IPhO News

Company and Department: Parexel, Pricing & Market Access

Current Role: Associate, Pricing and Market Access

Alma Mater: Temple University School of Pharmacy, Class of 2018

One of the reasons I chose pharmacy school was the versatility of the degree. The option to choose among retail, hospital, and industry was enticing and I set out to make my time in school valuable by experiencing as many different potential avenues as I could, which I did through internships/IPPEs/APPEs and various jobs. I was fortunate enough to have two of my fourth-year rotations at Teva and Genomind. These experiences made me want to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry.

The opportunity to make an impact on a large scale and have a dynamic set of day-to-day responsibilities while maintaining work-life balance appealed to me on a major level. So, like many students, I attended Midyear with the goal of attaining a fellowship. I spent an absurd amount of time on applications, cover letters, resumes, and interview prep. At the time, I truly had everything planned down to the most meticulous of details—like the weight of the paper my resume was printed on and the general statements to be included on my thank you notes. Midyear and the subsequent months were an anxiety-ridden blur, filled with interviews and waiting. At the end of it all, despite three on-sites, nothing lined up for me and I was distraught, especially since I was graduating in two months.

Even though Midyear is behind you, there is still work to do! Some of you may already be embarking on your onsite interviews. Others may be searching for new fellowship opportunities. Wherever you are, check out the list of post-Midyear tips below to make sure you continue on as strongly and confidently as possible. Best of luck!

Continuing to Establish Connections

• Be sure to send thank you cards and/or emails to all team members who interviewed you onsite. Being so far into the process, these thank yous will help keep you fresh in the minds of those you met.
• Never stop networking! Continue to reach out to fellows/industry professionals to learn more about how to get your foot in the door, whether it be through applying for contract positions or other fellowship opportunities that arise post-midyear.

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

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of 62 chapters and 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: PRI Healthcare Solutions

Function/Discipline: Medical Communications

Fellowship Years: 2018—2019

Alma Mater: St. John’s University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Class of 2018

Throughout pharmacy school, I always set my sights on the “bigger picture.” I felt that the knowledge I was acquiring could be used to benefit a larger group of people than just the patients I would see if I worked in a retail or hospital setting. I wanted to make a bigger impact by sharing the healthcare information I learned regionally, nationally, or even internationally. This desire sparked my interest in the pharmaceutical/medical communications industry.

After talking with former pharmacy students who shared their experiences with fellowships and industry, it became even clearer to me that pursuing this path would help satisfy my personal and professional aspirations. To better understand industry, I decided to select elective rotations in medical communications during my final year of pharmacy school. I learned all about the value of a pharmacist in the collaborative medical communications/ medical affairs field. Because of the experience gained during my rotation, I knew that pursuing a fellowship was the best next step for me.

As a pharmacy student in pursuit of a post-doctoral fellowship in the pharmaceutical industry, you are probably feeling like attending ASHP Midyear and interviewing well was the be-all and end-all of furthering your career. However, not all P4 students hoping to land an industry position have the opportunity to fly out to the conference and only a small amount who do attend actually land positions during midyear. The bad news? Competition is fierce and it only gets more brutal every year. The good news? I am here to tell you that ASHP Midyear is not the only way to get your foot in industry’s door so that you can begin your fellowship the summer after graduation. There are other opportunities waiting for you just around the corner, but you must be prepared to take advantage of every single one that comes your way in order to establish yourself professionally.

Last year, I returned home from the happiest place on earth (Orlando, ASHP Midyear 2017) having secured a few on-sites, but was devastated to learn that I did not actually secure a fellowship position. I had been hoping for a fellowship since my P1 year and it felt like all my chances to do what I really wanted in my career were eliminated. My hopes were shattered and I had no idea what to do next. It felt surreal and it took a lot of motivation and courage not to give up right then and there.

To kick off the 2018 Midyear Meeting in Anaheim, IPhO and its National Fellows Council hosted an exciting event for all fellows from across the country to network and learn the ins and outs of how to land a full-time position post fellowship. Moderated by IPhO Executive Director Jim Alexander, the program featured a series of roundtable discussions with successful fellowship alumni/industry executives who shared their insights and guidance on how to pursue a full-time position within industry.

Company and Department: Arena Pharmaceuticals, Program Management

Current Role: AD, Global Program Management (R&D)

Alma Mater: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Class of 2014

My career path has been filled with curiosity and opportunity. But before I dive into the details, I think it’s important to appreciate the tremendous amount of opportunities available for pharmacists—in hospital, retail, managed care, or the pharmaceutical industry. No matter what role you pursue, at the end of the day, your doctorate in pharmacy will serve you well and provide you with a strong scientific acumen. The beauty of the pharmaceutical industry is that there are countless opportunities that require you to apply your scientific knowledge and ultimately learn to develop a solid understanding of the business.

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

Congratulations to student pharmacists at South College School of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of over 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!

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.

The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy has added the IPhO Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition as a 1 credit Independent Study Research Course option, beginning spring 2019.

The VIP Case Competition provides student pharmacists with the unique opportunity to demonstrate their pharmaceutical industry knowledge and design a comprehensive drug development plan.

Students are involved from the hypothetical drug’s initial concept, all the way through to approval and product marketing.

Click here to learn more about this year’s competition.

