Q&A with Andrew Do

Currently, Andrew Do is a fourth-year student pharmacist at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy and will be joining Alnylam Pharmaceuticals as a United States Marketing fellow upon graduating this May 2023. His other experiences include industry rotations at Bristol Myers Squibb and Sanofi, a clinical internship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in pediatric inpatient pharmacy, and published research in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

Andrew Do

What experiences helped prepare you for this role as a prospective marketing fellow?

I was fortunate to have two industry APPE rotations, specifically in Sanofi’s Immunology department as a Global Medical Affairs/Scientific Communications Extern and in Bristol Myers Squibb’s (BMS) Myeloma department as a Customer & Market Research Insights Extern. At BMS, I gained specific market access experience and learned more about marketing and the other functional areas. In both of these roles, I really just learned as much as I could and kept an open mind to learn about other functional areas and industry in general.

What characteristics would a PharmD need to be successful in Marketing?

A PharmD in Marketing should have strong communication skills to best market a product based on company needs. As a PharmD, you have leverage in a marketing role because of the clinical knowledge of disease states that you can apply to a business background.

How important is having a mentor within industry? Who impacted you the most and why?

Mentorship is a huge part in your professional development, especially during the fellowship application process. Reaching out to your upperclassmen and current industry professionals is a great way to find a mentor that shares the same interests as you. My current mentor was my upperclassman in pharmacy school and a current fellow in Marketing as well. She’s been a huge help during the entire fellowship process and was someone I could rely on to answer any of my questions thoroughly.

Also, you don’t have to have a direct relationship with an upperclassman or professional, but you should still actively network with people in the field you’re interested in via IPhO or LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to reach out or ask questions to fellows or upperclassmen since you can learn a lot from just having a conversation.

Because there’s a steep learning curve in understanding the Marketing and Commercial areas, how did you overcome this and learn more about the field?

During my rotation at BMS, I was able to gain hands-on experience to thoroughly understand Marketing. At first, it was like swimming in hot water since the industry lingo was unfamiliar, but being clear about your experiences at the start of your rotation will help your preceptor understand your competency and help you grow in the area.

If you can’t get a rotation within the commercial space, network with current marketing fellows and have conversations to ask about their daily life. You can take note of the terminology they use and how they speak.

There is that steep learning curve at first, so don’t be too overwhelmed, just learn as much as you can!

As a current P4 who has successfully completed the most recent fellowship cycle, can you provide some insight into how you prepared for fellowship applications, the general process of how this year’s cycle went, and what you would have done differently?

I started prepping for fellowships early around July. I wrote my CV and Letter of Intent in advance before I sat down to review my application with my mentors. I got great feedback on what was strong and what areas needed to change. It’s a good idea to figure out what functional area you want to apply for and it’s ok to have multiple interests, but many successful applicants already know what they want to do.

Recently, the Midyear conference transitioned back to inperson, so I was able to talk with current fellows and pick their brains a little on their experiences. Midyear can be intimidating because it’s a whole different world of interviewing, but it’s important to be personable and learn to leverage your unique experiences. I applied to 12 different positions in marketing and commercial, but I was still learning about the functional area during the interview process since pharmacy school doesn’t really prepare you for a business background. But being able to be flexible and bounce back from mistakes can help you stand out.

Although fellowships are really competitive, at the end of the day, you want to match with a fellowship that you vibe with since you’ll be working with them for 2 years. Remember, companies are fighting for you just as much as you’re fighting for them.

What advice would you give to students if they aren’t able to obtain any industryrelated experiences like summer internships or APPEs?

It’s completely fine if you don’t have any industry experience! The biggest thing to have is to be involved in something you’re passionate about. We all have core clinical rotations as pharmacy students, so leverage those clinical skills in the industry space since many of those soft skills are transferable.

During your interviews, there are a lot of situational and behavioral-type questions, where you can talk about any leadership or project experience you have from an organization or rotation. It’s not the end of the world if you can’t get industry experience, but just communicate your interests to your preceptors at your APPEs so you can find those unique experiences to leverage during interviews.

