Published April 16, 2020
Class of 2020 PharmD students Frencina Monteiro and Kory Zelen have been accepted into the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy post-doctoral Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship (RPIF) Program. They were two of 143 students selected from a candidate pool of over 800 pharmacy students nationwide.
The RPIF Program is an industry-based training program that partners with the leading pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. It's designed for individuals with a Doctorate of Pharmacy to further their experience in the pharmaceutical industry through work experience and clinical research.
Frencina Monteiro recognized her passion for project-based work was steering her towards a career in industry. “In my last year of pharmacy school, I started looking into various career options and realized that based on my personality and professional interests, the pharmaceutical industry would be the best fit for me.”
UB SPPS played an integral role in Monteiro’s decision to apply for the fellowship. “UB gave me the platform to hone in on my leadership skills which have been invaluable for my professional growth.”
Kory Zelen has always been interested in the commercial side of the pharmaceutical industry. “I wanted to leverage my scientific background to bring a new perspective to the table,” he says.
Zelen has a high interest in oncology and UB helped build his career path. “The last 4 years in pharmacy school has prepared me with an abundance of clinical knowledge across many different disease states,” he says. “The next two years in this fellowship role will help me develop the business skills and real-world experience needed to promote and educate patients, payers and healthcare providers about oncology medications.”
The RPIF Program has helped drive the demand for the growing number of employment opportunities for clinical pharmacists in industry by: