Opinion on applicants from Industry?

[JTJ]

Hey everyone,

 

I'm going to graduate with my PhD this year, and I didn't get into medical school during this round of applications. So I will apply again this upcoming October, but that means I have a 'gap year' coming up. My initial backup plan was to do something clinically relevant while utilizing my PhD, perhaps a contract post-doc in medical / clinical research. It appears that those are harder to find than I imagined, and most clinical research studies seem to require RNs.

 

However, there are tons of ads for Medical Science Liaisons from big pharmaceutical firms. MSLs require a min of an MD, or PhD or PharmD and act as the scientific representative from the company in dealing with physicians, and initiating/monitoring clinical research trials etc. I am interested in this because it seems like it would be good clinical exposure and it would actually be something I enjoy, just from the industry side as opposed to the hospital side. And it doesn't hurt that I would be able to start up some savings before starting med school (though I'd only be interested in 1 yr contract positions ideally). But bottom line is that there may be more opportunities for this type of position in Industry than there are in academia.

 

My question is, do you think this is *too* non-traditional of an approach? Is anyone on any file review committees? Is there a bias against people from industry perhaps in personality judgement - that it is less benevolent to spend your time in industry than in the public / academic sector? I know it sounds like the answer should be no... but I'm not sure whether there is a culture I would be going against. On the other hand, I think it would speak to my dedication in wanting to be a physician if I were willing to leave a well-paying job and good career prospects. Thoughts?

[Real Beef]

First off congratulations on your PhD!! Wow ... awesome.

 

There is no way to know what the collective views are on working for "industry". Besides the pharmaceutical industry supplies the meds, products that MDs prescribe so it would be non-productive to have a hate on for Big Pharm. Anyhow admissions committees change therefore the collective views change. Perhaps it is a cognitive distortion of yours that ad coms would not like industry. So I would not put any weight on something that is based on assumptions ... you, we can never know what a group of people think who do not publish what they think.

 

Ok so we have cleared up that we will not assume to know what people think.

 

I think what is important now is not whether you work for Big Pharm industry or a hospital but rather to gain some work experience. Having worked on your PhD suggests that you have been locked in academia for quite some time and perhaps have not had a chance to gain life experience in the work force in a meaningful way. I think whether it be with a hospital for little pay or for Big Pharm for big pay is somewhat irrelevant or anything we say about the merits of either is speculative while we can say that getting a job/work experience will be of benefit to your future applications in addition to the benefit of having completed your PhD.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Beef

[Mighty Molar]

My question is, do you think this is *too* non-traditional of an approach? Is anyone on any file review committees? Is there a bias against people from industry perhaps in personality judgement - that it is less benevolent to spend your time in industry than in the public / academic sector? I know it sounds like the answer should be no... but I'm not sure whether there is a culture I would be going against. On the other hand, I think it would speak to my dedication in wanting to be a physician if I were willing to leave a well-paying job and good career prospects. Thoughts?

 

Hi there,

 

I cannot tell you the correct answer, but based on my experience only.

 

I graduated in 2007, and I have been working in the industry (pharma Inc), jumping around in different possitions and sectors. Then I apply to med this year and got my interview last week (traditional pathway).

 

My feeling is, it doesn't make much of a difference on the CV (on paper); however, my working experience has helped me a quite alot in the MMI. In addition, I have 5 years working experience in total, which might give me certain edge in the selection process too, probably.

 

Last but not least, it really depends on the specific school.

 

Hope that helps