What is the “Right” specialty for biotech/pharma?

Today’s blog is a revision of a blog from October 2020 in which I’ve updated some statistics.  There are so many great pieces of advice that I want to make sure new readers and old, alike, can learn from…

Am I in the RIGHT medical specialty?

This is a common question I get related to being able to land a job in the pharma/biotech industry.  

I either get the question 

OR 

I get an assumption from the physician that they are NOT in the right specialty.

The answer to the question “Am I in the RIGHT medical specialty?” 

IT DEPENDS!

It depends on so many things… the actual job that is being hired for, the hiring manager, the company, the physician’s (applicant’s) experience (not just specialty). 

Certainly, there are specialty areas that are “hot” in drug development and those are the areas where specialty or experience will make it easier to land that pharma/biotech job. 

In Massachusetts, Mass Bio’s 2023 State of the Industry report shows the top therapeutic areas include:

Oncology (35%)

Neurology (16%)

Infectious Disease (10%)

Various (7%)

Gastroenterology (5%)

Sensory Organs (4%)

Other – blood, respiratory, cardiovascular, dermatology, endocrine

Notably, since I wrote the first blog in 2020, Oncology and Neurology remain on top of the list.

How do I interpret these data? Based on my experience it means that oncologists, neurologists, and immunologists are in demand

AND 

so are other specialties! 

As physicians, it is important to remember that we are 

• highly educated
• capable of immense learning… quickly
• exposed to all of these areas (especially those of you that are not specialized – internists, pediatricians and family medicine physicians, I’m speaking to you)

If a job posting says that you need a specific specialty – that should not be a “hard NO” for you if you are not in that specialty. Do you have some experience that translates? If so, give it a go! 

If the posting says “Oncology preferred” – that does not mean they are only looking for oncologists.  Give it a go! 

Read up on the specialty, read up on the company and what they are developing. Show that you are driven to learn and adapt rapidly. 

Ready to make a career transition to pharma/biotech… want to explore a way to use your medical training and knowledge in a fulfilling way without nights and weekends call or charting. Watch this webinar on Getting Past the Three Major Hurdles to a Career in the Pharma Industry HERE.