Medical Affairs vs Drug Development for Industry PharmDs (salary, advancement, etc)

[chemkitten]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am interested in hearing whether PharmDs working in medical affairs vs drug development in an industry setting have more opportunities for career advancement (becoming senior director, VP, etc). Also, who gets paid more at your company (don't have to reveal)?

Please feel free to share the advantages/drawbacks of each career path.

I have been working as a drug development intern the past few years, and completed a medical affairs rotation during my PY4 year. I have a strong interest in both and feel like I would be happy in either position.

 

[Jbrl]

Focus on what you'd like to do in the short term more. No need to plan your salary and title 15+ years into the future, particularly when the paths are roughly comparable.

The one difference I can think of, aside from the natural differences in roles, is the degree of flexibility, which somewhat tilts in Med Affairs' favor.

Edit: People do mention a 'glass ceiling' in Clin Dev more frequently than Med Affairs, so that's one consideration I didn't mention. But, at the end of the day, your own performance will be a greater factor in your advancement than this. People zig-zag through departments all the time in pharma.

All else equal, I'd go Med Affairs for the flexibility.