Careers in Pharmaceutical Medicine FAQs

At entry level, it is best to look for advertised jobs on LinkedIn and companies’ website, or specialist websites like pharmiweb and others.

For mid-senior level careers you may wish to consider using a recruitment consultant or company.

A headhunter is a recruitment specialist working for one of many agencies, ideally specialising in pharmaceutical medicine and more specifically dealing with medical roles. In general, they do not deal with entry level candidates but more at mid and senior level. However, they are working for and paid for by the recruiting company and not by the candidate (similar to estate agent who is working for the seller and not the buyer).

The quality of recruiters is on a wide spectrum –some are excellent and some are less so. It is good to develop personal relationships with a few agencies that seem to fit your needs and gain your trust. Don’t send your CV to every agency.

At entry level, it is best for you is to apply directly to companies, either in reply for advertised jobs in LinkedIn and companies’ website, specialist websites like pharmaweb and others. Ideally, if you know the hiring manager details from the adverts, write directly to them.

In principle the work is the same, however, in a large company the processes are more structured and you will have more senior medics to learn from and interact with. You will be exposed to different parts of the curriculum and promotional prospects are quite wider with salary and conditions slightly better.

In a smaller company you will usually have the chance to be quite independent and innovative, and may get larger roles and responsibilities early on. So different sizes and style companies appeal to different personalities.

As a new entry into the industry, you may be more likely to get solid foundations and training in a larger company, and most medics in that stage of their career chose to start with larger companies. Later in their career many choose to work for smaller companies and be a “big fish in a small pond”.

There are many ways to help patients and helping to provide safe and effective medicines is certainly one of them. It’s true that doctors working in the pharmaceutical industry rarely have 1:1 contact with patients, although working with patient groups is becoming increasingly common. It is important that individuals find employment that they personally find satisfying and worthwhile. These are a matter for individual choice.

You can enter at any stage after completing 2 years of clinical practice. The majority of medics join during their training period in the NHS (i.e before obtaining CST) however some do it much later, at consultant level. Similarly, many have done a spell as a GP before making the move.

There is no right or wrong, but if you are in advanced stage of your training, good advice might be to complete it in your specialty and then make the transfer- you will probably be able to enter at higher level, your knowledge and contribution will be more significant. You will have a “fall back” position if you do not like the work in pharmaceutical industry and may command more respect from key scientific leaders with whom you interact.

You do not need a license to practice but you will need to be registered with the GMC. Please note that many companies will deem holding a current license to practice as a requirement for your employment.

In recent years more traditional roles in medical departments are filled by non-medics (mostly pharmacists and scientists- MSc and PhD). The reason is that the industry is quite meritocratic and the best person for the role is (or should be) selected. In addition, sometimes, non-MD are paid less and tend to stay more years in the same position. However, the MDs contribution is unique- they are the only ones with hands-on experience of treating patients and they know and understand best how clinicians think, behave and drive their decisions.

The hierarchy and progress is very different in the pharma industry compared to organisations like the NHS- there is no set amount of training or spending in each level, no compulsory exams, no “guarantee” of progress and completion of your training and CCST does not entitle you for a senior position in the industry. Your promotion is at the discretion of your employer.

Many roles these days are filled by non-medics and the decision on seniority is based on suitability for the role, experience, qualifications, management capability and other. It is very meritocratic environment and education alone will not give you superiority compared to non-medics. Today all roles are open to non-medics (other than the final signatory role which is also open to pharmacists) so it will become more common that your line manager is non-medic.

In many aspects it is similar to training in other medical specialties. During the PMST and CCST you will be exposed (and assessed) to all aspects of the medical roles and expertise in pharmaceutical medicine. However there are no rotations like in clinical specialties, so most likely you will not work in all main streams (clinical development, medical affairs, Pharmacovigilance and regulatory). Most doctors tend to concentrate and specialised in one stream of the role (again like subspeciality in clinical medicine after CCST). However many medics shifts between 2 streams like CD and medical affairs or take “secondum” in another area which is not their main specialisation.  The knowledge and experience you gain in more than one stream will make you a more rounded and better medic, and will widen your employment opportunities.

