A scientist in industry must have good oral and written communication skills to advance in their field. Before this internship, I believed that in order to conduct research in industry, a pharmacist must have a graduate degree. This proved to be a misconception. Pharmacists without a Ph.D. played essential roles at Glaxo Wellcome in drug development, clinical, and basic research. However those with advanced degrees do move up more rapidly.
Most pharmacists start in sales and eventually move to other positions such as marketing.
Other jobs include involvement in regulatory and government affairs, consulting, and conducting clinical trials. Overall, this internship gave me a firsthand view of the industry. I was able to develop as a student and strengthen my commitment to attend graduate school. I would recommend that all pharmacy students apply for this internship because it provides an experience that cannot be duplicated in a classroom. If the profession of Pharmacy is not to become obsolete we must shift our paradigm from a dispensing role to that of pharmaceutical care.