IPhO News
On Saturday, March 25, 2017, 200 students from around the country assembled in San Francisco for IPhO's 4th Annual National Student Event, hosted by University of the Pacific's IPhO chapter.
Student leaders from many of IPhO’s 48 student chapters attended the E-board National Assembly, featuring an update on the exciting future plans IPhO has for the growing national network of student chapters.
Paths to Industry
Company and Department: Janssen, Medical Communications/Medical Affairs
Current Role: Medical Communication Specialist/Medical Writer: Hematology-Oncology
Alma Mater: Long Island University, Class of 2016
In recent times, career choices for pharmacists have evolved significantly. There are now many different areas in the healthcare system that pharmacists can work in. However, most students are not exposed to all the available opportunities during pharmacy school. After very detailed research on all types of different roles pharmacists can hold in the pharmaceutical industry, I knew that is where I wanted to pursue my career. To gain more exposure, I joined an organization related to pharmaceutical industry at my school. This organization helped me understand the roles and responsibilities of a pharmacist working in the industry. I later became a vice president of the organization, which allowed me to develop my leadership skills and use my knowledge to educate other students about industry career opportunities.
Fellow Feature
Fellowship Sponsor Company: Merck
Function/Discipline: Clinical Development (Late-Stage) - Oncology
Fellowship Years: 2016-2018
Alma Mater: Temple University, Class of 2016
My passion to pursue pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry was the result of a very sad and life-changing experience. I was volunteering in a small town in Iran called “Bam” after a large earthquake struck the city. Many were left without adequate medical assistance, while facing a shortage of medical supplies and medications. I was studying Engineering at the time and never thought I’d change gears, but I did!
Senior Exec Spotlight
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The driving force behind my career choices and professional advancement has been my gnawing desire to learn and to make a difference. My curiosity in life sciences drove me to pursue academic training in Pharmacy. Early on during my graduate training I wanted to learn more about non-traditional pathways where pharmacists could make an impact. Upon graduation I applied to a number of Fellowship programs in marketing, regulatory affairs and managed care. Much to my disappointment I was not selected by any of my top choices. I subsequently pursued residency programs in Medical Communications which landed me at Roche Labs. An important lesson I learned through the interviewing process for Fellowship programs was that there were many gaps in my skills and understanding of how the industry functioned.
Professional Development
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.
Professional Development
IPhO News
Research led by IPhO National Intern and Oregon State University Chapter President, Marine Schmitt, spanning approximately one year culminated in a poster presentation at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting on December 6, 2016. An encore presentation of the research can be found in the Scholarly Publications section of the IPhO website.
The project analyzed industry-related courses offered by Colleges of Pharmacy throughout the United States by reviewing student handbooks, course catalogs, and course syllabi. Relevant courses were categorized by topics of industry relevance including: HEOR, Preclinical Development, Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Marketing and Medical Affairs. If courses provided a broad overview of pharmacists’ roles in industry, they were categorized as general industry courses.
Importantly, the results confirmed that the prevalence of industry-relevant courses is significantly higher in regions of highest geographical industry concentration. The highest percentage (52%) of pharmacy schools offering industry-relevant courses are located along the east coast, while the lowest percentage (14%) are located in the Pacific Northwest. Overall, 41% of colleges of pharmacy offered one or more industry-relevant courses, with the most common (26%) topic being Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR).
IPhO News
Fellow Feature
Fellowship Sponsor Company: Pfizer (Rutgers)
Function/Discipline: Oncology Medical Affairs
Fellowship Years: 2016-2018
Alma Mater: University of Southern California, Class of 2016
I first encountered pharmacists working in industry long before pharmacy school. I was fortunate enough to discover the world of healthcare consulting agencies after obtaining my undergraduate degree from University of California at Berkeley. I majored in biochemistry and was fascinated by the mechanisms of action of different medications. Working for companies that provided deliverables for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies opened my eyes to how industry operates. I worked primarily in drug reimbursement and eventually transitioned to work full time for one of our clients in South San Francisco, Genentech, on the commercial side of the business.
IPhO News
During the recent Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas, IPhO and its National Fellows Council hosted an exciting event for Fellows of all Fellowship Programs in the US to network, and to learn more about how to get 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 and other industry executives who shared their insights and guidance on how to pursue a full-time position within industry.
The IPhO National Fellows Council would like to thank the following table discussion leaders for volunteering their time and sharing their key insights:
IPhO would like to thank Gilead for its generous support of this event!
Stay tuned for more IPhO networking events in the near future!
Fellow Feature
Fellowship Sponsor Company: Sanofi (Rutgers)
Function/Discipline: Strategic Marketing
Fellowship Years: 2016-2018
Alma Mater: St. John's University, Class of 2016
During my time at St. John’s University College of Pharmacy, I was employed by a retail pharmacy chain, as many student pharmacists are. Because of my love of communicating with people, patient counseling was always something I thoroughly enjoyed and took pride in at my hectic 24/7 store. To put this into perspective, I was selected by my university to compete nationally in the 2015 APhA-ASP National Patient Counseling Competition in California. In addition to my self-proclaimed “people skills,” I knew I had creative tendencies with a strategic mindset, and wanted to find employment that best utilized these skills. I was able to leverage my strengths to obtain marketing jobs with the CEO of a nutraceutical company and the VP of a continuing education company. These collective experiences showed me that it was possible to combine both my knowledge of health care and my desire for creativity and innovation. During my pharmacy rotations, I was fortunate enough to spend time at the FDA, Pfizer, and American Regent. At these sites, I was exposed to completely new aspects of pharmacy and built a solid foundation for understanding how the pharmaceutical industry functions. I developed an appreciation for industry, determined that this was where my skills best fit, and finally concluded that the pharmaceutical industry was the right career path for me.
