Acquainting Veterinary Students with Careers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

Careers in the pharmaceutical industry were revealed in modules facilitated by senior scientists from companies that sponsor the Cornell Leadership Program for Veterinary Students. One module was structured as a series of interviews for different positions in industry, the other as a competition between hypothetical companies created by students. The interview-based module stimulated wide-ranging discussion of the activities and responsibilities of veterinarians employed in a discovery-intensive pharmaceutical firm and of the characteristics such companies seek in prospective employees, from both professional and personal perspectives. The second module explored the drug discovery and development process from the perspective of animal-health companies that are competitors in the market for animal health care products. The exercise provided insights into the manner in which companies discover new chemical entities, screen candidate drugs, allocate resources, and pursue the development of products through testing, licensing, and distribution.