This episode, Drs. Abbott and Pucker begin an occasional series called “Industry Insights,” welcoming guest Natalie Nguyen, OD, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Harrow, to discuss what it’s like for optometrists to transition from clinical practice into the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Nguyen, a Memphis native who completed her optometry degree at Southern College of Optometry, made the leap in 2022. She first learned about industry careers around 2017 through a pharmaceutical representative who introduced her to the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) role, a career path she hadn't known existed, as it was never discussed during her optometry training. She explains that her motivation to transition wasn’t burnout, as might be expected, but rather a growing curiosity about the science and strategy behind patient care—a desire to influence outcomes on a larger scale than one-on-one clinical encounters allow.

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on demystifying the MSL role. Dr. Nguyen characterizes the MSL role as a scientific bridge between a pharmaceutical company and the medical community—a non-promotional position involving peer-to-peer scientific discussions with clinicians that supports medical education. An important responsibility is bringing field insights back to the company internally. The role demands significant travel (50% to 80%), a high degree of autonomy and a broad skill set that goes well beyond scientific knowledge, she explains, including relationship-building, emotional intelligence, adaptability and self-discipline.

Dr. Nguyen talks candidly about the challenges of breaking into industry, sharing that she was rejected by three or four companies before landing her position at Harrow through a LinkedIn posting. She emphasizes that the field is increasingly competitive, and that a clinical background alone is no longer sufficient—candidates must find ways to differentiate themselves. Once hired at Harrow, she faced the additional challenge of being the company's first-ever medical affairs employee, essentially building the function from the ground up without formal onboarding or mentorship.

Her career advanced rapidly from MSL to Field Medical Director to her current role as Senior Director of Medical Affairs, where she oversees scientific strategy, cross-functional alignment, and long-term planning within the medical affairs function.

For optometrists considering a similar path, Dr. Nguyen’s key advice includes: do thorough research on the role and company, build genuine relationships through networking, find mentors early, embrace discomfort and never burn bridges in what is a surprisingly small professional community. She closes by saying that, given everything she knows now, she would make the same career leap without hesitation.