IPhO News

Company: AstraZeneca

Current Role: Medical Scientist in Late Phase Immuno-Oncology

Alma Mater: University of Maryland Baltimore, Class of 2016

Four years ago, I was in your very shoes, approaching graduation and wondering what I was going to do with my life. For those of you reading this, I hope my story provides you with some inspiration, as I poured over these IPhO spotlights myself in those days of praying for a job in industry, and it truly gave me hope as to what I could achieve.

I was a late starter in my interest of industry. I thought industry was all intense research and benchwork in labs, working by myself, and as I was a people person, I thought it wouldn’t be a place for me. Then, as I attended AMCP roundtables hosted by my school and read over the Rutgers Fellowship Brochure, I was excited to find that there were many opportunities besides lab work in industry, and they sounded interesting and innovative.

I was lucky enough to get into an FDA rotation before Midyear and my school placed my Eli Lilly rotation afterward. Midyear, as many of you know, is a grueling process, and I completed 36 interviews in 4 days (which looking back, may have been a bit excessive). I waited and waited until late January, when I realized I wouldn’t get an onsite interview, as some of my friends had already received offers. I thought it was nearly impossible to get a job in industry without a fellowship, so I decided to try for a residency, thinking that additional clinical skills could only help me to get an industry job later. I ended up interviewing onsite at multiple hospitals, but ultimately didn’t match, the first or second time.

Now in its 5th year, the annual VIP Case Competition has become a highly recognizable, signature IPhO program that provides participating chapters with an opportunity to develop a cohesive plan to bring a theoretical new molecular entity from ‘bench to bedside’.

Each and every year, chapter participation and submissions grow more competitive and knowledge of key industry functional areas for new product commercialization are critical for a competitive submission.

To support the continued success of this signature IPhO program, we are pleased to announce the launch of live online professional development seminars during April 2020, focusing on VIP Case Competition best practices from the 2019-20 award-winning chapters.

Company: Medpace

Current Role: Clinical Research Associate

Alma Mater: Regis University

My curiosity to explore and discover, as well as my desire to build knowledge, naturally drew me to industry. Prior to entering pharmacy school, I had worked in a research lab and gained experience as a pharmacy technician in the community retail setting. In pharmacy school, the integrated curriculum focused on Team-Based Learning at Regis was a good fit and allowed me to hone my teamwork skills by committing to my team’s success. In my first year, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a pharmacy intern at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

At the time, my career plans were focused on residency and becoming a clinical pharmacist. Eager to encounter new ideas, people and activities, I became a student leader in professional organizations, volunteered in community outreach programs, and took on extracurricular projects. My journey through pharmacy school was steady going, with the occasional setback and sacrifice that occur on one’s path to success. I learned a lot about myself through this experience including recognizing my resiliency and perseverance. By my fourth year in pharmacy school, I had grown ambivalent of my initial pursuit of residency. I was torn between what I thought I should do versus what I actually wanted to do.

Company: Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Current Role: Medical Information Specialist, Global Medical Information

Alma Mater: MCPHS University, Boston

There is always more than one path to a goal. To those whose goal is working in the pharmaceutical industry, I would beckon you to first define what it is you would be passionate about doing. For myself, defining this was the first and most crucial step in beginning my path to a fulfilling career in industry.

Throughout my time in pharmacy school I did not put much thought into what career track would provide me with the type of job I found satisfying. Like many of my peers I began working as a pharmacist in the retail setting. Quickly realizing that for myself, this was not how I wanted to use my degree, I took time to investigate the different career opportunities for a pharmacist. I reached out to colleagues who worked in the industry in various roles, trying to understand what it is they did and whether I could see myself in a similar role. I found myself intrigued by the function that pharmacists had in medical information; a focus on understanding and educating others about therapeutic areas and medications, distilling down a wealth of information and using it to support physicians.

Company: Greenwich Biosciences

Current Role: Pharmacovigilance Scientist

Alma Mater: MCPHS University, Boston

If you focus on the finish line and reverse engineer the steps to get there, you'll be able to reach the end.

