Hibernia College and Pfizer Inc. collaborate to develop an online Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Medicine

Employers in the pharmaceutical industry see their biggest skills concern as the gap in management, leadership, innovation, health & safety, change and complex project management. These ‘big ticket items’ are a  prerequisite for putting in place the conditions for closing the overall skills gap and creating an industry that is fit for the rapidly changing pharmaceutical world of the 21st century.

Hibernia College, an international online college based in Dublin, in partnership with Pfizer (the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company), has responded to this challenge by offering an online work-based learning programme that has been described as the ‘MBA of the pharmaceutical industry’. The two-year programme is aimed at employees in the pharmaceutical and health-care industries, addressing the disciplines essential for industry leaders. It provides students with the skills and knowledge required to be effective and productive leaders in today’s challenging pharmaceutical environment.

Employees who complete the programme achieve a Masters-level qualification, which is seen by the Chief Medical Officer of the Pfizer Corporation, Dr. Joseph Feczko, as providing “valuable insights into many aspects of our business from discovery and drug development to life-cycle management, health economics and medical marketing. I believe this program makes a significant contribution to our continuous improvement effort; the feedback from current students and graduates has been universally positive”

The course reaches out to current and would-be managers and leaders in the industry offering a unique and highly relevant learning experience with challenge and flexibility to accommodate work-based learners. Hibernia College brings to the workplace a leading international faculty from industry, medicine and academia to create a learning experience that meets the challenging demands of the knowledge age. Developed in collaboration with Pfizer, it is run in conjunction with faculty from Harvard University and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

This blended offering, developed to address the worldwide shortage of professional qualifications and leadership in pharmaceutical medicine, is accredited by the Higher Education Training and Awards Council (HETAC), the Irish government’s agency for qualifications outside the university sector. The course is endorsed by the European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and accredited by the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians (IFAPP).

The offering is a professional development programme targeted at physicians and non-medical professionals in the sector who are in, or aspire to, positions of leadership.

In August 2007, Hibernia College students from 11 countries were the first in the world to graduate with a largely online Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Medicine. Students from 14 countries and 5 continents are currently enrolled on the programme - from clinical project managers to marketing managers. Most are Pfizer employees with some from other pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Ovation Healthcare International and PROSAR.
 
Motivation to enrol on the course varies. Ehab Youseif, a product physician with Pfizer in Saudi Arabia, enthuses about the opportunity saying “Working in one area of pharmaceutical medicine and being an expert is OK, but to achieve a full view of the industry is something very time-consuming and costly but badly needed for leading such an industry. This programme saves time, is cost-effective and user-friendly and will help me to understand all disciplines within the pharmaceutical industry, from drug development and regulatory issues to clinical research. The programme will bring more innovation to my work."

Feedback from other pupils surveyed from the 2007 cohort validates Ehab’s experience. 94% see the course as highly relevant to their career development and to increasing their understanding of the global pharmaceutical industry. 94% also agree that they have enhanced their professional standing with their peers.

The course offers students the chance to study at home, in the work place or on the road. Lessons and tutorials are available at the touch of a button using state-of-the-art web-based technology. Students choose from a variety of interactive self-paced study paths and take advantage of an extensive online reference library. They can self-select the subject matter they choose to study at any given time, the amount of time they spend studying and the format in which they wish to engage material. This flexibility helps to maintain commitment and retention and the development of a much-valued independent learning style. Hibernia College offers students the opportunity to join a collaborative learning community, rather than learning in isolation. Online synchronous tutorials, discussion forums and email build an international student community that transcends time zones and geography.

Student of the year, Christian Lenz (Outcomes Research Team Leader with Pfizer Germany) commented, “I am very much convinced of the advantages of this online programme. I don't have to spend time travelling to and from the campus, dodging traffic or wasting time looking for a parking place. I can study from home, at almost any time of the day, and can schedule my classes around my job and my home life. Furthermore, I can repeat areas I find difficult until I understand them, without slowing down those who already do, and what is very important, I still have direct contact with my tutor and can enjoy the interaction with other fellow students".

Students enjoy the flexibility and accessibility of on-demand, online recorded lectures and live synchronous tutorials, which offer interaction with fellow students and course faculty.

Greg Duczynski (Director Clinical Research with Pfizer) welcomes this collaboration: "I have found the interactions with the rest of my class, 45 candidates representing 20 countries, to be the most wonderful surprise of the programme. I had no idea when I started on this initiative that we would have access to such amazing diversity and that we would be able to connect on a regular basis via the online tutorials."

Hibernia College uses Interwise.com to deliver its virtual classroom. The live classes are controlled by the tutor with the students able to contribute and speak by clicking the “Raise a hand” button. As with an on-site classroom, learning points are written by the tutor on an interactive whiteboard with students able to view and contribute from their access devices. Breakout sessions engaging smaller groups in collaborative activities also take place during live events.

