Careers in Pharmaceutical Medicine FAQs

At entry level, it is best to look for advertised jobs on LinkedIn, company websites, 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. They are often used particularly for mid and senior level roles. They are working for and paid for by the recruiting company and not by the candidate (similar to an 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.

Some headhunters work on entry level roles, though it may also be effective to apply directly to companies, either in response to advertised jobs on LinkedIn, companies’ websites, or specialist websites such as pharmiweb. Ideally, if you know the hiring manager’s 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 a higher number of senior medics to learn from and interact with. You will be exposed to different aspects of pharmaceutical medicine and promotional prospects are wider, with salary and conditions slightly better too.

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 styles of 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 this stage of their career choose to start with larger companies. Later in their career, many choose to work for smaller companies.

There are many ways to help patients and helping to provide safe and effective medicines is certainly one of them. It is true that many doctors working in the pharmaceutical industry rarely have 1:1 contact with patients, although working with patient groups is becoming increasingly common. Medics working in Phase 1 research units or clinical research site management organisations will be in regular contact with volunteers or patients. It is important that individuals find employment that they personally find satisfying and worthwhile. These aspects are a matter for individual choice.

We recommend completing at least four years of clinical practice before you enter the industry. The majority of medics join during their training period in the NHS (i.e before obtaining CCT) 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 an 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 a higher level, and your knowledge and contribution will be more significant. You will have a “fall back” position if you do not like the work in the pharmaceutical industry and may command more respect from key scientific leaders with whom you interact.

In recent years more traditional roles in medical departments have been filled by non-medics (mostly pharmacists and scientists- MSc and PhD). This is because the scope of non-medical roles in healthcare has changed (pharmacists and nurses are often able to prescribe medicines), and the industry is quite meritocratic so the best person for the role is (or should be) selected. In addition, sometimes non-medics are paid less and tend to stay longer in the same position. However, medically trained doctors’ contributions are unique as they have hands-on experience in treating patients and being responsible for their overall care. They also know and understand best how clinicians think and behave, as well as what drives their decisions.

The hierarchy and progression is very different in the pharma industry compared to organisations like the NHS – there is no set amount of training or time spent in each level, no compulsory exams, no “guarantee” of progress and completion of your training and CCT does not automatically 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 factors. It is a very meritocratic environment, and qualifications alone will not give you superiority compared to non-medics. Today, many roles are open to non-medics so it will become more common for your line manager to be a non-medic.

During Pharmaceutical Medicine Specialty Training (PMST) you will be exposed (and assessed) on all aspects of the medical roles and expertise in pharmaceutical medicine. However, there are not usually 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 specialise in one stream of the role (a bit like subspeciality in clinical medicine after CCT). However, many medics move between streams like medical affairs and clinical development or take “secondment” in another area which is not their main specialisation. The knowledge and experience you gain from multiple streams will make you a better, more rounded 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 one day per week as GPs, or are attached to hospitals. It is more difficult to continue clinical work in surgical professions as you may not have enough clinical hours to maintain your surgical skills. Be aware that you will have to find out in advance where your revalidation sits – either through the pharma company or the clinical attachment. You may 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, provided there is no conflict of interest.

You can be a GP or not have a specialty at all, although it is desirable that you have several years’ experience in clinical medicine (we recommend at least four years post-qualification experience before moving into pharmaceutical 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 pharmaceutical medicine and promotional prospects are wider, with salary and conditions slightly better too.

In a small company, these advantages may be limited, and you will have to be quite independent and innovative. If you are a new entrant you will need to ensure that you have access to senior expertise and guidance. You may get larger roles and responsibilities early on.

So, different sizes and styles of companies appeal to different personalities. As a new entry into the industry, you will likely learn and get more solid foundations in a large company, and most medics in this stage of their career choose 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 range of skills that this brings is often welcomed by employers.

Please be aware that unhappiness in the NHS or a clinical role is by itself not a good reason to become 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 viewpoint and not regard the industry as a “fallback” position. But many physicians have found that the pharmaceutical industry offers tremendous job satisfaction.

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 by your managers. There is no minimal time in a role and, in general, movement upwards and laterally 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. You will need to work on and prepare for progress and promotion and, in many cases, you need to take the lead and be proactive rather than waiting for a promotion. To summarise, the sky is the limit. Once you are in the industry you do not always require further examinations or qualifications and progression may 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 may be able to move into commercial and/or general management. It depends at what stage of your career you 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 who 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 do not 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 do not 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 in the UK are affiliates of companies headquartered elsewhere, the most senior positions above country medical director are often 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.