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The 2025 Industry Pharmacists Organization (IPhO) National Fellows Council (NFC) Kick-Off Meeting was hosted in July, in person at the UCB campus in Atlanta, GA. The event brought together fellows, preceptors, directors, and members of the IPhO leadership team to network, exchange insights on the pharmaceutical industry, and emphasize the vital contributions pharmacists make within the field.

This year, 25 attendees joined us in person, while another 10 tuned in virtually!

The meeting featured networking sessions, educational seminars, and professional development panels. The day opened with welcoming remarks from Nicole Thompson, Vice President of the IPhO Fellows Community. Nicole provided an overview of IPhO, highlighting its impact on students, fellows, and industry professionals.

To student pharmacists navigating your path, let's dive into a crucial conversation about the future of pharmacy. A recent article in Drug Topics (1), brings to light a vital topic: how pharmacy education must evolve to genuinely prepare you for the realities of the modern workforce, particularly concerning the pervasive issue of pharmacist burnout.

This article highlights a Pennsylvania survey (2) where most pharmacy students observed significant burnout across various practice settings, with community chain pharmacies frequently cited. This observation profoundly influenced their career choices, leading many to prioritize roles that promise better work-life balance and flexibility. It's a clear indication that the next generation is acutely attuned to the pressures within the field, and rightly so.

For many aspiring pharmaceutical industry fellows, the application process can feel like a high-stakes puzzle; CVs are polished, research projects highlighted, and industry rotations and/or internships, if available, are meticulously detailed. Yet, one critical piece often goes underemphasized: a student pharmacist’s direct patient care experience. While it might seem counterintuitive for a role focused on drug development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, and other common industry fellowships, patient care is the foundation of expertise that sets industry pharmacists apart from other non-pharmacy professionals.