Tutors are trained and supported by Hibernia College staff. They are required to concern themselves only with their subject and interaction with students. The technology is like a telephone –  it does the job without the user needing to be a telephony expert. In advance of any tutorial, the support team member tests the required functionality, ensures the audio is functioning properly and checks that the tutor is comfortable with the facilities. During each tutorial, a member of the support team is logged on to ensure that any technology difficulties experienced by the tutor or students are dealt with immediately. Problems experienced by a student are dealt with separately to the rest of the class, either online or by phone, so that there is minimum disruption to the tutorial.

Teaching in this way gives tutors the opportunity to engage innovatively with their students, using an easily accessible, interactive and interesting forum for discussion, exploration and debate. The live online synchronous classes take place at a set time, running twice to accommodate different time zones, with the tutor having the flexibility to give the tutorial from any location across the world. Student attendance is monitored automatically when they sign in and the tutors, with help from their technical support person, have full control over all audio facilities with only one person contributing at any time.

Tutors in Hibernia College find the experience innovative and refreshing, allowing them to focus and enthuse on their subject. In fact, many prefer it to the traditional teaching model.

Tutorials are recorded allowing students who do miss them to engage and learn from what was discussed, and allowing students to return for review purposes. This is a significant advantage for students who comment that “the fact that it is online, you can go back and listen to it over and over again and grasp it at your own pace”. The recordings are also used by Hibernia College staff to monitor the quality of delivery and student engagement.

Students have access to an extensive online library that is not limited by the normal confines of shelf space, access terminals or desk availability. The library offers unrivalled access to journals, books, portals and reference tools. The resources are accessible 24x7 and there is a library help desk with support from qualified information specialists. Resources are indexed and searchable from a student's own access device.

The Hibernia College offering was developed to fill a skills gap in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Surprisingly, few universities around the world have prepared physicians and other staff to work in the sector. In the 21st century, the role of the professional in the industry has grown in scope, depth and complexity, with the need for new and increased competencies, knowledge and capacity for organisational leadership and management of change. This has arisen from the rapid transformation of the industry and medical sciences driven by technological advances and informatics, and new approaches to business and organisation management. There are increased demands during every phase of the drug life cycle - from research and development through to its use by patients. Senior staff and specialists have, until now, not been able to easily access the training required to prepare them for these ever-increasing demands.

An international survey of 130 Pfizer medical and regulatory managers, representing Pfizer’s major operational territories, revealed an overwhelming need for a programme such as that now offered by Hibernia College. For example, many of Pfizer’s medical and regulatory managers are MDs with significant experience but minimal formal training in the wider aspects of the industry. On the other hand, colleagues in marketing and other business management roles have traditionally had access to the ubiquitous and generic MBA qualification. Over 80% of respondents felt that a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Medicine would enhance their competency and career opportunities and over 90% felt that the provision of such a course would enhance their view of Pfizer as an employer.

Existing offerings did not serve Pfizer’s needs. Pfizer wanted to provide a programme that was open to all relevant employees, regardless of location. The courses on offer were primarily on-site courses within Europe and did not match Pfizer’s requirements. As a result, the blended two-year course with Hibernia College was developed with the first cohort consisting solely of Pfizer employees. The course is now open to all candidates who meet the entry requirements regardless of their employer.

Studying online gives students and employers numerous benefits. The course facilities are accessible 24x7. Learning opportunities are available where and when students want them. Studying online is also cost-effective (compared with on-site courses). Companies can encourage employees to engage in the programme confident that the impact on resource deployment is minimised. Employees can study in the work place, on the road or at home and have no need to travel or take time off, except where they elect for the two on-site modules – see later. Employers are providing staff with added value that translates into increased retention rates and greater company loyalty. The Master of Science from Hibernia College has been designed to prepare future leaders within the industry with learning skills that can be integrated and transferred across the company or industry. Students on the 2007 cohort acknowledge this, commenting that “although this course will give me the tools to be more effective in my job, it has given me a greater appreciation of the industry as a whole. It has raised my awareness of where we are headed and has made me aware of how important my individual contribution can be to the company”.

This offering, as with all Hibernia College’s offerings, is therefore fit for our time. It is a work-based, rather than campus-based, learning offering that can be engaged anywhere, anytime (requiring only access to the internet). It minimises carbon footprints for employers, employees, the College and faculty and enables a lifestyle balance for students and faculty.

The Masters also incorporates the recommendations of the Council for Education in Pharmaceutical Medicine (CEPM) and has been accredited by the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians (IFAPP). The Masters also covers content required by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine and the Royal College of Physicians and has been approved by HETAC, the Irish government’s agency for qualifications outside the university sector.

