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The Fellowship Chronicles March 2015PageASHP MIDYEAR CLINICAL MEETINGThe Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship (RPIF)recruitment was carried out at the 2014 ASHP Midyear ClinicalMeeting, held in Anaheim, CA. Each year, the recruitmentsession achieves new heights and this year was no exception.Using a highly expedited interview sign-up process,484 candidates were able to sign up for first round interviewsin approximately 3.5 hours. Overall, RPIF executed a smooth,efficient, and successful recruitment of 67 new fellows.Thank you to all of our partner companies, the MidyearCommittee, Company Lead Contacts, Technology/WebsiteCommittees, Co-Chiefs, Dean Barone, Dr. Toscani, and to everysingle fellow who made this year’s Midyear recruitment yetanother successful event.Dean Barone, Victoria Vazquez, KeithFairall, and Dr. Toscani at theRutgers ReceptionMidyear HighlightsBrittny Rule and Bryan Murray - Metrics Committee484 candidates from 86 schools interviewed for 67 positions2496 total interviews conducted67 new fellows at 16 companies36 schools of pharmacy represented by new the fellowsRutgers (10); MCPHS, USC (5); UNC, USciences (4); St. John’s (3)119 total fellows for 2015-2016Fellows at the Anaheim Convention CenterIN THIS EDITIONRutgers TOPRA Meeting - Page 3The MBA Edition! - Pages 4-5RPIF Webinar Series - Page 8484 candidates from 86 schools of pharmacyin 37 states interviewed with RPIF at MidyearMARCH 2015

The Fellowship Chronicles March 2015Page 2NEW FELLOWSHIP HEADQUARTERSBy Melanie Mostrowski, RPIF Marketing CoordinatorWhat was once an uninhabited laboratory filled with fossilizedcontainers of goo and an overwhelming amount of lifeless ladybugs isnow a bright and fresh space where many Fellowship ideas are ignited.The RPIF Fellowship office hasrelocated!Don’t fret though, change ispositive! The new residence islocated across the hall from ourprevious home, making our Program Coordinator, JanetLupo at her new deskofficial address room 407 in theRutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Building. The spacehosts three separate rooms, including a conference area, and ishome to Janet Lupo - Program Coordinator, MelanieDr. Toscani enjoys the sunlight inMostrowski - Marketing Coordinator and Dr. Michael Toscani his new officeFellowship Director and scholarly activity enthusiast! To ensureall our guests feel welcomed, Dr. T. will often invite visitors to try a treat from his Italian heritage, atorrone, which is a small square-shaped almond honey nougat. We encourage all guests to stop byand say hello, you might even be treated to a torrone!ANNUAL SKI TRIPFellows brave the cold for skiing and snowboardingOver 30 current and past fellows attended the annualFellowship Ski Trip this February in the Pocono Mountains ofPennsylvania. Fellows skied, snowboarded, and snow-tubeddown Jack Frost Mountain together on one of the coldestdays of the year. Coordinated by Benjit Singh and AgnesHong of the CommunityDevelopmentCommittee,several people also stayedovernight at a large ski housenearby.Fellowsplayedgames, enjoyed music, andbarbequed, despite belowfreezing temperatures.

The Fellowship Chronicles March 2015Page 3FULL HOUSE FOR TOPRA MEETINGErnest Mario School of Pharmacy hosts regulatory affairs meeting at Campus CenterOn January 22, 2015, the Busch Campus Center was filled to its limits for the first ever TOPRA and ErnestMario School of Pharmacy joint meeting. TOPRA, or The Organization for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs,is a professional organization for individuals working in regulatory affairs, which works with its membersinternationally to enable and promote excellence across the profession. This joint event was organized andcoordinated with great efforts by Caitlin Lentz, a 2nd year fellow at Celgene.From left: Andrea Masciale, Chris Griffett, Darshan Wariabharaj, Kristie Ota,Caitlin Lentz, Carlos Langezaal, and Rob KowalskiRegulatory professionals fromover a dozen companiesgathered for presentations byKristie Ota (Bayer) and RobKowalski (Novartis) on keytopics including regulatingsafetybiomarkersandmanaging the regulation ofinnovative therapies. This wasfollowed by an interactivepanel discussion featuring: Rob Kowalski, SVP, Global Head, Regulatory Affairs and US Head of Development - Novartis Carlos Langezaal, Director, Regulatory Affairs - Eisai Pharmaceuticals Andrea Masciale, VP, Global Regulatory Policy & Intelligence - Janssen Darshan Wariabharaj, Deputy Director, Global Regulatory Strategist - Bayer HealthcareThe panel and audience attendees weighed in on topics including the differing EU and US regulatoryperspectives, the future outlook of the regulatory landscape, and the changing role of the regulatoryprofessional. This event also included an RPIF poster session that allowed attendees to network whileexamining research posters created by fellows. This well-attended evening was closed with words from DeanBarone and Caitlin Lentz.For more information about TOPRA: To view RPIF research posters:The panel of regulatory experts drove an interactive discussion at the Busch Campus Center

