One of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, MSD will be on the lookout for medical science liaisons and professional sales representatives at the Career Forum.

A medical science liaison is responsible for establishing partnerships with scientific leaders and is able to effectively communicate technical data within a particular field. Professional sales representatives should be able to deliver key messages of pharmaceutical products and services to health care professionals, says Eva Cheung, MSD’s human resources manager for Hong Kong and Macau.

Cheung points out that the core foundation of the company continues to be based on the philosophy of founder George W Merck, who said: “We try never to forget that medicine is for the people.” She adds that they are looking for graduates with the ability to act with courage and candour, demonstrate ethics and integrity, and foster collaboration.

“Early industry exposure such as summer placements, customer-facing duties and interactions with health care professionals will be an added advantage,” Cheung says.

MSD provides an intensive, structured training programme to all new hires, which includes an industry overview, instruction in business ethics and integrity, background on diseases, and product knowledge.

Cheung says that many graduates are under the impression that working within the pharmaceutical industry requires a pharmaceutical or medical background, but she is quick to point out that graduates of biology, chemistry and public health studies are also welcome. And with a number of new breakthroughs in science and clinical research, it is undoubtedly an exciting time to join the pharmaceutical industry.