Tae Oh, USC-Allergen Fellow
Education history
I graduated from University of Maryland Baltimore County with a BS in Biological Sciences and got my PharmD from University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Current role/ brief description of your position
As the External Scientific Communications (XSciCom) lead for Medical Dermatology, I serve as the single source of development and execution of the strategic publication plan for all Allergan-Sponsored clinical, non-clinical, medical affairs, safety, GHEOR, and R&D studies for Medical Dermatology. I operate as the lead of a cross-functional publication planning team to develop a 3-year publication plan that includes publication tactics for conference submissions (abstracts, posters, oral presentations, and e-posters) and journal submissions. Some responsibilities outside of publication planning include defining our scientific pillars, key scientific points, and communication statements, developing content for our medical affairs booth, and putting together a publication steering committee.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It is very dynamic. It is encouraged to get involved with other projects outside of your core responsibilities, which works well with me since I like trying new things. You are always challenged with new situations and obstacles so there is a lot of experience to gain, professionally and personally.
What are some of the obstacles of your position?
There is a lot to do, but limited budget and limited time. Every project seems important, but you really have to prioritize based on business needs. For example, if there is a budget cut, you have to know which projects or publications to put on hold. If one departments publication is put on hold, there needs to be sound justification, and how you navigate that conversation really sets your future working relationship with them as well. We place methods in to mitigate these situations, such as prioritizing our publications yearly, but it is still something that happens abruptly and you have to be ready for that situation. Timing is also crucial because this ties into balancing work and personal life. Some key opinion leaders (KOL) and some staff are located outside the US, so you have to make sure due dates, submissions, and meetings are planned appropriately so that you don’t have to do work outside of normal hours.
The path you took to your current position i.e. steps you took to achieve that position?
I was always more interested in the business and managerial side of pharmacy, so most of my school activities were catered towards leadership and community pharmacy. I did a Target Pharmacy internship my P2 year and picked managerial/leadership elective rotations for P4 year, rotating in the district office for Rite-Aid and learning contemporary practice management internationally. I was offered a position with Target Pharmacy, so after graduating I practiced with them for half a year before taking another offer with Wegmans Pharmacy. I really did love my job and the interactions with the patients, but knew there was ceiling I would hit within my growth as a pharmacist and as a healthcare professional. At the time, a very close friend, who had graduated pharmacy school with me, was in the middle of his fellowship. He convinced me that my skillset could be utilized in other ways and that there was a lot of growth and potential within the pharmaceutical industry. I looked into the opportunities within the industry and talked to as many professionals and fellows as I could to really understand a pharmacist’s role within industry. Wanting a broader industry experience, I applied to industry fellowships after a year of practice as a pharmacist and was selected as the Medical Affairs - External Scientific Communications fellow at Allergan in Irvine, CA.
Tips and advice for anyone seeking the same position and how one can succeed in the industry. OR What can students do to develop professionally?
Really research the position that you want and ask yourself if your current skillset supports that job. If it doesn’t, find out how you can develop the skills needed or look into another position that could help you develop the skills needed for that dream job. Having industry-specific experience does not always land you a job or fellowship within the pharmaceutical industry, so do not think it’s ever too late! It’s a culmination of your skillset, personality, drive/passion, and experience that will get you the job or fellowship.
What attracted you to the USC fellowship and what do you like about it?
USC-Allergan is a unique fellowship because they accept a lot of different doctoral degrees. The fellowship this year has both PharmDs and PhDs. This means you get to learn along with people of different backgrounds and share experiences from all departments, whether it is R&D, PKPD, regulatory, clinical, or medical. We have a 'meet the expert' series where you get to meet senior management of all departments, not just your typical fellowship heads. I was attracted to the program because it is only one-year and after talking with many professionals, they agree that the program is focused and really graduates their fellows to be proficient and effective even though the program is shorter than most. They offer a certificate in regulatory sciences along with the fellowship, where you take classes at USC on the weekends. As a USC fellow you are given lots of opportunities to teach at USC and participate in USC events. And really, who wouldn't want to live in sunny California?
For any more questions, please contact me at taeoh1@gmail.com