A Brief Introduction
Faculty of Drug and Herbal Medicine Discovery, Development and Production (GCP FDHDDP) fellowship program offers a high quality and multidisciplinary training in modern fields of Pharmaceutical Sciences, including all stages required from the discovery of a new bioactive compound until its release as a drug, as well as the strategies followed for the discovery of bioactive compounds. The program aims at:
- Training young pharmacist in modern fields of Pharmaceutical Sciences to create appropriate human resources that will support the country’s participation in international scientific developments and contribute to the assimilation of the introduced technology and its penetration into new disciplines of Science.
- Linking the research effort to business development, enhancing technology transfer mechanisms to Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies’ production units and meeting specific professional needs related to the business design, development and distribution of pharmaceutical products.
- Providing theoretical and practical knowledge to postgraduate students in order to successfully meet the requirements of positions of responsibility in the pharmaceutical and related industries, Regulatory Organizations, as well as diagnostic and research laboratories,
With the current increase in pharmacy school enrollment contributing to a more competitive job market, novel and nontraditional career paths may become a more viable option for pharmacy school graduates. One unique route that graduates can pursue is a pharmaceutical industry fellowship program. As opposed to programs that place fellows in a hospital or retail setting, these fellowship programs provide a unique opportunity for PharmD graduates to apply their scientific and clinical background in a corporate work environment.
The (GCP FDHDDP) Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships program, is a partnership between the college and different companies and institutions in the country. At their respective companies, fellows spend a majority of their time working on projects and interacting with colleagues, generally in team settings. As part of the structured program, fellows have preceptors with whom they work closely on a daily to weekly basis, as well as mentors who help them progress with their professional development.
Although there are opportunities for pharmacy students to enter the pharmaceutical industry directly from school, these positions can be difficult to obtain without prior experience. Pharmaceutical fellowships serve as 1 or 2 year postdoctoral training programs to help pharmacy graduates develop into industry professionals. A cornerstone of these programs is ensuring that their participants develop into competitive candidates for full-time positions after they complete the fellowship. As a result of the valuable experience gained on-site at their company, fellows develop position-specific as well as transferable skills that help with their future career. Based on the design of most programs, fellows are able learn firsthand from experienced and knowledgeable professionals who serve as preceptors and mentors. Pharmaceutical industry fellowships also offer an extensive amount of networking opportunities both within one’s company and within the larger program.