The Fellowship Chronicles March 2015Page 4THE MBA EDITIONBy Joe Fiore, Pharm.D., 1st Year Clinical Development Fellow at MerckHow valuable is an MBA in the pharmaceutical industry? Below, current and past fellows with PharmDs andMBAs give their perspectives on how they have used their dual degrees during their careers and how theyplan to use them moving forward. Thank you to all of the featured contributors, as well as Alex Schepart,Ashley Brower, Preston Noon, Shivani Gandhi, and Upasana Marwah for their support.Why did you pursue an MBA?I pursued my MBA in order to gain a better understanding of the global market dynamicsand their impact on business decisions. I do believe the knowledge gained while pursing myMBA has assisted me with this objective.Todd Parorello - Vice President, Head US Regulatory Affairs at BayerRoche Fellow 1999-2001I started exploring obtaining business acumen to understand molecule filing decision-makingand making more effective advocate R&D/regulatory recommendations. Through explorationof various part-time and full-time programs, I came across one most suitable for myself. This was afull-time executive MBA program that focused on obtaining working business knowledge,advancing decision-making skills, and learning from other seasoned professionals.Kinnari Patel – Global Regulatory Affairs at AstraZenecaPfizer/J&J Fellow 2005-2007How have you used your dual degrees in your current role?My role as the early stage development representative for various clinical programs requires meto use both my scientific background and business knowledge on a daily basis. I rely heavily onmy PharmD training for the design, implementation and interpretation of clinical studies, and myMBA training for strategic decision making and communication/collaboration in amultidisciplinary team environment.Justin Dennie – Experimental Medicine at Daiichi SankyoMerck Fellow 2009-2011My MBA degree has enhanced my understanding of how important it is to have all line functions workingtogether in achieving our business goals amidst environmental and internal changes. My training has enhancedmy presentation skills and the ability to present complex ideas to large and diverse audiences and to drivecross-functional teams towards achieving a common goal.Lincy Thomas – Regulatory Affairs at NovartisNovartis Fellow 2003-2005The business education not only helps with presentation skills and stronger business acumen,but it also permits greater understanding and communication with diverse business partners.With the MBA, I am better able to recognize critical business insights and strategies that willdrive brand growth in the years to come.Keith Fairall – Business Analytics Fellow at JanssenContinues on Page 5

The Fellowship Chronicles March 2015Page 5A project in whichyour MBA wasespecially helpful?Degrees in ProgressWith a focus on group work, MBA classeshave allowed me to refine my interpersonalskills.Dan Kim – Drug Safety/PharmacovigilanceFellow at BayerMy MBA courses have helped me betterunderstand what drives a business and bettergauge the types of decision making skillsnecessary. For example, we are currently playingthe “MarkStrat” game, which will teach studentshow to launch a new product and manage thelife cycle of a consumer good – principles thatcan be applied directly to the pharmaceuticalindustry.Andrianna Guo - Marketing & ManagedMarkets Fellow at BayerThe MBA also opens up doors in ancillaryindustries such as banking, consulting, andvendor services. These less talked-aboutancillary industries play an important role in thepharmaceutical industry. Additionally, allsuccessful executives have a strong backgroundin finance which is the cornerstone of the MBAdegree.Abel Zhu – Business Analytics Fellow at JanssenWould you recommendfellows in your functionalarea pursue an MBA?I was selected for the Merck Fellowship forGlobal Health, allowing me to work with anNGO based in Delhi, India focused on lastmile service delivery of TB treatment andutilizing an eCompliance technology to trackmedication adherence. The project involvedmarket research to provide a strategy andbusiness plan on how they can scale thetreatment model using the adherencetechnology in additionalareas in India and potentiallyin other non-TB settings.Gowri MurthyAssociate Director, EarlyStage Development at MerckMerck Fellow 2009-2011My MBA program provided me exposure toworking with people with extremely diverseprofessional backgrounds, which hashelped me smoothly transition to USMedical at Pfizer, as medical affairsrequires you to work with manydifferent functional areas.Bryan MurrayMedical Affairs Fellow at PfizerRather than recommending that you pursue an MBA, I’d tell a fellow that’s considering adifferent degree to stay curious and pursue areas that are interesting to them- whether it’sa certificate or degree in regulatory, public health, project management, or even in businessIf you’re willing to learn something new that will enhance and complement your pharmacybackground, you’re well on your way to defining your career success!Nancy Nair – Associate Director, Global Regulatory Affairs at JanssenJohnson & Johnson Fellow 2002-2003If the fellow is only interested in pursuing a career within Regulatory Affairs, then I would notrecommend a MBA. However, I would recommend a MBA if the fellow is interested in pursuingfuture opportunities in commercial or business development in order to round out the necessarytechnical skills and to build that complementary business perspective which is generallynot obtained through Pharmacy school.Matthew Klimek – Regulatory Program Director at RocheSchering-Plough Fellow 2008-2010