University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy students interested in learning more and obtaining permission to participate for credit can email Dr. Andrew Wiemer.

IPhO is pleased to announce the addition of the 60th student chapter to its growing national network!

Congratulations to student pharmacists at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of over 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, click here.

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

In September 2018, the St. John’s University IPhO chapter and fellows from the Allergan-SJU fellowship program collaborated to educate student pharmacists about career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry.

Many St. John’s University students, representing all class years, attended the event, which was part of an Allergan research project to be presented at the 2018 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. The Allergan fellows presented on the roles of pharmacists in various functional areas within industry, including Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, and Medical Affairs, while providing an overview of the drug development process—from research and development to marketing. Attendees, who all signed an informed consent form, were provided with a survey before and after the presentation to gauge their knowledge level upon receiving the information.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: USC/Allergan

Function/Discipline: Medical Affairs- Global Phase IV

Fellowship Years: 2018—2019

Alma Mater: University of Cincinnati, College of Pharmacy, Class of 2018

I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist at a young age. However, figuring out my niche in the field took some exploration. During my first year of pharmacy school, a pharmacist came to campus to speak and he introduced me to industry pharmacy. His talk sparked my interest and from there, I began to research more about what industry pharmacy was, types of fellowships available, and where I would fit best. Like many other schools, my college of pharmacy was better versed in information relating to residency or community pharmacy. It became my responsibility to discover what industry opportunities existed and to take advantage of them.

IPhO is celebrating its 6th birthday by welcoming its 60th student chapter! Thanks to the dedicated industry pharmacists, fellows, and student pharmacists who have trusted IPhO as their proven path to industry for the past 6 years.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: MCPHS/Sanofi Genzyme

Function/Discipline: US Medical Affairs/Medical Science Liaison (MSL)

Fellowship Years: 2018—2020

Alma Mater: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS), Class of 2018

Like many pharmacy students, I did not enter pharmacy school with the goal of pursuing a career in industry. Although pharmacy school prepares students for several different careers, often the pharmaceutical industry and fellowship programs are left behind. I learned about industry through friends and past fellows and was able to secure two APPE rotations at Bayer and Sanofi Genzyme during my P4 year. In fact, I met my eventual Sanofi Genzyme APPE preceptor at an ACPHS IPhO networking event my P3 year, where she agreed to work with me as a student. Two years later, I am living in Boston as a Sanofi Genzyme fellow. Talk about a small world!

The inaugural IPhO Fellows Networking Event was held in late September, hosted at RevHealth in Morristown, NJ. Over 40 PharmDs attended from the tri-state area, including fellows from over 18 different programs, industry pharmacists, IPhO staff, and two IPhO student officers. The attendees enjoyed an opportunity to network and learn, which was capped off with a night out in Morristown with the PharmDs of RevHealth!

Fellowship Sponsor Company: United Therapeutics (UNC)

Function/Discipline: Clinical Research & Drug Development

Fellowship Years: 2018—2020

Alma Mater: University of the Pacific, Class of 2018

My pharmacy school had an accelerated program, which meant I completed the typical 4 year pharmacy curriculum in 3 years. Consequently, we had no summer breaks, so my industry knowledge was limited by not having the time to intern at a biopharmaceutical company.

I always believed that I would pursue a traditional career path through residency. However, all of that changed when I began working on a clinical trial, spearheaded by a professor at my school, and my interest in clinical research and industry grew immensely.

This opportunity, along with my involvement with IPhO, solidified my decision to pursue a career in industry. Obtaining a fellowship in clinical research was the next logical step for me.

I’m happy to have found a career path that combines my passion for novel research with the ability to apply my clinical knowledge. I look forward to all the new skills I’ll learn during my fellowship.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: UCB/IPhO

Function/Discipline: Global Regulatory Strategy

Fellowship Years: 2018—2020

Alma Mater: University of Illinois at Chicago - College of Pharmacy, Class of 2018

Pursuing a career in the pharmaceutical industry comes easy to some, but can be a discovery process for others. For me, I felt it was a little of both. I knew I wanted to pursue a non-traditional career path and I knew I wanted it to be in industry, but the discovery for me was deciding which function was the best fit. Industry provides opportunities for pharmacists to grow exponentially, which is what initially intrigued me and drew me in. Regardless of which company you choose, you will be faced with challenges and opportunities that will require the scientific knowledge gained in pharmacy school, and will allow you to apply skills such as critical thinking and strategic planning. The growth acquired from these opportunities can completely change the dynamic of a pharmacist's career. After learning more about industry I came to understand that not everything is black and white, and pharmacists have been and can continue to be trained to create the grey that is necessary to ensure medications in development are truly meeting an unmet global need.

IPhO and Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) continue to build upon their strong foundation of professional development resources, created to advance the skills of student pharmacists interested in pursuing an industry career.

The partnership was established to grow the leadership skills of the student members of both organizations by creating a series of learning opportunities, all of which are and will continue to be available on the IPhO website. The first professional development webinar, "Leadership and Industry Pharmacists," was delivered to a group of SNPhA pharmacists, and can be viewed here. Its success and value to the audience in attendance reinforced the need for additional resources of this kind.

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

Congratulations to student pharmacists at Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy. IPhO now connects them to a national network of over 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, click here.

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