The physician in the pharmaceutical industry

What do we know about the role of a physician within the pharmaceutical industry? You probably never did an elective rotation where you could experience this life. You probably never had a chance to shadow a pharmaceutical physician. So how would you know?

Here's an abstract from an Acta Med Port article published in 1993 about "[The physician in the pharmaceutical industry]" (note: the title is in brackets because the original article was published in Portuguese.)

Abstract:

The physician's role in the pharmaceutical industry has changed over the past years. This change is a consequence of several factors, namely the evolution of the industry itself, the legislative and regulatory changes in this particular area, the development of medicine, new techniques and research, and finally the physician's needs. The changes that this activity has undergone not only create new stimuli for the physicians in the industry, but also new challenges and needs for the complete achievement of their career. This is a review article of the main functions and responsibilities of the physician in the pharmaceutical industry as well as the new challenges that this group of physicians faces. Finally, special attention is given to post-graduate courses and their relation with the academic structure.

Acta Med Port. 1993 Jul;6(7):361-5.
PMID: 8379357

I'm sure much has changed since 1993.  Probably one of the biggest areas is in communications and computing technology. Modern business executives are expected to carry smartphones (such as the BlackBerry) and respond quickly to urgent e-mails and other business emergencies. You'll be expected to also have a laptop so that you can work while you're traveling. These types of technologies (particularly the smartphone) were not nearly as ubiquitous back in 1993 compared to 2009. Modern laptops are much more sophisticated and you can do so much more on these mobile computers. You'll be expected to have strong computing skills so that you can be effective and efficient in the corporate world.

Strong computer skills are vital for most non-clinical jobs

How are your computer skills? What if you had to rate yourself? Novice, intermediate, or expert?

Strong computer skills are almost always vital for most non-clinical positions. Why? Because business productivity requires the use of computers and mobile technology. You will probably be expected to use smartphones such as the BlackBerry, iPhone, or even a Windows Mobile device. If you travel for work, you'll find yourself doing quite a bit of work on the airplane. Your productivity will largely depend on your level of computer proficiency. Hence, if you're really slow on the PC and you don't know how to use keyboard shortcuts, then you may be spending a lot of time on your documents or other deliverables.

Learn to be efficient using the Microsoft Office suite of applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). You can view free multimedia tutorials online if you're not very familiar with these applications.

Companies are looking for people who can be efficient since you'll have many different tasks and responsibilities. If you can effectively demonstrate that you have strong computer skills, then you will have a competitive advantage over many other candidates.

Do you "work" on the weekends?

Most physicians work on the weekends. You may not work every single weekend, but unless you're a dermatologist or pathologist (some of those specialties that have a great lifestyle), you can expect to work an occasional weekend here or there if you're a physician and you have direct-patient responsibilities. My wife is a primary care physician and she works a fair share of weekends. Fortunately, that primarily consists of answering a few phone calls during the day. Weekend work for physicians often involves visits to the hospital, rounding, cross-covering, etc.

Well, the world of non-clinical medicine may not be too different, depending on the career path you choose. There are some areas where you'll be working into the nights and weekends if you have project deadlines and last-minute deliverables. In the business side of medicine, you may be traveling on the weekends to meet clients. You may be checking your BlackBerry or other smartphone on the weekends. So, work often follows you into the weekends if you let that happen.

I blog on the weekends. Does that constitute "work" by your definition? Some people watch television or read fiction on the weekends. I blog because it's rewarding on different levels. However, I also try to make sure that I'm not neglecting the precious work-life balance since it's easy to get caught up with busy schedules.

If you'd like to have more freedom in your weekends, perhaps you may want to consider a hybrid approach: maintain some clinical responsibilities, but find non-clinical sources of income (health care administration, health IT, writing, etc.) so that you can balance your work schedule and have more flexibility with your life.

MedicalSmartphones.com

I've registered a new URL: MedicalSmartphones.com

I've been an avid PDA/smartphone user for many years. During medical school and residency, I used to provide advice about these devices. I've been blogging about it for a while, but now I want to keep a dedicated blog about this topic. I hope you'll visit and find some useful information.

Epocrates Rx Pro now available for the BlackBerry

Epocrates Rx Pro is now available for the BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Storm looks like an amazing device. Does this mean that all future BlackBerry devices will be developed to have a touch screen interface?

In my opinion, it is vital to have a touch screen so that you can easily navigate and click around. That's why I've been such a big fan of touch screen devices. I started with the Apple Newton, then migrated to Windows CE/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile. Now, I'm a dedicated Windows Mobile user and I love my device. I've stayed away from BlackBerry because of the lack of a touch screen, but I wonder if my next device will be a BlackBerry or a Windows Mobile device. Hopefully I won't have to replace my XV6800 anytime soon.