IPhO News

Healthcare CEO and Entrepreneur George Zorich offers an insightful three-part video series for pharmacists—including students—and anyone else interested in learning what it takes to be an entrepreneur and build a business. This is excellent content delivered by an industry expert.

The series begins with an introduction to entrepreneurship that explains why it is so important to pharmacists and industry. You'll then move on to cover tips on building a business from the ground up—critical information for every entrepreneur. Finally, the series provides examples of current entrepreneurs in pharmacy, so you can learn from their success stories.

Megan Larison, PharmD

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Merck

Function/Discipline: Oncology Global Medical Affairs Post-Doctoral Fellow

Alma Mater: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Class of 2020

Are you going into your first rotation at a pharmaceutical company? If so, you are probably feeling a little nervous leading up to your first day stepping into a non-traditional pharmacy rotation.

Don’t let that discourage you. You just need to know these few things to help set yourself up for success!

Before your rotation begins: Research the company and their pipeline. Become familiar with the different functional areas within the pharmaceutical industry but don’t get caught up on people’s individual titles, as they vary at every company.

Working from home as a marketing fellow at the agency RevHealth can be very challenging given the amount of collaboration necessary to design, develop, and gain approval for client medical and/or marketing materials. Whether it’s initial art concepts, copywriting, editorial, or account management; clear and direct communication among colleagues and clients is more essential than ever before during this stressful period in order to meet quality, timing, and financial expectations.

While live medical congresses and other prescriber live symposia have been postponed/cancelled, there has been an aggressive pivot toward the creation of virtual/digital media to engage with KOLs during the COVID-19 era. If there is one thing that life at an agency requires it’s being flexible to change and quickly adapt on the fly to support our clients’ needs. It’s during periods of significant change that an agency has the opportunity to separate itself from the competition! These days, there are plenty of opportunities to “rise to the occasion”!

Adam Elessawi, PharmD
RevHealth, Second-year Marketing Fellow
IPhO Fellowship Program
National Fellows Council
Professional Programming Committee

IPhO would like to thank Nina Johnson, New England Regional Student Officer and PharmD Candidate 2019, for leading the development of this valuable student resource.

The Rutgers Professional Industry Fellowship (RPIF) program will be hosting its annual Fellowship Information and Networking Day (FIND) on November 16, 2018. Hundreds of fourth-year pharmacy students from across the country attend this event to learn more about the nationally recognized fellowship program.

The event is broken down into three sessions: a didactic session, an information session and Q&A panel, and a networking session.

Members of the IPhO National Fellows Council (NFC) and leadership team have provided their FIND insight—including how to prepare for the fellowship application and interviewing processes—to help students make the most of their time at the event.

I put on my jacket and immediately my shoulders went back and I stood up straight.

I think I need to practice in my suit. I feel more “on” when I do.

These comments, from participants in a recent class on presentation skills, demonstrate that your clothing choices can help you to project confidence and to come across as a credible person – one your audience wants to listen to. Yet attire is one of those little things that presenters often don’t think about, or plan.

IPhO Announces Registration Open for the Comprehensive Industry Certificate Course: Commercialization of Pharmaceuticals From A to Z and the Role of Industry Pharmacists.

Learn more and/or register today: www.industrypharmacist.org/certificatecourse.php

To meet the growing demand in preparing student pharmacists, recent graduates, and young professionals interested in an industry career, IPhO is continuing to offer an Industry Certificate Course. If you don’t have access to an industry elective at your school or are a recent graduate or younger professional interested in transitioning to an industry career, including applying for industry fellowships or full time roles, then this certificate course is for you!

After a very successful first year in 2016 and high interest from many student pharmacists, recent graduates, and younger professionals from all regions of the country, IPhO has expanded and enhanced the program for the summer of 2017!

Authored by Kyle Chan, PharmD, RPh, St. John's University - Class of 2016

With the increasingly prominent impact of social media on the daily lives of today’s society, one would be surprised to find that only a small handful of pharmaceutical companies utilize these new media markets. A major reason for this stems from the FDA’s ambiguous regulation of Internet and social media, leaving regulatory professionals with the task of making unclear interpretations from Draft Guidance documents and Warning Letters. Nevertheless, a recent study has shown that between 2013 and 2016, some of the top Pharma companies have strengthened their Twitter followership by nearly 300% while also increasing the average number of tweets by 530%.¹ Clearly, pharmaceutical firms are beginning to embrace social media, and moving forward, it is important to recognize the regulatory challenges that come with the increased scope of these new platforms.

The Midyear is approaching fast! As a service to IPhO Student National Members, the National Fellows Council is collecting your questions and answering them here on the website!

We want to answer YOUR question - please email us here: fellows@industrypharmacist.org

Please click or tap on "Read More" to view current Fellows' answers to the following questions: 

• Are interviewers made aware of what other fellowships you are applying to via PPS, or is this question asked during interviews?
• If you don't click with one preceptor/fellow pair for one position at a reception, will that affect your chances of making a good impression with another fellow/preceptor pair (different position or not) at that company?
• Is it appropriate to offer my business card to a fellow/preceptor interviewer after an interview or reception? Or is that too aggressive/unprofessional by any means?
• How long after you request an interview on PPS do you receive a reply?
• Can you estimate the time you should stay at a reception if you plan on attending multiple?
• For Rutgers fellowship program, do I submit my letter of interest following the midyear? If so, when is the appropriate time to submit the letter of interest?
• Is it necessary for women to wear suits at interviews or is it ok for women to wear other business professional attire (not a jacket)?  
• I have a brief phone call interview scheduled, and I'm not sure what to expect. What's the purpose of phone call interviews?

