How Can Doctors Get Pharma Jobs? (And Why It's Getting Harder to Land a Role)
- Jan 22
- 9 min read
In a healthcare environment where physician burnout is prevalent, doctors are increasingly seeking nonclinical roles. While there are many nonclinical job options, the pharmaceutical industry has been a go to for nonclinical roles for physicians for many decades, and therefore is a common one asked about on our online physician communities. Those with insider knowledge of the industry are quick to point out that the ability to get a pharma role is getting increasingly challenging as competition for nonclinical roles increases, including amongst non-physician clinicians or researchers. Often, roles within the pharmaceutical industry favor candidates with industry experience or knowledge. Therefore, getting a pharma job may feel harder for physicians without a background in the space. Below, we cover the factors that can add potential challenges during the search and candidate selection process, and offer some tips on ways to increase your chances of landing a pharmaceutical role.
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Why it may feel harder for doctors to get pharmaceutical nonclinical roles nowadays
Although physicians are just as qualified as they’ve always been for pharmaceutical roles, there have been fundamental shifts in both the market as well as the roles that clinicians are occupying within the space. This is a large sector that is exposed to both micro and macro economic trends, and many things have affected the likelihood that a physician new to the space can secure a role in pharma.Â
There may actually be less nonclinical roles available for doctors than in the past due to economic and market forces
The overall job market in pharmaceuticals can fluctuate with economic cycles. While this is true in most industries, with the physician shortage and with patients always needing care, it’s something that physicians may not be as familiar with from clinical work. The availability of pharma jobs can be subject to hiring freezes, and hiring for roles can be delayed by mergers or restructures, which can also change the availability of particular roles and their job requirements.
As such, many market forces are at play here. In general, many companies are trying to run leaner, utilize AI, and contain costs, which may also lead to not replacing people that are retiring or layoffs. Several rounds of layoffs have recently occurred in big pharmaceutical companies.
Competition for pharmaceutical roles amongst clinicians and others is increasing
Not only are there less spots, but there are more applicants. As burnout increases and more and more physicians are seeking non clinical roles, the number of applications for each role has generally increased.Â
Additionally, there are many pharma roles that physicians may apply to that don’t necessarily require a physician. For example, pharma roles may also consider:
PharmD
PhD in a relevant field (chemistry, biology, biotech, etc.)
Master’s in science
Bachelor's in science
As you can imagine, compensation requirements for non-physicians may not be as high, and the pharmaceutical companies are running a business. If they can get someone who is qualified for the job who is able to accept a lower salary, they will likely fill that spot with that candidate instead of paying higher for a physician. Â
Pharmaceutical companies often prefer experience outside of direct clinical care
While clinical credentials are valuable, many pharmaceutical roles either require or give preferential treatment to candidates with industry specific experience. Prospective employers may ask for prior exposure in areas such as:
Drug development
Regulatory processes
Clinical research operations
Consulting
Medical affairs
Lacking this exposure can get you looked over by recruiters and in-house HR personnel. With physicians being so busy clinically these days, it may be harder for them to add these aspects to their resume prior to applying for a job, therefore giving them a disadvantage when compared to candidates that do have this track record within the industry.
Expectations on other credentials and skills
In addition to the degrees above, certain pharma roles may prefer candidates with other degrees such as a MPH or MBA.
Even if a role doesn’t require these types of degrees, they may expect candidates to be familiar with industry language and contexts, such as:
Regulatory standards & compliance requirements
Data interpretation outside of patient care
The lifecycle of drug development
Understanding of the industry landscape & competition
Outside of this industry specific expertise, they may also want candidates to have skills in:
Writing
Statistics
Business
Leadership
Depending on their clinical (& side gig) experience, physicians may not have these areas of knowledge (or may not have used or honed those skills in a long time). If you do have this experience, it’s important to properly emphasize and present this relevant knowledge during the application and interview process, instead of just speaking to your clinical knowledge.
Connections matter in this industry, and preference is given to those with an ‘in’ or who are already in the industry
Getting a pharma job can depend heavily on networking within the pharma industry. (We cover tips on how to do this below) Physicians who haven’t networked can struggle to get attention when doing cold call outreaches or submitting applications through job sites, particularly due to the factors above with increased competition for these positions. If they don’t have anyone to vouch for them and may never get the opportunity to highlight why they’d be a good fit.
Positions can often be filled through referrals and internally within the company. These jobs often fill before they are ever publicly announced, which means doctors may never even get the opportunity to apply. This is the reason why many physicians in the industry may start in roles that aren’t exclusive to physicians and have to work their way up to some of the more selective roles.
Landing a pharma job can be more about who you know versus what you know. Your colleagues within your clinical network may have been a valuable resource for past job searches, but they often aren’t as useful when shifting to a nonclinical role if they lack the industry connections you need to get in front of.
Pharma companies are cautious about nontraditional candidates, especially if worried about the reasons for joining
One thing many companies who hire physicians for non-clinical roles worry about is the physician’s motivation for pursuing a non-clinical role. As burnout amplifies within the clinical realm, many physicians are running away from clinical roles, rather than running towards roles that they are passionate about.
