Pharmacy Students Gain Valuable Insights at Networking Event

The impact today’s pharmacy students ultimately have on the health of others can stretch far beyond preparing and dispensing medicines, a top administrator from a global pharmaceutical company declared at St. John’s University’s Queens, NY, campus this semester.

 “There is a profound ability for pharmacists to exert an influence on modern drug development within the industry,” said Michael Olchaskey, Pharm.D., R.Ph., Executive Director of Global Regulatory Strategy at Allergan, said during his keynote address at the University’s Pharmaceutical Industry Networking Event in the D’Angelo Center in November.

Students in St. John’s Pharm.D. program heard and learned from leaders in the industry and alumni working in the field. The networking event was sponsored by the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences,the Industry Pharmacists Association (IPhO), the Drug Information Association, Phi Delta Chi, and University Career Services.

Olchaskey discussed his career and explained the value job candidates with a pharmacy degree offer to drug companies. “One of the reasons I became interested in drug development,” he said, “is that I started learning about various medicines that came from very common sources.” Opportunities for pharmacy graduates are varied, he added, including disparate areas such as marketing, drug regulation, and clinical safety.

After fielding questions, Olchaskey introduced a panel comprising nine members of St. John’s Pharm.D Fellowship Program. The fellows, alumni who are working at different pharmaceutical companies, briefly shared their experiences. The fellowship program offers the University’s Pharm.D. graduates two years of training in specific areas of the pharmaceutical industry, along with teaching and research opportunities on campus.

Attendees then formed small groups. For younger students in the six-year program, breakout topics highlighted the qualities and experiences that appeal to employers and fellowship directors. Other sessions helped older students prepare for the fellowship application process.

“It was very helpful to hear the current fellows’ thoughts on the best ways to network and present yourself,” said Sal Monaco ’18Pharm.D. “Students don’t recognize the breadth of opportunities in the industry. They think about lab research and manufacturing the drug, while the truth is a pharmacist could hold almost any position within the company.”

The event concluded with a two-hour networking reception for fellows and industry professionals invited by the University. It also was open to recent alumni.

Kanak Parmar ’19Pharm.D, an Executive Board Member of the University’s IPhO chapter, said, “I remember reaching out to Career Services during my freshman year, and my advisor really encouraged me to attend certain panel events that would expose me to people from all areas in pharmacy. Resources provided by professional organizations, both pharmacy and non-pharmacy, have exposed me to opportunities in pharmacy that I never would have imagined.”