How many times have you heard “I would love to work in industry or Medical Affairs, but I don’t know where to start?” I would wager that many of us faced the same or similar issues at some point in our career. Likewise, those that are currently hip deep in industry may be looking around at all the options and wondering “What next?”
In fact, what does “work in industry or Medical Affairs” even mean? For those with a terminal degree or specialty in healthcare, the possibilities are endless. There is a vast array of positions within Medical Affairs and industry that are available along the length of a product’s life, from the preclinical years to launch and beyond. To keep things spicy, several Medical Affairs roles have different titles in every company. Knowing this, how do you counsel students or those at the beginning of their career that want to work in this field on where to begin? Many would suggest networking, researching various roles, and beefing up the resume. But to take it a step further, how do we provide an entryway into this field at a more granular level? How do you gain experience when most roles require previous experience?
The obvious answer may be formal internships, experiential rotations, and post-graduate fellowships with one of the many groups that provide these opportunities. While these are excellent programs, they also have limited capacity and are often focused in certain regions. Bearing this in mind, what resources do we have access to that are available nationwide? Field medical is the first thing to come to mind, with an assortment of fully virtual roles in industry and Medical Affairs following soon after.
Yes, we are all busy and taking students on experiential rotations requires quite a lot of time and effort (a surprising amount, sometimes). Yes, there are some hurdles to overcome in the form of travel, virtual roles, company laptops and access, etc. But can it be done, with a little bit of ingenuity and effort? Absolutely. Should it be done? The answer is a resounding yes.
Those of us that are already in Medical Affairs or industry are our own best advocates. We should be shouting from the rooftops that we are in challenging, exciting, impactful roles that push us to perform at the top of our degrees and abilities. We should be spreading the word outside of our own circles that we are proud of our field and are excited to share our knowledge with anyone that is willing to listen.
Are we doing this? Are we promoting ourselves and our impact on healthcare? Are we showcasing our field in a positive light?
Acting as a conduit has multi-dimensional benefits. Students and interns often bring a fresh approach and innovative thinking to current stumbling blocks and can be a dedicated resource for those time-intensive projects that are critical to the business unit but are difficult to fit into a busy schedule. This time together also acts as an opportunity to see the quality of work, critical thinking, and other skillsets of potential future hires, creating a funnel of talent to select from in the future.
I currently hold a position as a Research Science Liaison within the Medical Affairs Consulting group of Syneos Health. I had never heard of a job like mine prior to applying for this post, despite months of looking for suitable positions and 20 years of healthcare experience. My background is primarily in home infusion and Investigational Drug Services. Moving into Medical Affairs had never crossed my mind until the last couple of years in my previous clinical role. I am still in disbelief that out of the thousands of job opportunities and candidates searching for jobs, I landed in a role that is perfect for my background and has ample room for growth. As many will attest, the first year in Medical Affairs is a steep learning curve. Even now that I am past that initial year, just as I become comfortable with my projects, I encounter something totally new and I’m transported back to Day 1.
Additionally, one semester each school year I teach an elective to third year students at the nearby College of Pharmacy. I originally developed the course as a way to create growth for myself while considering my next career move. The class focuses on careers for pharmacists in clinical trials and industry. While there is a didactic portion of the class, much of the time is spent discussing various roles in industry and listening to guest speakers. One component of the class focuses on how to search for jobs, assess the job description, and determine a pathway to become qualified to apply. Other lectures highlight interviewing skills, the ethics of clinical trials, and varied relevant topics. The guest speakers are all pharmacists with varying career paths and interests in Medical Affairs and industry. I may enjoy listening to them more than the students – I always learn something new from them, and I find their entry routes and career progression through industry fascinating. (If you have spoken to my class, a huge thank you from me. If you are interested in speaking next year, let me know!)
Thus far, there have been two recurring remarks throughout the life of the course. The first is the guest speaker commenting “I wish there had been a course like this when I was in school,” and they are always excited to speak to the class. The second theme is a wide-eyed student saying, “I have never heard of this!” Granted, we are in a rural state in the south, which is not exactly a hotbed of industry opportunities. However, I frequently receive LinkedIn messages from students all over the country wanting to learn more about my career path and industry roles in general. I suspect many of you receive similar outreach. The desire and demand are out there – it is up to us to fill this gap.
Having made the leap into Medical Affairs, I am now acutely aware of the vast opportunities available in this field that I am not even cognizant of yet. I am certainly not an expert in industry and Medical Affairs, but I do know more than these students, as do all of us that are in this field. It is next to impossible to provide instruction on all the niches and hidden recesses within industry and Medical Affairs. However, consider the impact that we could have on increasing awareness and knowledge of our various roles by providing a stronger connection to the collective student body. A handful of alums can band together to develop and teach an elective at their alma mater. A regional group of MSLs can collectively take one or two students each year for month-long rotations. By collaborating to develop these opportunities for graduate students, the amount of effort and time is lightened for every person involved and the student receives broader exposure to your field of expertise. A win-win for everyone!
My challenge to you is to consider the amount of knowledge and expertise that you can impart on the next generation, and then develop a way to bridge the gap between students and Medical Affairs and industry professionals. In previous preceptor roles, I often found that I learned as much from the student as they learned from me, if not more. There is no denying that achieving this goal will be challenging and will require extra effort. However, this is an avenue to highlight our impact, knowledge, and provide mentorship to future candidates and peers. The more exposure and insight we can generate into Medical Affairs and industry, the more evident the value to patients, companies, and healthcare as a whole. What will you do to elevate our field and impact the next generation?
About the author:
Jill M. Hernandez, PharmD, MHA, MSL-BC
Jill Hernandez is a Senior Research Science Liaison with Syneos Health Consulting. In this role, she is able to support clinical trials at the global level to facilitate achieving study specific milestones, work with clients to tackle issues and develop solutions, and engage with targeted communication with clinical sites. Before joining Syneos Health, she gained experience in operational logistics, implementing clinical trials at the site level, and merging trials goals with clinical site capabilities through various roles in Investigational Drug Services, home infusion, and hospital settings. She also holds as appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor and as a Scientist Reviewer for the IRB at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Jill earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Sciences from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Hendrix College and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Wyoming. She recently earned her MSL-BC certification and is pursuing a Teaching Certificate through the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy.
Have an opinion on this article? Send a message to the editor.