Unfortunately, the grass is not always greener, and many physicians find that they don’t enjoy the non-clinical environment, and leave soon after starting. Additionally, sometimes employers find that physicians aren’t great employees because they leave clinical medicine expecting to go into an easier job, whereas the new job has its own demands for excellence and performance, and most employers need hard-working and ambitious employees, regardless of the field. If you’re going into a pharma role because you expect that you’ll be able to work from home, take walks in the middle of the day, and never have to work a night or a weekend, not all non-clinical jobs will be a great fit. There may be tension if you’re not willing to learn new skills, work longer hours, or put in the effort, or if you seem uninterested in the work.
Can doctors make the jump from clinical work to a nonclinical pharma job?
While we’ve outlined some of the challenges doctors face when looking for a pharma job, we don’t want this to dissuade you if you have an interest in working in this industry.
Doctors can work in pharma and are hired for pharma jobs, many of which can have competitive salary ranges for practicing physicians. Roles doctors often hold in pharma include:
Medical science liaison
Medical director
Clinical development lead
Drug safety physician
Medical communications
Related PSG resources:
Landing these roles (and others) often comes down to how you present yourself and how you build relevant experience to help transition into this industry.
How to increase your chances of landing a job in the pharmaceutical industry as a physician
While it can be difficult to transition into a pharmaceutical role as a physician, especially if it’s your first nonclinical job, there are steps doctors can take to stand out against other candidates.
Network within the pharma industry to make connections for job leads
Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get out of the slush pile of potential candidates and to find jobs not widely advertised. Connecting directly also allows you to better showcase your experience and fit for a potential job versus a quick skim of your resume.
Consider:
Spending time on LinkedIn exploring the space and engaging with industry leaders and other professionals in similar roles to the one you’re interested in
Attending industry conferences and other events
Connecting with medical directors and other physicians in this space (through your network, mutual connections, etc.) who can share insights into how they made the transition and who can potentially connect you with opportunities they’re aware of
Build pharma industry relevant experience
Having experience within the industry can give you an upper hand, as we saw above. Side gigs are a great way to gain this experience as you look to transition full time from clinical work into a nonclinical career. Consider:
Clinical research: Physicians currently in private practice can start a clinical trials site at their practice to engage directly with pharmaceutical trials. Along with providing industry insights, this can offer huge earnings potential, though it’s probably not worth the effort & cost to build if you’re looking to transition out of clinical medicine soon. A better potential fit might be working as a principal investigator or sub-investigator at a third-party site, which can provide experience within the pharmaceutical industry (and provide additional income while you build your CV). Sign up for our free clinical research database for alerts of relevant openings (physician only).
Getting relevant certifications or take industry specific courses. There are several societies that offer courses and certifications which will both allow you to gage your own interest as well as show your dedication to the field. These could be in medical affairs, clinical research, drug development, regulatory affairs, or be more generic such as leadership, business, or writing.
Consulting opportunities: Consulting with pharmaceutical companies can be a great way to get initial experience that can snowball into future opportunities. Pharmaceutical companies often look to doctors for expertise for research, development, and market fit. You can sign up for our free consulting side gigs matching database (physician only; you must be a member of our Physician Side Gigs Facebook group to access) for alerts of opportunities relevant to your interests and experience.
Advisory board positions: These often take some networking to land, but can be invaluable experience (and fun opportunities!). Consider attending a pharmaceuticals or health tech conference to help make connections and let companies know you’re interested in working with them. We also have a free matching database for advisory roles you can sign up for (physician only).
Speaking for pharmaceutical companies: There can be a lot of red tape and guidelines to follow for these types of speaking opportunities, but this can allow you to leverage your existing expertise as a physician to get experience within the pharma world. Learn more about speaking for pharmaceutical companies, and sign up for our speaking database (physician only).
Tailor your clinical experience on your CV and resume through a pharma lens
Pharmaceutical companies will be looking at different metrics and experience than a private practice or hospital system when they review your past experience. In addition, they may ask you for your resume, not your CV, so it’s important to have both prepared and updated. If they ask for your resume and you send your CV, there’s a chance they may not review it at all.
Related PSG resource:
When updating your CV and resume, look at the key responsibilities defined for the role you’re applying for, and highlight any related skills and experience you have. This may include:
Decision making
Experience (and leadership) within a team framework
Trial oversight
Data interpretation
Be flexible in terms of type of role and location
While you may have a specific role you’re interested in for the next stage of your career, be flexible in what you’d consider for a starting point to get your foot in the door. You may want to consider short-term and/or contract work initially if you’re having difficulty landing a full-time position.
Also consider casting a wider net on location, both geographically and regarding industry. You may have better luck finding a job in an adjacent field to make your initial transition into a nonclinical career, such as in biotech or with a CRO for clinical research.
Conclusion
Getting a nonclinical pharma job can be harder than landing a clinical job due to several factors. Some factors doctors can mitigate, such as by updating their CV and having a resume, and focusing on how they search for potential openings (i.e. networking). Others are outside of their control, such as the current economic landscape and the competition in the job market.
While it’s harder to land a nonclinical role, it isn’t impossible. Many physicians successfully make this transition, and following the steps above can help set you up for success.
Related resources for physicians
Related nonclinical career resources:
Search our PSG job board
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for new job alerts
Sign up for our free job matching services (physician only)
Explore side gigs that can help get experience in the pharma industry: