A day in the life of a pharmaceutical industry fellow
By Lain Ward, PharmD
When I tell people that I am a regulatory affairs strategy fellow, the response is often the same: “That sounds interesting... but what exactly do you do?”
Truthfully, before the fellowship, I would have asked the same question.
RA serves as a bridge
I am currently a Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship (RPIF) fellow at Novartis in East Hanover, NJ. Industry fellowships like RPIF are postgraduate, typically 2-year programs that offer hands-on experience across a range of functions, from regulatory affairs and medical affairs to market access, pharmacovigilance, and beyond. They are distinct from residencies in that the work is project-based and takes place at a pharmaceutical company rather than in a clinical setting.
Regulatory affairs specifically serves as a bridge between pharmaceutical companies and health authorities, helping ensure that medications are developed, studied, and ultimately brought to patients in compliance with global regulatory requirements. While no 2 days are exactly alike, each day offers a new opportunity to contribute to a different stage of the drug development process.
A highly collaborative experience
Because my partner company is headquartered in Switzerland, the first half of my day is often meeting-heavy, so we can collaborate with colleagues across Europe before the time difference catches up with us. Regulatory affairs is highly collaborative, and much of my day is spent working with clinical development, biostatistics, medical affairs, safety, and commercial. Together, we discuss project timelines, upcoming milestones, and strategies for advancing development programs.
One of the most exciting aspects of my role is supporting interactions with health authorities such as FDA. This may involve coordinating responses to information requests, reviewing submission documents, or contributing to briefing materials. These interactions require input from numerous teams and have given me a front-row seat to the intricacies of drug development.
Cohort leans on each other
Of course, the role itself is only part of the fellowship experience. Through RPIF, I am part of a cohort of fellows placed at different companies across the industry. That network is truly a built-in community of peers navigating similar transitions. We lean on each other in ways that are hard to replicate elsewhere. From my direct manager to colleagues I have met through cross-functional projects, I have benefited from people who are genuinely invested in my development.
Experienced colleagues take the time to explain not just what the work is, but why decisions are made the way they are. The culture at my company emphasizes inclusion, lifelong learning, and work–life balance, which has allowed me to grow professionally without burning out.
That said, the learning curve is steep. Imposter syndrome is real, and it does not disappear overnight. But the fellowship environment rewards curiosity, and every week I find myself understanding something I did not the week before. That ongoing growth is what has made this year so rewarding.
Stay curious
For student pharmacists and new practitioners considering a career in industry, my biggest piece of advice is to stay curious and to not count yourself out just because a path seems unfamiliar. I had never thought of myself as someone who would end up in a corporate setting, and yet here I am contributing to work that directly supports the development of therapies for patients, surrounded by colleagues who challenge and inspire me, and genuinely excited about what comes next.
You do not need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to take the first step!
Lain Vitale Ward, PharmD, is a regulatory affairs strategy fellow in the Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship program at Novartis in East Hanover, NJ, and serves as the 2026–2027 member-at-large–policy for the APhA New Practitioner Community. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new restaurants in New York City and spending time with her husband, Lance.