Over 20% of Class of 2026 Secure Competitive Industry Fellowships

“This reflects both the caliber of our students and the evolution of the profession,” said Dean Henry Cohen. “Pharmacy today extends far beyond traditional practice settings. Our graduates are stepping into roles where they can influence research, policy, communication, and patient care on a much broader scale.”

These highly sought-after fellowships position graduates uniquely in the ever-changing world of pharmacy. Nearly all the fellows discussed how their positions will enable them to make large-scale changes in healthcare.

Making a Global Impact

“I always wanted to make a broader impact,” said Azhar Hussain, who will spend the next two years as a Global Medical Affairs Fellow at Abbott through Northeastern University. Hussain comes from a non-traditional background, holding an MBA in Healthcare Management and a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration.

Born and raised in Pakistan, Hussain moved to the United States during high school and later earned his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from CUNY Hunter College. His professional path began in clinical research and healthcare operations, where he developed an early interest in how clinical care and healthcare systems intersect.

His path to pharmacy became more defined during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was managing operations at an independent pharmacy in Brooklyn, New York.

“It was during that experience that I began to recognize a critical gap in healthcare,” Hussain said. “I saw that individuals in healthcare administration often lack clinical insight, while clinicians are rarely trained in the operational and business aspects of healthcare. With my background in healthcare administration and business, and now pursuing my PharmD, I wanted to bridge that gap.”

This perspective shaped his decision to pursue pharmacy and ultimately led him toward Medical Affairs within the pharmaceutical industry.

“What drew me to Medical Affairs is the opportunity to contribute at a systems level,” Hussain said. “It allows you to help shape how therapies are developed, communicated, and applied across diverse patient populations. That broader reach, combined with a strong scientific and clinical foundation, aligns with the kind of impact I’ve always wanted to make.”

Discovering Pharmacoeconomics

For Lekovic Teoh, who secured a Health Outcomes and Value Access Fellowship with Aesara and West Virginia University, a single course transformed his career trajectory.

“Originally, I never thought about fellowships,” Teoh recalled. “My plan was to go to school and find a job in a hospital or community pharmacy, but after I took the class in pharmacoeconomics, I realized I wanted to join that space in pharmacy. It’s very niche, but you can make a huge difference. You look at the overall picture and how you can give the best healthcare outcomes to the largest group of people.”

Teoh eventually joined the school’s official managed care track, where he worked under Dr. Albert Wertheimer on research examining patterns in the distribution of independent community pharmacies compared to larger chains in New York City.

“It definitely honed my research abilities,” he said of the project, which helped him land his fellowship and speak confidently during interviews.

Next year, Teoh will split his time between West Virginia and North Carolina.

“Aesara is a consulting company for pharmaceutical companies,” he explained. “They help companies understand how much their medications are worth, how to price them, and where they should advertise. I’m going to be the fellow—the trainee—and the university is where they’re going to hone my skills for the future.”

The Malaysia native reflected on his pharmacy school journey.

“It was definitely one of the harder aspects of my life, but it brought me a lot of growth,” he said. “I met amazing people who I will hopefully keep in touch with for the rest of my life.”

Bridging Industry and Patient Care

Nadia Malik will be shaping how medications are perceived and communicated as a Medical Communications Fellow at MJH Life Sciences. Two rotations influenced her decision to pursue a fellowship in the pharmaceutical industry.

“My rotation at Pfizer opened my eyes to the industry,” Malik said. “I also worked at a cancer hospital and saw how the industry impacts patients. I realized I wanted a role that combined both areas.”

Malik did not initially consider becoming a pharmacist. After high school, she began working at CVS as a pharmacy technician and later moved to BronxCare Hospital, where TCOP is affiliated. Meeting Touro alumni working there inspired her to pursue pharmacy school.

In her fellowship, Malik will serve as a bridge between pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and consumers.

“With medical communications, we help big pharmaceutical companies promote their products and make communication easier between providers and consumers,” she said. “We’re like the middleman—making presentations and getting the information and data across.”

MJH Life Sciences works with various publications, including Pharmacy Times, and collaborates with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board on continuing education.

“We’re basically taking information from big pharma and translating it in a way that benefits consumers and healthcare providers,” Malik said.

Entering the Industry

Joel Ayeni will be entering the pharmaceutical industry as part of Novartis’ U.S. Field Medical team, where he hopes to become a Medical Science Liaison.

“I just wanted to get into industry and become a medical science liaison,” Ayeni said. “My task is to be the medical communicator between doctors’ offices and the drug companies. When we launch a new drug, I’m the person going back and forth.”

Ayeni said the role fits naturally with his personality.

“I thrive in social connections,” he said. “I use my emotional intelligence. I love being a communicator.”

His interest in pharmacy began while working at Walgreens.

“I was a stock cashier, and they needed people in the pharmacy who needed more hours,” he recalled. “I just fell in love with it. It was really rewarding to help patients and be the last stop before they got their medication.”

Although he valued his work as a technician, Ayeni wanted to expand his impact.

“I just wanted to make more of a difference,” he said. “As a tech, you’re limited.”

He credits Touro’s extensive rotation opportunities with giving him firsthand clinical experience as well as leadership roles—he served as president of the school’s chapter of Industrial Pharmacists Organization and the organization’s national leadership board.

“I wasn’t just learning—I was applying it,” he said.

Ayeni connected with Novartis during a networking night and was drawn to the company’s field medical structure.

“They were one of the only companies that had field medical,” he said. “I wanted to start as an MSL.”