My interest in the pharmaceutical industry began during my first professional year of pharmacy school. It was at this point in my academic career that I started to learn about the opportunities for a pharmacist within the healthcare system. The concept of the pharmaceutical industry appealed to me for many reasons, but one of the main reasons was to have a global patient impact.

As I learned where I wanted to be after my education, I began to delve into more of the roles within the pharmaceutical industry. I joined organizations at my school, such as IPhO, to gain more insight. During my second professional year, I helped start the first chapter of ISPE (International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering) at my university. These opportunities not only provided me with immense knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry but helped me connect with like-minded individuals and respected industry professionals.

Company: VeganMed, Inc

Current Role: Medical Scientist

Alma Mater: University of the Pacific: Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Entering pharmacy school, I envisioned myself as a retail pharmacist impacting patients’ lives on the frontlines post-graduation. However, my curiosity for nontraditional pharmacist roles grew as I progressed through school and accumulated exposure to various aspects of healthcare where pharmacists played an integral role. Persistence in seeking out varying career paths ultimately led me to discover my passion for industry.

During my final years of pharmacy school, I sought out every opportunity to build my industry-relevant skills. I engaged in a startup environment as a Clinical Research Associate with a physician looking to develop his own nutraceutical, managed cardiovascular research trials as a Primary Investigator at the David Grant USAF Medical Center, and completed a medical affairs internship focused in multiple myeloma at Amgen with the Intercontinental Scientific Affairs team.

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

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 81 chapters and more than 4,000 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, contact us here.

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

Company: ApotheCom

Current Role: Senior Medical Writer

Alma Mater: Northeastern University

Do I want to wear a suit or a white coat, maybe both? Going into pharmacy school I had a strong inclination of pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry. I was working as a pharmacy technician at a retail chain when I applied to pharmacy school and knew I wanted to explore different roles. However, at the time I really did not know how pharmacists could get involved in the industry. I am originally from the Boston area so after being accepted to Northeastern University I decided it would be a good idea to stick around this booming biotech area.

During my time at Northeastern University I took advantage of being involved in the IPhO organization as much as possible. The organization through partnerships with MCPHS was able to host presentations from several pharmacists in various roles throughout the industry. The value of networking and interacting with industry pharmacists while you are in pharmacy school cannot be understated! Hearing from those involved in the industry first-hand gave me major insight into the types of roles I wanted to pursue.

Company: Bristol Myers Squibb, US Commercial

Current Role: Project Manager

Alma Mater: Rutgers University, Class of 2010

In all honesty, I didn’t picture myself working in industry and my journey to BMS was a little non-traditional. I started working at Walgreens during my first year in pharmacy school and absolutely loved retail. Retail can be tough, but patient interaction was incredibly important to me.

I continued to work for Walgreens after graduation and soon became a Pharmacy Manager. I got the chance to work on various special projects such as leading Immunization CEs and working on the recruiting team, but after 12 years in retail, I knew I was ready for a new challenge. I started looking into getting an MBA with the intention of moving up the ranks at Walgreens or finding a job on their corporate team. Life had a different plan.

Congratulations to the winners of the 4th Annual Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition. This year, 59 IPhO student chapters registered to participate in the competition—the most impressive turnout to-date!

The annual IPhO VIP Case Competition enables students to delve into multiple disciplines within the pharmaceutical industry as they develop their hypothetical drug, including, but not limited to: Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, and Commercial Functions. Each phase of the drug's development lifecycle presents a unique challenge that encourages students to think strategically and apply both their clinical and pharmaceutical industry knowledge.

The second-annual IPhO Northeast Regional meeting was held at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) in late February. Nearly 70 students from across the northeast attended, with significant representation from Long Island University, University of Buffalo, and ACPHS.

Meeting attendees had the opportunity to network with a number of industry professionals, key opinion leaders, and current fellows, among others. Jerry Silverman, SVP, Professional Development and Coaching for IPhO, kicked off the day by exciting the audience about the convergence of driving forces resulting in significant opportunities for students to enter industry.

Company: ETHOS Health Communications

Current Role: Medical Writer

Alma Mater: University of South Florida College of Pharmacy

Make no mistake, getting into industry is as rewarding, as it is difficult. My goal during pharmacy school was to explore all paths a pharmacist could take in order to get a better understanding about what I wanted to do. I started my career in a traditional role as a retail pharmacy intern. I found myself uninspired and undervalued. It was from here I was determined to pursue alternative options that would fulfill my never ending desire and passion to grow.

