Dagmawit Betru, PharmD
Medical Science Liaison at Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk
LinkedIn Profile

What was your motivation to pursue the pharmaceutical industry as a career path?

My drive to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry stemmed from my passion to contribute to the cutting-edge research and development of new drugs, thus impacting patient care on a larger scale. The pharmaceutical industry offers a rewarding career path where pharmacists can apply their expertise to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and contribute to the advancement of healthcare on a global scale. Throughout pharmacy school, I was told to diversify my experiences early in my career. I have completed different internships in global regulatory affairs, medical affairs, market access, and a pharmaceutical rotation in medical strategy and HEOR. My interest to pursue the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) role stemmed after I completed an internship in Medical Affairs at Novo Nordisk.

This role allows me to be a lifelong learner and leverage my clinical expertise and scientific knowledge to build relationships with healthcare professionals, providing them with accurate and up-to-date scientific information. MSLs also serve as a vital link between pharmaceutical companies and the medical community, helping to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.

Talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the pharmaceutical industry; what should companies be doing to continue making progress?

To advance DEI initiatives, pharmaceutical companies could proactively engage with diverse communities to create strategic partnerships and train clinical trial staff to be culturally competent and sensitive to the preferences of diverse participants, including language barriers. It is also important to ensure that clinical trial sites are strategically located in areas with diverse populations to improve recruitment and retention of participants from underrepresented groups. Additionally, companies should continue to strengthen the efforts to recruit and retain a diverse workforce at all levels and provide ongoing training on cultural competence to all employees, while simultaneously seeking ongoing feedback and adjusting initiatives based on feedback for sustained improvement.