On that note, a lot of applicants may share similar experiences that can be repetitive for these interviewers. You should reflect on your CV and past experiences and ask yourself “has anyone done this in the past?” You can go far in the interview process if you can find experiences that are unique to you.

For example, I talked about my industry experiences at Sanofi and BMS, but I also talked about the project I worked on for New Student Orientation (NSO). I had an idea for an orientation welcome video and led a team of 20+ people to execute the project from scratch. We were able to get a lot of views on various social media platforms, and I gained a lot of experience in digital marketing. What made you decide to pursue industry instead of other fields of pharmacy?

Even in undergrad, I was involved in media and historian leadership roles. Growing up, I always had a creative mindset and liked working on projects. Without realizing it, I was chasing marketing all throughout pharmacy school, and the different projects and experiences leveraged my background for a marketing role. As a P1, I had no idea marketing fellowships existed, and it wasn’t until my third year that I found that my interests and creative mindset aligned with marketing.

Although clinical pharmacy can be rewarding, my clinical rotations felt repetitive, and I got tired of the same workflow. In industry, there are a lot of different projects and variability since drug development is constantly changing. My APPEs at Sanofi and BMS were variable, and while yes, you are working on projects the whole day, the projects themselves are totally different in their own sense. There’s just an excitement in project work for me and being able to constantly learn what’s out there to best support the company you’re working with.

How do you think your PharmD and unique experiences fit in the role of marketing?

At first glance, PharmD and Marketing may not look like they go hand-in-hand, but having strong clinical knowledge and literature review skills can help you determine how to develop campaign and marketing materials. We know what healthcare providers are looking for disease states and therapies, and PharmDs are well-versed in knowing the current landscape and what patients are looking for in a prescription.

Whether it’s in a resume, interview, or networking, how do you make yourself stand out in applying to competitive internships, rotations, and fellowships?

Sit down and reflect on what you did for each role and experience in your CV, and then find unique opportunities that you can leverage. Look for how you expanded your role and what you did for the organization or rotation you were involved in. Industry experience can definitely help, but don’t neglect the experiences and strengths you already have. People think you need business experience, but clinical experience can also give you an edge within this functional area. Try not to compare yourself to other people and be sure to talk about yourself in the best way possible to show why you’re best fit for that program.

What advice do you have for students who aspire to be in the field but are shy or more introverted than their peers?

I’m an introverted person myself, so it was scary and uncomfortable to put myself through these situations at first, but it gets better the more times you do it! During my industry APPEs, a lot of it is what you make out of it, so I set multiple 1:1 meetings with people in the company to pick their brains. During my first 1:1, I was shaking because I didn’t know what to expect. I had all my questions written out and the whole interaction formatted. However, after sitting down with these professionals, I learned they really just want to have a conversation with you and find common interests, where they can provide advice for you to succeed in your career.

know where to go, look at LinkedIn, find professionals who share that field of interest, and send them a message to have a genuine conversation. The more you do it, the more fun you’re going to have. The best way to learn and grow as a professional is by taking that first uncomfortable step to put yourself out there.

What is your biggest accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My biggest accomplishment was being the head of the media committee for NSO, and I talked a lot about this during my behavioral questions. It was a 2–3-month long project over the summer to create an innovative way to showcase the college and excite incoming students. I led subcommittees of 20+ people, so communication was key since I needed to convey what I wanted to accomplish to bring my vision to life. After launching the welcome video, we reached over 5,000 views on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This was such a rewarding experience since faculty and past alumni reached out to say they were proud of the video we released.

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

I’d like to be remembered for my kindness! Overall, kindness goes a long way in whatever work you’re doing, so I’d love to provide mentorship and share my success and advice with others.

That’s a wonderful legacy to leave behind! Thank you for sharing your experiences and taking the time to have this interview with us. We wish you the best at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and can’t wait to see what you do next!