For Maher Jibrini (Rx2023), the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy wasn’t just a place to earn a degree – it was the place to build his future. Through immersive, hands-on learning and real-world exposure, Maher was equipped with the tools he needed to carve his own path towards an industry residency program and his career.
“Pharmacy was always at the back of my mind growing up. My mother always says that she’s a pharmacist in spirit, since I fulfilled her dreams to become a pharmacist myself,” says Maher.
Maher’s path through pharmacy school took an unexpected turn when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Just three months into the program, his entire class was abruptly shifted to online learning. But where there were challenges, there were also possibilities. Maher reflects that the experience sparked fresh opportunities for students to demonstrate leadership in new and unexpected ways. It also highlighted the critical role of pharmacists, opening doors that had once been closed.
“What really struck me was the continued innovation that arose from Waterloo Pharmacy during the pandemic,” says Maher. “The School showed me the incredible importance of experiential learning – where curiosity and innovation intersect. This is in part why I chose to pursue an industry residency.”
Maher drew on the project-based roles he undertook at the School during his PharmD to highlight his accomplishments across all his coop terms, as well as his patient care rotations.
“My co-op work terms, and patient care rotations, set me up for success. The leadership skills I gained stood out in my application and helped me secure the industry residency,” Maher says.
After completing many interviews, Maher was stuck deciding between two different Sanofi positions, medical operations and medical affairs in rare diseases. Maher chose the medical affairs route, focusing on hemophilia as his therapeutic area of choice.
Q&A with Maher Jibrini
UW: Tell us about your residency experience.
MJ: When I first started, there was a learning curve, but I was confident because Waterloo Pharmacy already instilled out-of-the-box thinking in us. It was very busy learning about the company, industry as a whole and the therapeutic landscape of hemophilia, all while studying for my PEBCs. I was part of a small but mighty medical team that managed therapies for Hemophilia A and B across Canada. During my time at Sanofi, I was lucky to have worked with a variety of roles and individuals in the company, ranging from market access, marketing and regulatory. I was also given the opportunity to attend conferences and participate in events where I would even present some of our findings. Residency was the perfect connection between my PharmD and the career I wanted for myself.
UW: How did the residency program help you grow personally and professionally?
MJ: After pursuing this career, I’ve had new experiences that shaped me in ways I never expected. I developed many skills during pharmacy school, and one that I continue to improve on is my strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which I’ve been able to apply directly in my residency as well as my current role. These two skills have helped me effectively interpret, analyze and communicate data from clinical trials and research programs in a clear and meaningful way to educate and inform other healthcare professionals. The other amazing benefit was the networking opportunities. Joining a small medical team during a drug launch allowed me to gain broad exposure across various departments—including commercial, market access, regulatory and patient support services. I truly felt valued at Sanofi and this residency program opened so many doors for me.
UW: What did you most enjoy in your residency program?
MJ: I loved being at the forefront of new discovery and I knew after my co-op work terms at Waterloo Pharmacy that I needed to find a career where I could continue nurturing my innovative mindset through; the residency program with its experiential learning was the logical next step. I really felt supported by the team at Sanofi and having 13 of us going through the same challenges at Sanofi made it feel a bit like being back on Waterloo’s campus, learning and growing together. Connecting with the other industry residents at other companies to learn and understand their experiences was also key to my success. The tight knit community we created helped push us through the tough times.
UW: What are your future career plans?
MJ: After completing my residency last year, I began working as a medical science liaison at AbbVie, a pharmaceutical company. My specialty is in the immunology and rheumatology therapeutic area where I engage with key opinion leaders and experts to identify healthcare gaps, communicate new scientific findings related to our therapeutics and identify insights to continue improving patient care. Currently I work in a smaller region, serving the Toronto downtown core, as well as Manitoba and Saskatchewan. My goal is to work at either a national or global level to help drive strategy and change to improve outcomes for patients at a larger scale. It will take time, but I’m definitely looking forward to this new journey.