(308) History, Development and Current Status of Post-Pharm.D. Industry Fellowship Programs at Northeastern University

Objective : Industrial post-Pharm.D. fellowships provide an intriguing opportunity for pharmacy school graduates to contribute to the operations and pharmaceutical development within biotechnology companies in a manner that can mutually benefit both parties.

Methods: This study provided an assessment of the Northeastern University fellowship program by surveying participating fellows, liaisons from partner companies, and School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science faculty/staff program coordinators using a combination of open-ended, multiple choice, ordinal, interval, and Likert scale question formats. 93% of first-year fellows (26/28) and 25% of second-year fellows (6/24), respectively, participated. Additionally, faculty/staff principals performed a detailed SWOT analysis of the program.

Results: According to the survey results, every fellow reported making a definitive impact in the work/operations within the partner company. Additionally, 81% of surveyed fellows agreed that their impact within the university is strong. Eighty-eight percent of the company liaisons stated that the fellows exhibited distinct leadership qualities including: a) being self-motivated and proactive; b) taking ownership of a project from start to finish; c) having strong interpersonal communication skills; and d) maintaining a adaptive attitude toward project and company goals. According to both fellows and company liaisons, the primary qualities that signified a successful fellowship included: a) ability to oversee a project from start to finish; b) attaining a position at the company upon fellowship completion; and c) enhancing communication skills, people skills, and presentation skills. Additionally, the SWOT analysis identified distinct stabilizing and destabilizing agents that impact the overall cohesiveness and continuity of the program.

Conclusions: Overall, this assessment has provided a closer look into many components of the fellowship program and indicated an auspicious stage of development as it undergoes its second decade.