Angad Bains’s (Rx2023) curiosity about the pharmaceutical industry was sparked during his first year at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
To learn more about the types of careers within the pharmaceutical industry space, Angad spent his spare time during the pandemic lockdown networking through LinkedIn to see if this was a path he wanted to take.
“Reaching out to Waterloo Pharmacy alumni and pharmacists across Canada was a great way to learn about different career options that interested me,” Angad says.
After connecting with over 100 pharmacists, Angad’s decision to apply to an industry residency was solidified. He matched with Eisai through the industry residency program after completing his PharmD.
Angad’s residency consisted of learning about the medical affairs function. He primarily worked on the oncology team and supported the neurology team on an ad hoc basis. In his role, he learned how to critically appraise literature and clinical study data to search for relevant insights. In addition, he supported the field team through the creation of slide decks, conducting literature searches and working cross-functionally with other departments.
"As pharmacists we have the medical knowledge that is key to supporting drug development and launch within Canada," Angad says. "The decisions we make and the actions we take in the pharmaceutical industry impact millions of Canadians across the country."
Reaching out to Waterloo Pharmacy alumni and pharmacists across Canada was a great way to learn about different career options that interested me.
Q&A with Angad Bains
UW: Why did you choose to pursue industry residency?
AB: Participating in experiential learning at Waterloo Pharmacy through co-op and rotations cemented how important non-didactic learning is. I was looking for an opportunity to learn about the pharmaceutical industry in a hands-on manner to grow into a future career as a medical manager or a medical science liaison (MSL). Industry residency is a great way to get your foot in the door and gain real-world experience and gives you the opportunity to dive into the science and strategy.
UW: What is a medical science liaison? And why is it a great career for pharmacists?
AB: MSLs speak to key opinion leaders, such as physicians, within a specific therapeutic to understand what the key issues are and where the therapeutics need to go. They extract key insights, analyze the drugs advantages and disadvantages of pharmaceutical agents and their associated clinical trails, compare to competitor drugs and bring gathered knowledge back to the team at head office. It’s a great career for pharmacists because of their knowledge and their ability to connect on a peer-to-peer level while understanding the implications of the discussions on the healthcare system. It’s about relationship management, having the ability to understand complex topics and communicate it in a way that will be effective for the business.
UW: What has been your favourite part of industry residency?
AB: Attending Eisai’s national meeting was a fantastic opportunity to meet others who work at the company, as much of the workforce is field based, learn what the company had accomplished in the past year and to prepare for the next fiscal year. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to work with leading doctors from across the nation who are treating difficult cancers and authoring clinical guidelines and research papers. Overall, this opportunity has been amazing, and the exposure and learning that I have obtained are unmatched.
UW: What is your most valuable takeaway from this experience?
AB: As pharmacists, we are generalists, we know a large variety of information that is crucial to providing patient care. However, in industry you need to dive deep into the science to know everything about one specific drug or therapeutic area. Learning how to digest a large amount of clinical information and summarizing it into the most relevant and insightful parts and disseminating it to the rest of the company to find actionable goals, is an important and valuable skill to possess in any future career within the industry.
Angad now works at AstraZeneca as an MSL, at two community pharmacies on the weekends and is a teaching assistant for PHARM 376 at Waterloo Pharmacy. He strives to someday hold a leadership position so he can make an impact in the pharmaceutical sector of healthcare industry.