HelixTalk Episode #130 - From Pharmacy Student to Clinical Scientist in Pharma: An Interview with Dr. Anastasiya Koshkina

Date posted: May 11, 2021, 6:00 am

In this episode, we discuss pharmaceutical industry career paths with Dr. Anastasiya Koshkina, a graduate of the RFUMS College of Pharmacy and Associate Director and Clinical Scientist at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

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Key Concepts

1. When preparing for the fellowship application process, do your homework on the sector(s) you plan to apply for.  It is crucial that you have a cohesive and logical story for why you are applying and what makes you a good fit for the position.
2. Strong clinical knowledge is important in the pharmaceutical industry even though there are no traditional direct patient care interactions.
3. Postgraduate pharmaceutical fellowship programs are looking for applicants with strong academics (high GPA), leadership experience in extracurricular, and research experiences.
4. Pharmacy fellowship programs are specific to a sector of a pharmaceutical company (e.g. medical affairs, regulatory affairs, research and development, etc.)..  Unlike with pharmacy residencies, fellowships may or may not have rotations; if rotations exist, they are usually many months in length.
5. The team (the people you will be working with) are an essential component of a position.  It is much better to work with a team that is supportive and committed to your professional development than to have a seemingly perfect job but be part of a team that is not supportive.  The people are everything!