Providing Insight into Industry

How two students are helping their peers navigate the evolving landscape of industry careers in pharmacy

Story by Ryan McDaniel | Published June 6, 2023

“The field of pharmacy is changing, and it’s changing faster than before,” says Mayur Krishna, a rising third-year student. “Pharmacists have a skillset that is diverse and can be leveraged in many ways.”

It was this outlook that brought Mayur and his classmate, Alex An, to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in the first place. Both students have a similar story: they have both always been interested in science, both were on a pre-med track in undergrad, and both came to find that pharmacy could offer more possibilities than other paths. Now they are co-hosts of a podcast called Insight Into Industry that brings its audience the student perspective on exploring different career opportunities available within industry.

The idea to start a podcast took shape the summer after Mayur’s and Alex’s first year of pharmacy school when the two were both on community pharmacy immersion in Asheville. Alex, who was also interning in clinical development at a company called Springworks Therapeutics, had begun focusing on networking with pharmacy industry professionals through LinkedIn. “I loved networking and meeting industry professionals,” Alex recalls. “I thought, ‘what can I do to help bring this experience to our classmates interested in industry positions?’ I brought my thoughts to Mayur and, together, we built Insight Into Industry as an online platform for the podcast as well as internship opportunities and professional development resources.”

Topics Alex and Mayur have covered so far on Insight Into Industry have ranged from fellowships, to consulting, to developing soft skills and business skills. They’ve spoken with students, alumni, and other industry professionals in medical affairs, oncology, and marketing.

“Our mission is to bring the experience and advice from alumni to the students of the School,” Mayur explains. “In the future, we’d like to expand topics to discuss DE&I, industry news, and updates from around the industry.”

The podcast has grown since its inception in fall of 2022. They now have a small team of student volunteers working to coordinate podcast guests, build diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and expand the platform’s presence on social media. “It’s been rewarding, personally, to meet these people and expand our networks in industry,” says Alex. “And we’re proud to be able to bring this to our peers at the School as well.”

Looking ahead to post-graduation, Alex is leaning toward consulting work. He sees it as a way to explore even more options, further develop his network, and move into other areas of pharmacy. Mayur is still unsure of his post-graduation plans, but will also be looking to broaden his view and his opportunities as he begins his MBA in fall 2023 as part of the School’s PharmD/MBA program.

Neither Alex nor Mayur are sure they’ll be able to continue to be personally involved with Insight Into Industry after graduating, but they hope they have built something that can be continued by Eshelman School of Pharmacy Students that come after them. “We’d love to see the podcast continue for a long time,” says Mayur. “and it will be best to be run by current students of the School rather than by us. That way it can continue to serve those it was meant to in the first place – the next generation of pharmacy professionals.”