Chapter 15 - Physician Careers in Industry

Abstract

Driven by the need for knowledge of medicine at each step on the path a chemical compound travels from its discovery to becoming an approved medicine, the past two decades have seen an expansion in the career opportunities for physicians in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry. Whether a compound is a classic small molecule or a protein biopharmaceutical, there are phases of drug development that define the path from bench to patient. The chapter comprises different phases of study and each of these phases has a focused set of research questions. These questions define the experiments that must be carried out. Understanding these phases and questions reveals the opportunities for physician careers in the pharmaceutical industry. It also highlights that physicians bring unique knowledge and experience to the discovery, development, and marketing of medicines. The increasingly complex science and technology environment of the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry has created expanded career opportunities for physicians. These careers are an unparalleled opportunity to affect the health of millions of persons throughout the world. Furthermore, the chapter explains careers in the pharmaceutical industry; knowledge of how health and illness are experienced by the patient is a unique perspective that only physicians can bring to a pharmaceutical company's efforts to discover, develop, and market medicines. Within pharmaceutical companies there are a variety of scientific jobs in which physicians can practice their knowledge of medicine.