Yes you can work part time, but you will have to agree this with your employer.

Many medics in the industry continue clinical work usually 1-2 days per week as GPs or attached to hospitals. It is more difficult to continue clinical work in surgical professions as you will not have enough clinical hours to maintain your surgical skills. Be aware you will have to find out in advance where your revalidation sits- either through the pharma or the clinical attachment. You will be able to continue with private practice if you have all the required qualifications and admission rights, but again you will have to ask your employer’s permission. In general, pharmaceutical companies accept continuous clinical work and see it as an advantage to the medics and the company itself

You can be GP or not have a specialty at all, although it is desirable that you have a few years experience in clinical medicine.

In principle the work is the same, however, in a large company the processes are more structured and you will have more senior medics to learn from and interact with. You will be exposed to different parts of the curriculum and promotional prospects are quite wider with salary and conditions slightly better. In a small company these advantages are very limited and you will have to be quite independent and innovative and may get larger roles and responsibilities early on. So different sizes and style companies appeal to different personalities. As a new entry into the industry, you will learn and get solid foundations probably better in a large company and most medics in that stage of their career chose to start with larger companies. Later in their career many choose to work for smaller companies and be “big fish in a small pond”.

If you find that a career in the pharmaceutical industry is not for you, for whatever reason, you can leave and either go back to the NHS or any other employment, but it will be for you to find a position. Remember that like any employment you have a legal notice period to give your employer.

Depending on how long you stayed in pharmaceutical medicine, you will likely have new skills to bring with you into your next role. Diverse experience and the diverse skills that this brings is often welcomed by employers.

Please be aware that un-happiness in the NHS or a clinical role is by itself  not a good reason to be a pharmaceutical physician. This is quite a demanding career and you need to consider carefully why you want it and whether you think it is the best option for you. You should come from a positive view point and not as a “fall back” position.

The pharmaceutical industry is very different from the NHS in this aspect. There is no clear career path and time on the job or qualifications do not guarantee progression. You will be promoted within your company or in another company on merit and assessment of your managers. There is no minimal time in a role and in general movement upside and lateral are much more frequent than the NHS. Please also remember that it is much easier to lose your job and get sacked compared to the NHS , as you are an employee in the private sector and it is quite similar to a non-medical role within the private sector. Your personality, likability and ease of working with you have much more weight in the industry compared to the NHS. The result is you need to work on and prepare more for progress and promotion and, in many cases, you need to take the lead and be proactive and rather than waiting for promotion. T

o summarise, the sky is the limit. Once you are in the industry you do not require any further examinations or qualifications and it all depends on you, your work ethic, professionalism and personality. Luck obviously has its place.

There is no direct comparison to ‘consultant’ but a medical director or medical lead will be roughly equivalent.

You are not limited to the medical section in the industry and you can move into commercial and/or general management. It depends at what stage of your career your contemplate this- if you are senior in a medical role you may need to temporarily step down in position in order to gain experience in a commercial role. There are quite a few CEOs and general managers in the UK and global organisations that started their career in medical roles in the industry and made the shift.

This is correct and moving jobs, employers and locations (including international relocations) are more common in the industry due to the variety in size, prospects, roles and field of interest between companies.

You don’t have to move but in many cases it is for a benefit to your career and in a significant number of cases changes are forced on you due to the dynamic nature of the industry. There are regular merger and acquisitions, companies start up and collapse etc., like in many companies in the private sector.

You don’t have to relocate per se, but many medics find it beneficial in their professional and personal aspects. You are exposed to different cultures and gain wider international experience.

As most companies are affiliates in the UK, the most senior positions above country medical director are European or global roles in different countries or different continents. This is an important factor for consideration especially at the mid-term of your career when you might have family (partner, children, parents) and financial (mortgage, cost of living, debt, commitments etc.) considerations.