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 Alternatives to Medical School 2001 Panel Notes Remarks by Panelists Questions and Answers Panelists Deborah James, Sales Representative, Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals Deb graduated from Penn in 1993 with a degree in English. She enjoys the aspect of her job that involves educating healthcare providers about the products she represents. She has been able to utilize the communication skills she developed through her English major and notes that Eli Lilly hires sales people with a huge range of academic backgrounds, including business and science. A pre-med curriculum is particularly useful for a salesperson to be able to converse authoritatively with researchers and physicians. Lilly also tends to be more flexible in their hiring then some other firms; along with Merck and Pfizer, they do hire recent college grads. Deb works from home and loves the flexibility of her schedule. She has a monthly quota of physician contacts, but it is up to her to decide when she makes her calls and visits. Given this freedom, it is important to be disciplined and organized to make sure the job gets done. It is also very helpful to have a thick skin and to be able to handle the challenges of promoting products to people who are not always interested. When she started, Deb went through a thorough training and once a month a supervisor rides with her. In addition, she feels supported by a network of fellow sales people and a routine schedule of professional development programs. In contrast to many segments of the economy, the pharmaceutical industry is expanding and continues to hire. Lilly is adding three divisions in the near future and has not cut back on recruiting. According to Deb, sales is definitely the best entry-level way to get a foot in the door of the pharmaceutical world. Reproductive Health Center Assistant, Planned Parenthood A BBB major at Penn, Michelle graduated in 2000 and went to work for a internet company. She soon missed science and healthcare and started to look for a job which would allow her to help people more directly. After being a patient at Planned Parenthood, Michelle began an internet search for job opportunities at Planned Parenthood clinics. She soon found a position in Philadelphia as a Reproductive Health Center Assistant, a job that satisfied the requirement that she be able to work directly with patients. At PP, Michelle splits her time three ways between patient care and counseling, clinic upkeep, and reception. She has been trained in counseling women about birth control, STD's, testing options and symptoms, and has become adept in basic clinical practices such as drawing blood and diagnostic testing. Michelle's experience at Planned Parenthood has confirmed her desire to go on to Medical School. She feels fortunate to have found a place that would trust her to attend to patients without an advanced degree in healthcare. She is currently applying to Medical School and feels supported by the people with whom she works. Nicole Serle, Associate, ZS Associates When she graduated last May with a Biology major, Nicole wanted to gain some experience in the field of Consulting. She met ZS Associates representatives at a career fair and was attracted to the company's focus on healthcare and pharmaceutical consulting. They specialize in the sales and marketing side of healthcare, performing market research, focus groups, and surveys for their clients. Nicole has found her pre-med background to be a valuable asset when faced with solving problems and understanding certain drugs and how they work. Nicole is typically assigned to a project manager and tends to focus on marketing issues, market research and research within pharmaceutical companies themselves. There is a fair amount of travel required but it is usually only 4 or 5 times a month, and ZS clients are often located in large cities like Chicago or LA. Larger firms, such as Accenture and McKinsey, often require a great deal more travel to more remote sites. Overall, Nicole estimates her work week at 50-60 hours and does feel that her schedule is often at the mercy of the client's latest demand. Being flexibly enough to cancel evening and weekend plans is a must. On the other hand, Nicole will sometimes get an unexpected day off or comp time when things slow down. Michelle also plans to attend medical school next year but is keeping it quiet at work. Consulting firms often expect you to stay on for a couple of years or more. Robin Bender Stevens, Senior Director of e-Business Strategies, Merck & Co. Robin graduated from Penn with a B.A. in English in 1980 and returned a few years earlier to earn a Master's in Public Policy. Before joining Merck, she worked as a policy analyst for a non-profit organization that conducted technology assessments for hospitals and health centers. She was able to use her background in public policy to good effect but commented that a strong science background would have facilitated her interactions with engineers and healthcare providers. Combining her policy training and experience in healthcare, Robin moved to Merck where performed cost-benefit analysis of preventative measures and treatments. She soon moved to the Vaccine division, where Merck was trying to solve problems relating to inventory, cash flow, and the dissemination of information to both physicians and patients. Robin and her team devised an e-commerce site, merckvaccines.com, to address these issues. In her present position as Senior Director of e-Business Strategies, she has applied this kind of online solution to other customer service and distribution problems.
Robin agreed with Deb that sales were an excellent way to get a foot in the door of the pharmaceutical industry. She also strongly encouraged job seekers to be pro-active about talking to people who can offer insight into their different areas and industries of interest. She offered herself as a resource and recommended the Penn Career Network, our alumni database, as a great place to start.
Questions and Answers (see also the q&a session from last year's panel. Many questions were repeated.) How do I choose between non-profit and for-profit organizations? No matter where you go, it is important to be comfortable with the mission and business practices of the place you choose to work. Be sure to interview them as they are interviewing you. Although Merck and Eli Lilly are for-profit corporations, they both work to make their drugs available at discount prices for populations who need them. In addition, Merck puts time and effort into quality of life issues such as flex-time and maternity/paternity leave. Consulting firms tend to be very aware of the bottom line; their "product" is their people, so all employees must bill every hour worked to a client.
What kind of training is there for Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives? For Eli Lilly there is an 8-10 week training program with other new employees. Every quarter there are three week-long meetings to address company policy, new products, and professional development. In addition, the manager of your sales area rides with you one day every month to measure your progress and offer support and advice.
How can I distinguish myself as a candidate for a position in Pharmaceuticals or Consulting? All of our panelists stressed the importance of "doing your homework" before you write a cover letter or go for an interview. Use any contact you have to find out information about the industry and the company in question. For example, if you want to work for a Pharmaceutical company, talk to a doctor or a nurse about their interactions with pharmaceutical sales reps. Ask them how they like different products by different companies. This kind of exposure will give you something concrete to talk about in an interview or letter. Approach anyone for whom you have a "real" question. If you are writing a paper, call an expert on the phone and find out what s/he does, or send an email to a scientist. For consulting, show strong interest on your resume by having a specific objective and organizing your experience with an eye towards consulting. Highlight related coursework, leadership, and group work experience.
Will these kinds of companies pay for grad school? Many large corporations offer tuition reimbursement for an MBA or an Executive MBA (intensive weekend an evening) program. Eli Lilly will pay for an MBA as long as you commit to return to the company for a number of years. They will also fund a Master's program in the sciences if they believe it will enhance your job performance or better prepare you for your next assignment.
How do I leverage my science/pre-med background to make myself a more attractive candidate? List your science and math courses under "related coursework" so that companies will recognize the ways in which you will be familiar with the clinical issues involved in their work. Whenever possible, stress the problem solving and data analysis skills you have developed from coursework and lab experience. The ability to hypothesize, test, and evaluate results is important in every facet of the healthcare world. These are the kinds of skills you want to elaborate on in your cover letter and in interviews.
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