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 ou ...