Fellow Feature
Fellowship Sponsor Company: Regeneron
Function/Discipline: Clinical Operations, Clinical Science, Regulatory Affairs
Fellowship Years: 2016-2018
Alma Mater: University of Michigan, Class of 2016
When I first stepped foot into pharmacy school, I did not realize that the pharmaceutical industry is a viable career option for pharmacists. Then, I completed a summer internship in Clinical Science at Takeda Pharmaceuticals after my P2 year. I owe much of my current success to my mentor at Takeda, who opened my eyes to the world of clinical research and helped me solidify my plans upon graduation. At Takeda, I connected with PharmDs across different departments and learned about their function and roles. What I learned is that there is no right or one linear way to go into the pharmaceutical industry.
IPhO News
On November 4, IPhO-Albany held its inaugural Fellowship Networking Event on its Albany, NY campus. The event was a great success as students from each professional year of the PharmD program attended ito learn more about carreer opportunities and fellowships for PharmDs in the pharmaceutical industry. IPhO Founder Dr. Jim Alexander was the keynote speaker for the event. He discussed the importance of leadership experience and networking in preparation for applying for competitive fellowships, and also highlighted non-fellowship career pathways to enter the pharmaceutical industry.
The event also featured a fellowship panel consisting of current fellows from the MCPHS and Rutgers programs. Students were able to interact with the fellows in a small-group roundtable format. Each fellow brought a unique perspective to the discussion based on their experiences working within the functional area of their individual fellowships. IPhO-Albany would like to thank everyone involved in contributing to the success of this event and we look forward to hosting it again in the Fall of 2017.
Authored by Venkatesh Satram, IPhO Student National Officer and Class of 2017, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
IPhO News
Based upon the exponential growth in the number of Industry Fellowship Programs for PharmDs, it is not surprising that the IPhO Industry Fellowship Catalog has become one of the most valuable and frequently visited resources that IPhO provides. It is the only place candidates can find relevant information describing almost every Industry Fellowship offered in the US.
For each fellowship program, the IPhO Industry Fellowship Catalog lists the name of the sponsor company, affiliation (if any), fellowship types offered, and the program website/brochure/contact information.
IPhO recently introduced Industry Fellowship Catalog Version 3.0, with better functionality, more information, and easier user-friendly navigation. Candidates can now search by sponsor, affiliation, or fellowship type, which makes it easy to find only fellowship positions that are of interest. In addition, IPhO has simplified the fellowship search process by creating 16 common search terms that group “like” positions/functions that offer similar experiences for the fellow. For example, searching for the suggested key term “Clinical Research” will return results for Clinical Research, Clinical Development, Clinical Pharmacology, and several other similar position titles. In the past, candidates would have had to search each of these position titles independently, so it is now much easier and less confusing.
As the quantity and variety of industry fellowships continues to grow, the process of identifying, evaluating, and applying for these positions has become increasingly complex for candidates. Not long ago, the number of companies sponsoring fellowships could be listed on a half-page. In 2016, there are now over 50 different company sponsors. Many sponsors offer multiple fellowship positions within their company and a number of the larger sponsors affiliate with more than one university. Fellowship sponsors now include all key segments of industry, including Big Pharma, Biotech, CROs, Generics, OTCs, Medical Advertising, Medical Communication, and Consulting companies. The positions are also diverse, ranging from traditional functions like medical affairs, to commercial functions like marketing, market research, new product planning, and business development.
As a student pharmacist and fellowship candidate, I could not imagine a more useful resource in preparation for the strenuous application and Midyear process. Not only do we have few opportunities to learn about industry pharmacy and fellowship positions while in school, our academic and rotational workload does not leave ample time to navigate the increasingly complex fellowship evaluation, application, and interview process. I personally have used this resource as a learning tool. The IPhO Fellowship Catalog design has allowed me to both sort and search for specific programs of personal interest. There is a good mix, and learning more from program brochures can help you narrow down the type of program that best suits your interests and experiences. The brochures are eye-catching and informative, and I have learned so much from reading through them. Descriptions of each fellowship type, including pictures and testimonials from current fellows, have played an important role in envisioning myself in those positions.
Please note that host companies vary on the timing and frequency of revising their fellowship brochures. IPhO monitors industry fellowships on a continuous basis for new sponsoring companies and brochure revisions. We welcome your assistance in keeping the Catalog as current and accurate as possible, so please email any updates to: support@industrypharmacists.org .
Authored by Rosemary Boshar, IPhO National Student Officer, Scholarly Activities
MCPHS Worcester, Class of 2017
Fellowship Catalog 3.0 Project Director
