Current Role: Medical Scientific Associate

Alma Mater: Howard University College of Pharmacy

If your talent and skills match your passion and organizational need, you will always have job satisfaction.

I decided to attend pharmacy school because I have always had an interest in healthcare and the evolving role of pharmacists—who play an integral role in patient monitoring, medical information, preventative care, and counseling.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Florida A&M University/Bristol Myers Squibb

Function/Discipline: Oncology Medical Affairs

Fellowship Years: 2020—2022

Alma Mater: UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Listen in as Raena shares what drew her to industry, the importance of keeping an open mind, and the one thing she wishes someone would have shared with her before she started interviewing.

Have a fellowship question? Click here to ask a current fellow!

As the 2019-20 fellowship year comes to a close, IPhO would like to recognize and thank its National Fellows Council leaders, who have dedicated time and attention to making the year's initiatives incredibly successful.

Congratulations to the following committee members, who are completing their fellowships and accepting full-time industry roles.

For Michel, a Philadelphia native, helping his parents safely take their medications and working with cancer patients in a hospital inspired him to pursue industry pharmacy. He knew from a young age that it was the career path for him.

Now, he is doing everything he can to make his dream a reality.

Listen in as Michel shares some tips for maximizing your time in pharmacy school to help advance your industry career!

Are you a current pharmacy student interested in sharing a story? Click here to let us know!

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Rutgers University/Bristol Myers Squibb

Function/Discipline: Oncology HEOR

Fellowship Years: 2020—2022

Alma Mater: University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy

Who are you? A loaded question undoubtedly. However, when prompted to answer this question in the context of my career interest and goals, this is the response that came to mind: communication strategist, educator, artist and scientist.

The connecting thread amongst all my identifiers is a commitment to impacting the lives of others and being an advocate for the voiceless. This continues to be my driving force and is my primary motivation for becoming a Rutgers University and Bristol Myers Squibb Oncology Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR) Fellow. I view this fellowship as the ideal opportunity to tap into growing pharmaceutical industry trends to drive innovative approaches to today’s global health challenges.

Growing up in a family of healthcare professionals, Allen always knew he wanted a career that positively impacted patient care. His passion for evidence-based science meant that pharmacy was a natural choice. Now, currently in his final year of pharmacy school at MCPHS University, he is looking forward to APPE rotations in medical information and drug information.

He describes his time in pharmacy school as a "roller coaster"—a long but extremely rewarding ride.

Listen in as Allen shares some tips for maximizing your time in pharmacy school to help advance your industry career!

Are you a current pharmacy student interested in sharing a story? Click here to let us know!

Company and Department: AbbVie, Sales

Role: Immunology Sales Representative in Rheumatology

Alma mater: Howard University

Since the beginning of pharmacy school, I knew I wanted to eventually work behind the scenes in a field that had the potential to improve patient health on a global scale. At the time, I hadn't yet learned that the pharmaceutical industry would provide that exact opportunity. Over the past few years, I connected with many pharmacists currently working in industry who shared their experiences and helped me realize that what I really wanted was the ability to marry my clincal knowledge with my business acumen—that's how I could truly make a difference.

Though many secure a fellowship after graduation, the landscape is growing increasingly competitive and I knew I needed to research alternative pathways to industry. After consulting my mentors, I learned more about pursuing sales full time and the doors that could open for me. I attended a sales conference where I had the opportunity to interview and apply for my future role in sales at AbbVie Pharmaceuticals. While interviewing, I felt like I was able to effectively demonstrate the value that my education and background would add to the company. Many commercial fellowship programs have rotations in sales because of its focus on product knowledge and company insight. I knew this was the right starting point for me.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Eli Lilly

Function/Discipline: Global Regulatory Affairs: US and International Policy and Strategy

Fellowship Years: 2019—2020

Alma Mater: Howard University, Class of 2019

Prior to pharmacy school, I coordinated pharmacology research projects in a translational medicine lab. Intrigued by the drug development process and clinical trials, I sought a career change that would allow me to explore those areas. A doctorate in pharmacy was the perfect fit for me because of the sheer amount of fellowships available at pharmaceutical companies post-graduation. While in pharmacy school, I took a clinical pharmacology internship in South San Francisco with the intention of learning about common functional areas for pharmacists. Regulatory affairs stood out to me, due to the role's liaison nature between the company and regulatory agencies. Additionally, I’ve always been interested in global roles and held two global leadership positions for the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) on the Public Health Committee.

Company: Pfizer

Current Role: Territory Business Manager

Alma Mater: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

“Delay does not mean denial.”

During my time as a pharmacy student at Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, I was President of SNPhA, APhA-ASP, and other professional organizations for four years. I worked diligently to educate my classmates and faculty about opportunities for pharmacists outside of retail and clinical—I wanted to highlight that pharmacists could do more and that pursuing a career in industry could open many doors. I was even able to secure Eli Lilly and Bristol-Myers Squibb to come and speak at my school about their industry roles.

After realizing that my path did not include a fellowship or residency, I applied for business school at Florida State College (FSU). While attending FSU and studying for my boards to become licensed, I began the search for a role in industry. I wasn’t sure about which role was best for me. I knew most about becoming a Medical Science Liaison, since that’s where most PharmDs I knew navigated to, but continued to explore other options that would also allow me to leverage my MBA.