Six Disciplines within the Healthcare Industry

The most recent Networking from Home series event was all about the healthcare industry. We were lucky to have representatives from Google Health, Pfizer, Scripps Research Institute, Merck, Crossix Solutions, and an alum with decades of experience within healthcare consulting. 

With our panelists ranging from a leading researcher on a COVID-19 vaccine to a cardiologist to a robotics engineer at a pharmaceutical company, we learned firsthand that there are many different disciplines within the healthcare industry. 

So, what did we learn?

LARGE GROUP TAKEAWAYS 

  • You don’t have to figure it all out now- many of the employers and alumni weren’t exactly sure which discipline within healthcare they wanted to pursue during their undergraduate years.
  • The healthcare industry can be one of the most exciting fields to enter to help people and make advances for the future.
  • The industry is massive: with pharmaceuticals, research institutions, academia, medical school, practitioners, and consultants, there is an abundance of different lanes within the industry to pursue.
  • There’s not an “average day” in most roles. Every day presents new challenges, problems to solve, and opportunities so you must be flexible and able to adapt.

BREAKOUT ROOM TAKEAWAYS 

  • Use your time as an undergraduate to focus on research to allow yourself time to gain the skills necessary later on in your career.
  • Try to “recession-proof” your resume by trying not to get too specific too early in your career. With a range of experiences and skills early in your career, you will have a better chance to move around from company to company and discipline to discipline. 
  • By taking roles that give you exposure to many areas within a company or focus in healthcare, you become a good fit for leading new efforts because you have a high-level view of all the other projects. This sometimes requires lateral moves but those lateral moves pay off down the road when you have rich knowledge and experience across the field. 
  • If you want to stand out as an applicant to medical school or as a candidate for a job, focus on your passion and why you are entering the field.
  • You need to rely on your team to succeed on projects and research.

“It’s really all about the team and how the team works.  When I transitioned to industry, I wasn’t successful until I started leaning on other people. No one person can drive anything forward, you need others to help you.”- representative from Pfizer

  • All research is important but there are critical differences between academic labs and industrial labs. Industrial labs can be more rigorous as they have to be safe for commercial use.

BENEFITS OF NETWORKING

Networking is a skill that you can practice in person or virtually. We encourage you to learn more from these supportive employers and alumni. With so many options in this industry, it’s important to give yourself the chance to learn about the various opportunities.

“The barking dog gets fed first. Also, diversify the kinds of networking events you’re attending. You will build rapport and you will hear about how companies think about certain topics or what they think about a topic — use that down the road.”- alum from Crossix Solutions

Check out our library of networking resources to gain confidence before your next virtual or in-person networking event. 

Our next Networking from Home event is focused on making the most of your virtual internship on June 30th!