The course consists of 10 core modules, 7 of which are online, two online or on-site (the first at Harvard University in the USA and the second at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and 1 advanced research-based dissertation. Each online module consists of 12 x 3-hour online lessons and 12 x 1-hour live tutorials. In addition, students will be expected to spend up to 4 hours per course module per week studying readings, additional materials and undertaking assignments.

The core modules are as follows:

1. Leadership and authority (online or on-site at Harvard University, USA)
2. Regulatory affairs and knowledge management
3. Clinical trials, statistics and data management
4. Clinical pharmacology and drug development
5. Discovery of new medicines and pharmaceutical development
6. Health economics, business and medical affairs
7. Safety and risk management
8. Business and pharmaceutical ethics (online or on-site at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)
9. Information technology and e-medicine
10. Research project

The two modules that offer an option for on-site collaboration are an opportunity for students to meet and work face to face for a week at a time at Harvard (Leadership and Authority module) and at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, (Business and Pharmaceutical Ethics module). Students also meet tutors and staff from Harvard and Hibernia College, discuss the course with them and provide constructive feedback. This experience supplements the collaboration opportunities available through the synchronous tutorials and online discussion forums and is encouraged by Hibernia College to create a blended learning experience.

The course is assessed through a combination of continuous assessments, including essays, case studies, online discussion, multiple-choice tests and end-of-semester examinations. The learning journey and outcomes are incorporated into a personal learning portfolio, which forms part of the assessment.

Hibernia College is committed to establishing and maintaining the highest possible quality and standards in relation to the examinations and assessment process. At all stages in this process, strict security and confidentiality is maintained. All examinations and assessments are run in accordance with HETAC’s Marks and Standards policy.

To deliver the programme, Hibernia College uses unique fit-for-purpose technology, the Higher Education Learning Management System (HELMS), which offers the benefits of accessibility and flexibility inherent in online education. The technology platform facilitates web-based email, calendars, announcements and tasks and provides students with the tools to be part of a learning community. HELMS also provides management tools that enable staff and tutors to provide students with materials, discussion boards, virtual chats, online assessments and a dedicated web-enabled resource centre, and to track and evaluate student engagement and progress, and the quality of delivery.

HELMS enables interaction between the tutor and the student and also between students, through email, asynchronous discussion forums and the synchronous virtual classroom. Students are able to share and seek help from fellow students in the discussion forum, email their tutor seeking clarification of requirements for assignments, study lesson material in preparation for the tutorial, visit the library to access the recommended reading and attend the live online tutorials. The HELMS platform allows all forms of media including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, Java applets, mpegs, audio files, streaming video, animations and Flash.

HELMS is designed by educationalists for teachers and learners and is approved and accredited as a learning solution by HETAC. The technology enables Hibernia College to build on a formidable track record of blended learning delivery that has established it as the largest provider of qualified primary school teachers in Ireland.  With HELMS, Hibernia College has the capacity to scale, retain quality and reach across restrictions of geographical and time to develop and deliver to accelerated deadlines.

The development and delivery of the Masters (as with all courses that Hibernia College offers) is subject to stringent quality assurance procedures. Hibernia College’s Quality Assurance Handbook, approved by HETAC, is a blueprint under which all College authors, tutor support staff (academic and technology) and administrative staff operate. It assures quality in all aspects of the College’s activities including academic leadership, teaching & learning, student support, data protection and continuous improvement.

Hibernia College develops and delivers educational programmes whose curricula meet specific educational objectives and student needs, whose content is up to date and of the highest standards and whose mode of delivery, through technology-enabled blended e-learning and on-site events, matches and surpasses traditional methods. Hibernia College seeks to assure this high level of quality through its innovative academic structure, the quality of its staff, continuing course development and its formal process of quality control and evaluation.

Hibernia College offers, through the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Medicine, a rich, interactive and highly collaborative student experience built on opportunities for personalised learning and tutor-student and student-student engagement that go beyond the limitations of traditional campus-based learning. Tutors and students are available at the touch of a button and the course integrates diverse learning opportunities, from the student’s own personal access device. The Pharmaceutical Medicine Masters provides a unique online learning experience, which serves to benefit all participants with professional development, that meets the requirements of the knowledge age.

The value to employers is well understood by Hibernia College graduate Sutinder Bindra, a Director of Medical & Regulatory Affairs with Pfizer Asia: “Most people enter the industry either totally raw (only academically qualified in one area of expertise, but unrelated to the work in the pharmaceutical company) or have knowledge only in their own sphere of responsibility. It is only over several years that they are able to gain knowledge and experience about their job in the company. I think that this very valuable Masters course should be offered to all our high potential candidates, and offered early”.