Going Back to Clinical Practice After Working in the Pharmaceutical Industry

It is not the answers you give, but the questions you ask ~~ Voltaire

Can I go back to clinical medicine after being a physician in the pharmaceutical industry?

This week I’m continuing Dr. Andy Cagle’s story regarding his career as a physician in the pharmaceutical industry.

After his first role as a Field Medical Scientific Director at Novo Nordisk he made the decision to go back to clinical practice.  He joined a practice in general pediatrics and also saw pediatric endocrinology patients part-time.   

In evaluating the decision to go back to clinical practice, he consulted with colleagues that had done the same for multiple reasons.  They all gave him the same advice:  “it’s like riding a bike” – he had to “study up, learn some new things… like EMR” but his advice to people is that you can go back.

After a few years in clinical practice and “trying to find his fit”, he decided his own personal fit was better in the pharmaceutical industry.

A mentor shared the following with him:

There are so many opportunities to make a difference in the pharmaceutical industry…  if you are concerned about leaving patient care …

in the pharmaceutical industry there is the possibility to make a bigger difference and it can be even more rewarding

I wholeheartedly agree with his mentor… as someone that was on a clinical research path, seeing patients 80-100% of the time was never my goal; helping patients certainly was. 

My career in the pharmaceutical industry has allowed me to make a difference for patients. 

Regarding patient care, Andy encourages his mentees in the pharmaceutical industry to continue to see patients if they can.  There are ways to do this such as volunteer faculty positions.  At Riley Hospital for Children we had faculty in our fellows’ clinics that were from Eli Lilly.   

Andy has kept up his patient care by volunteering at diabetes camps.

“find a place to volunteer, give back, keep clinical connection”

After deciding that he wanted to continue his career in the pharmaceutical industry, his network helped him to find a job at Eli Lilly.  This was an “in-house” role (vs. the field role he had at Novo Nordisk – see the first blog about Andy’s career).

His title was: Clinical Research Physician and Medical Advisor

In this role, his responsibility was focused on growth hormone (rhGH), a product that Eli Lilly marketed.  He was one of very few pediatric endocrinologists at the corporate office in Indianapolis and this allowed him the opportunity to be pulled into multiple conversations given his expertise.  Examples of special projects he got to participate in include: due diligence, drug safety, pediatric plans…

He uses the following descriptions when he discusses his physician career in the pharmaceutical industry:

• “chaotic”
• “can’t be afraid of not having training to do something”
• “nothing prepares you for a role in industry”
• “don’t be afraid or intimidated by I don’t know if I can do that”
• “figure it out”
• And he provided a great reminder…

During our medical training we had to figure things out and problem solve…

So when he was asked if he could do something he would say:

“yeah I can do that – b/c I knew I could figure it out”

This is great advice… In the pharmaceutical industry, we want problem solvers.

Andy suggested that people remember when they interview for their first pharmaceutical job, they use examples from their medical training and clinical practice – physicians are natural problem solvers. 

 Andy transitioned from larger pharmaceutical companies (Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly) to a small “start-up” company called Ascendis Pharma where he was hired to build a field medical team.

He described working at a start-up company:

• “wear a lot of hats”
• “need a process? you make one – you build it”
• “building the plane as you go down the run way”
• “hard work, can be intimidating but also fun”
• “no excuses – if you don’t like the way it is being done, you have the opportunity to change it”
• “can’t be afraid of making mistakes”

Andy has had the opportunity to work in several pharmaceutical companies, large and small, and he provided great words of wisdom about multiple topics related to physicians in the pharmaceutical industry.

His last piece of advice regards the physician personality and our need for perfectionism.

As a pharmaceutical physician, he advises that we have to let some of that go. We have to be open to trying and if the approach does not work, try something else. Be willing to make mistakes, learn from them and don’t make the same mistake again.

It was so great to re-connect with a colleague and friend from residency and fellowship! My thanks to Andy for sharing his advice and insights about his physician career in the pharmaceutical industry!