After my first year of pharmacy school I became an intern at Elsevier/Gold Standard where I started to learn about the nontraditional roles available to a pharmacist. I learned the impact a pharmacist had on drug information, which sparked my interest in further understanding what pharmacists could do within a drug company. I applied for a rotation at Bristol-Myers Squibb, which helped me understand the importance of a pharmacist in the pharmaceutical industry.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The application deadline for IPhO National and Regional Student Officer positions is March 15, 2020.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION INFORMATION

Note that applications are being reviewed on an ongoing basis, so we encourage you NOT TO WAIT to submit.

As a reminder, National and Regional Student Officer positions are available to any students who:

• Have served as a National or Regional Student Officer with IPhO
• Have served on their IPhO chapter's executive board in any capacity
• Have worked as a virtual intern with IPhO

Be sure to spread the word, and good luck!

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Novo Nordisk

Function/Discipline: Medical Affairs

Fellowship Years: 2019—2020

Alma Mater: University of Rhode Island, Class of 2019

How did you learn about career opportunities for pharmacists in industry?
Most of what I learned about career opportunities for pharmacists in industry I learned on my own. After having experiences in community and hospital pharmacy, I realized neither really fit with what I was looking for in a career. So, I started searching for other career opportunities that a PharmD degree could provide, and found industry. From there, I read about all of the different functional areas and felt that medical affairs would be a great fit for me. Once I decided this was the path I wanted to take, I tried to gain real life experiences in industry. I was fortunate to be able to complete an internship as well as an APPE rotation with pharmaceutical companies. While I completed these experiences, I made sure to speak with current fellows and other pharmacists in different functional areas to really understand their role to confirm that this was the path I wanted to take. This is something I would really encourage student pharmacists that are interested in pursuing a career in industry to do. Even if you are not able to have internships or APPEs in industry, reach out to current fellows to discover more about what they do to help you decide which functional area you would enjoy most.

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

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Chicago State University College of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 78 chapters and more than 4,000 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, contact us here.

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

Fellowship Sponsor Company: ECIR Medical Communications

Function/Discipline: Medical Affairs and Scientific Communications

Fellowship Years: 2019—2021

Alma Mater: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Class of 2019

I was inspired to become an industry pharmacist from a young age. My mother worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative for nearly 15 years and informed me that several coworkers she frequently interacted with during training and company events were pharmacists. Upon meeting these coworkers, they informed me that working in industry as a pharmacist is an excellent way to be at the forefront of cutting-edge scientific knowledge while working in a flexible corporate environment. I shadowed these professionals, who ranged from medical education specialists to medical science liaisons, during summers as an undergraduate student. I found myself enthralled about the work I saw being conducted, and felt confident that pursuing a career in industry was the best decision for me.

Company: AstraZeneca

Current Role: Associate Pharmacovigilance Scientist - Oncology

Alma Mater: Notre Dame of Maryland University, Class of 2017

As a student, I completed a rotation at AstraZeneca for Pharmacovigilance. When my rotation ended, my preceptor's manager felt my work was strong and asked to keep a copy of my CV on file. My rotation took place after Midyear ended, and unfortunately I had not matched with a fellowship program, so it was critical that I maintained a strong professional network after my rotation and after graduation.

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

Congratulations to student pharmacists at University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 77 chapters and more than 4,000 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, contact us here.

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

Company: Arbor Pharmaceuticals

Current Role: Territory Business Manager

Alma Mater: University of Maryland–Baltimore, Class of 2016

While fellowships are a great way to break into the pharmaceutical industry, many pharmacists have landed various positions within the pharmaceutical industry without a fellowship. Fortunately, I was able to secure a commercial role through an unconventional route by connecting the dots of my past experience to procure my current role. I worked in retail for two years after pharmacy school, becoming a pharmacy manager in the process. Not long after, I worked as a clinical pharmacist in the private practice setting. These positions helped me develop a strong business acumen and build relationships with healthcare providers.