Have you ever left a meeting or conference thinking, “I wish I had said something?” 

You are not alone. People often come up to me and confess that they are hesitant to speak up at meetings. Others mention that when they do say something, no one responds. 

In a recent article in the New York Times, Sharon Napier, CEO of Partners + Napier, stressed the importance of voicing your opinion when she said: “Don’t sit quietly and think about things and maybe whisper to somebody or tell people afterward. Put yourself out there, and get involved in the conversation.” 

Check your behavior against this list of 10 key assertiveness points to make sure your voice is heard. Do You:

The ability to make an effective presentation is an important business skill. As a presenter, you need to get your point across. And if you do so effectively, not only does your audience gain information, but you look good.

Yet many people, at all levels, are unsure how to appear confident and credible when speaking in front of others. Over the past few months, even seasoned professionals have been among those I have coached on presentation skills.

Whether you are a manager explaining new programs to your employees, a chief financial officer giving a financial update to the media, or a vice president speaking in front of your board of directors, following these 10 suggestions will help you achieve presentation success:

-- But, I didn't mean it that way.
-- I don't understand why he responded so negatively.
-- People always tell me I have a tone. I don't get it!

A common concern people have expressed in my writing classes is that they appear (inadvertently) harsh in their emails. As the above quotes indicate, they don't realize that their word choice and what they include in their emails affect how people interpret their comments.

In an email, you can't rely on nonverbal communication to soften harsh wording, since recipients don't see your face or hear your voice.  Following these seven suggestions will help you to eliminate any unpleasant tone in your writing:

Contributed by Lauren Bartolome, IPhO Student Pharmacist Intern and President, University of Florida IPhO Chapter

Sometimes the more novel approaches to career development are approached cautiously. Students, fellows, industry and  experienced pharmacists of all practice settings are not accustomed to utilizing experienced coaches in order to achieve their career goals.  As a consequence, many aspiring and experienced industry pharmacists are  missing out on a valuable resource: the IPhO coaching service.

One of my assigned intern projects was to begin measuring the effectiveness of the IPhO Coaching Service in a pilot outcomes study. Under the guidance IPhO’s VP of Professional Development & Coaching, I developed a ten- question survey to measure satisfaction of participants including:  achieving their career goals, assistance in customizing their resume, identifying their strengths and weaknesses,removing any obstacles to advancing their industry career, and providing honest feedback and practical guidance.

In a recent New York Times article, “Pass the Word: The Phone Call Is Back,” reporter Jenna Wortham wrote that her friends had started “…picking up their cellphones for an unusual purpose: They wanted to talk. And I started answering when they called.”

Her article highlights that the need for vocal contact is still alive and well. And for some of us, of course, the phone call never went away.

A vice president recently told me that when he acknowledges his employees’ accomplishments, many of them belittle their success with such comments as “Oh, that was no big deal” or “What a fluke.”

Many business professionals negate compliments, often because they don’t want to be perceived as braggarts or as suffering from too big an ego.

Bragging is obnoxious boasting, and is usually done by people who want to let you know how great they think they are. This includes the technique known as “humblebrag” – its practitioners still brag, but try to disguise it as being humble or mildly self-deprecating. This is usually achieved by admitting to a minor flaw while really drawing attention to the big-brag item. (My favorite example: “I am such a klutz. I just spilled wine on my new book contract.”)

Bragging of any kind is not the way to impress colleagues, or bosses. However, I do believe that tactful and appropriate self-promotion is a business skill. Learning when and how to speak well of yourself is a key to getting and staying ahead.

Listed below are 10 ways to toot your own horn, including accepting compliments, without being insufferable:

Can you be too nice?

A woman in one of my seminars asked if it were possible for her to be “too nice” when interacting with her employees. She told me that she often felt invisible with them. Since I teach etiquette, some of you may be surprised that I answered “Yes, you can be too nice.” Let me explain.

A few years ago I created The Three Faces of Communication model to help people understand their communication style. Everyone falls somewhere along the spectrum of Too Nice, Polite and Powerful, and The Tough One.

Do you know where you are on this continuum?

It's Not Rocket Science! 10 Ways to Connect and Engage With People by Barbara Pachter

Lately, I have worked with a number of people with outstanding technical skills whose career growth has been limited by their inability to connect with others. They were referred to me for coaching to provide them with the necessary skills to engage successfully with coworkers, bosses, and customers/clients.

People want to hire, work with, promote and do business with others whom they know and like. If you were not born with the “gift of gab,” and many people weren't, you can still learn the skills to connect with others. Here are 10 actions that will help you to be more approachable, and to engage more easily with others in your workplace.

A few weeks ago, movie director Michael Bay made headlines when he abruptly left the stage during his presentation for Samsung at CES 2014, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The video of his (very short) talk and sudden exit went viral.

Since public speaking is often the number one fear that people experience, Bay’s very public meltdown when his teleprompter failed could discourage others from making presentations.

Yet, there are steps you can take that will allow you to continue with your presentation regardless of whether your teleprompter fails, your mind goes blank, or other difficulties occur. And then you can walk off the stage with your head held high, mission accomplished.

A couple of weeks ago, a Human Resources person took me aside after an etiquette seminar and asked me to make sure I tell people that “asking to connect with an interviewer on LinkedIn right after an interview is considered pushy.”

Her statement got me thinking. In today’s world, social media has become an integral part of any job search. My son got his first professional position by responding to a LinkedIn job posting. I have gotten clients from Twitter. Yet social media hasn’t been around long enough for people to understand fully how easy it is to make career-limiting blunders with their posts/tweets/requests.