On Monday, 24th of October we visited GlaxoSmithKline office in Denmark which is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical industry. The trip gave us a broad perspective into career after dissertation. They opened their door and explained the various career possibilities that one can take with scientific training that we have. This includes area outside the research and development including clinical trials, regulatory affairs, medical/scientific advisors, management, marketing, medical governance and the list continues.
We learned about expectations that the industry has over us, such as to have competence at the employers disposal and not our own, consideration for marketing or commercialism, performing short term tasks, focusing more on applied instead of basic research, multi skill and ability to work across functional teams. They value engagement and passion, communication skills, ability to network, international experience, the actual "core competence" in our case this is the hard core scientific knowledge, social intelligence and experience from the governmental system is always beneficial to have.
We learn about corporate social responsibility that GSK performs, such as sending drugs immediately to the site of natural disaster, selling drugs at very low cost to the third world country and sending their employee to work at NGO (Non Governmental Organization).
We also learn the importance of collaboration. This can be done at every step of the way between a molecule to a medicine, a process that can take up to 20 years. Most collaboration with universities are done at the early stage or so called basic research to identify the potential medicine. The later stages are performing mostly in collaboration with hospitals.
Overall this has been a real eye opening experience. We learn more about what are our future possibilities and also about what pharmaceutical industries do. This can hopefully lead to collaboration or simply to keep a good connection between us and GSK.
2011-10-25 Tamara Tjitrowirjo, Ph.D. Student
Page Manager: Susanne André
Last modified: 2011-11-01
