Bridging Education and Execution: Dr. Khale’s Vision at PlatPharm

Pharma Now: Dr. Anubha Khale, welcome to Pharma Now. You have been in the pharma industry for almost two decades. You worked for 10 years as a principal and for 2.5 years in a university. Also, you’ve transformed from being a startup mentor to an entrepreneure. Can you share your journey through all this? How did you take on so many hats?

Dr. Khale: It is passion. If you love what you do, you just go on doing it. I think whatever I'm doing is for myself. I get a lot of satisfaction from my work. I am well-connected with students. When I was the principal, students knew that if nobody listened to their problems, their principal (me) would listen. It was a wonderful time. I got so much love when I left college. There couldn't have been anything more that I could have received in my life. I loved teaching students, and I continued mentoring them on their career paths. When I was a principal, I used to hold one-on-one counselling for final-year students, and I did that for 9 years. 

Pharma Now: That love for mentoring made you become a startup mentor. How did you decide to join the pharma industry?

Dr. Khale: It wasn't by choice. It was one mark less in medical which led me to pharma. When I was in the first year of Bachelor’s in Pharmacy, I thought that I had settled for something less. I always wanted to pursue medicine. In my second and third year, I accepted that this would be my career and decided to give it my best. Today, I have entered the industry and started working. I never regretted my decision, and I feel fortunate to be in the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharma Now: You’ve spent significant time in both academics and the industry. You’ve spent 20 years in the industry and then joined academics. During which period, you published 64 publications, which I must say is very impressive! So, you’ve seen both sides of the coin. Today, industry experts say “We don’t have enough good and confident people!” At the same time, colleges or universities say “There are no job placements.” So, there seems to be a huge gap between the academics and industry. What do you think the actual issue is? Who is to blame for the gap?

Dr. Khale: There is no point in blaming each other. If you look at things from the point of view of an academician, you’ll realise they are not at fault. They are bound to the curriculum, syllabus, typical examination pattern, and a lot of documentation. There is no separate department appointed for this documentation, which is something regulatory bodies do in the industry. In academics, teachers do everything. Most teachers don’t have industry experience. So, you cannot expect them to teach at that level because they do not have case studies. They do not have that kind of exposure.

At the same time, the industry is also not at fault because when freshers join, they are absolutely blank. Companies spend 3-6 months training freshers. But, after that, if the candidate leaves, they have to start again. So, for the industry, it is also a big hassle.

When I saw this, I thought of creating a mentoring program, something to bridge this gap. Everyone wants to bridge this gap, but I think that arranging 1-2 lectures or asking industry experts to deliver a lecture to students will not help. It is not sufficient because students have no connection to the real world. To these young minds, they’re just sitting in front of seniors and listening to them talk for one hour–that's the end of the story. 

Pharma Now: Yes, you need to interact with students to find ways to help them. Is this what PlatPharm is about?

Dr. Khale: At PlatPharm, we have a series of programs to bridge this gap. We preferably work with institutes and have a flagship program for students. For students of every year, we have developed 1-day interactive workshops. As students observe us, they start interacting, participating and opening up. It is very important for students to open up, and they will open up only when they have developed confidence and a mentor has developed a rapport with them. This is what is missing so far.

The first problem creating this gap is confusion. When our generation of professionals completed their education, we had only 3-4 verticals, manufacturing, wuality assurance, quality control, R&D and production–that's all. So, there wasn’t much confusion. But now, there are so many roles in pharma, and students are clueless. 

The second problem is mindset. Students think, “My friend is doing marketing, I will do the same.” They don;t understand that your role has to suit you personality. If it doesn't, you cannot give your 100% to it. Then, you’ll be just dragging your life. There will be no enjoyment, no job satisfaction, no performance excellence. 

So, PlatPharm has come up with an innovative idea that I will be presenting at the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC). PlatPharm has developed a psychometric test. It is an online test that can be completed remotely and has nothing to do with pharmacy. It has no questions relating to pharmacy. There are only questions judging their personality, and there are no right or wrong answers. Using this test, we determine the student’s personality. Psychometric tests are not new, but we mapped personality traits against 18-20 pharma roles and used the test to create a 40-45 page report for the student. In the report, we fit the student against each pharma role. For example, I am a pharma student, and marketing roles may fit me better than other roles. The report will also provide reasons and ideas to improve. So, students get a complete picture about what suits their personality. If they want to pursue something other than these roles, we guide them and help them work and excel in it. It’s a new concept. If institutes and students use it, its can act as a pathfinder or guiding light. 

In pharma, every vertical is like a mini-industry. If you’ve been in formulation for 5 years, it takes time to step into clinical trials or any other vertical. So, PlatPharm helps students find their ideal vertical.

Pharma Now: I think that’s an excellent solution that will significantly reduce students’ confusion. So, once students are provided with the report, they can select their ideal career. Do you help them interpret these reports? Students may not always know about all the roles.

Dr. Khale: After giving them the report, we also hold one-to-one counselling with students. We don’t opt for group counselling because this is more personal. So, counselling and the report is like total career counselling. It is not just restricted to the report. It helps them understand where they will fit according to their personality. 

Pharma Now: Yes, I agree, this detailed career counselling will guide them in the right direction. You’ve trained approximately 12,000 students using this approach. How do you identify which colleges or universities to visit?

Dr. Khale: We go to institutes and universities. In addition to flagship programs, we also conduct interactive workshops. This is a new concept, but all our workshops are participative and interactive. Sometimes, students are a little reluctant to join initallly, but by the end of the session, they’ve enjoyed it and are happy. We’ve conducted some workshops in colleges in Maharashtra. We’ve also included interview skills as a part. 

Pharma Now: Which skills do you focus on primarily? Interview skills are certainly crucial, but they need a lot more than just interview experience to land jobs.

Dr. Khale: It is not just one skill; we’re focused on the holistic development of students. From resume writing to interview skills, all are equally important. We have launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-based interview practice tool. We believe in using a scientific approach rather than just preaching students. 

Using AI-based interview stimulators, students can practice. We also have AI avatars, where there are role-specific questions. There are HR rounds and multiple choice questions (MCQs) that a fresher has to complete. Students can also download their interviews and examine their performance, including their body language and answers. Because it is AI-supported, every answer is evaluated with respect to correctness, and they can practice and improve.

When suddenly asked to introduce themselves, students may not know where to start, what to say and what to include. Students do not understand what types of questions will be asked, because they are used to vivas and not actual interviews. So, our questions–becase we have industry knowledge–prepare them for the industry. If they practice these questions thoroughly, it will help them. This can also be used by companies when hiring students during campus rounds. 

Pharma Now: Yes, that’s excellent. I also read about the experiential learning area, which you were interested in studying. Can you share exactly what this is and how it works?

Dr. Khale: Basically, there’s a gap between the industry and academia. What happens is: theoretical education continues, and students don’t get hands-on information. My idea was something like talking labs. For example, in regulatory studies, we talk to regulatory consultants who work in the field. The course will be a combination of these. They will learn both theory and practical areas. It is not like instruments are not available in colleges, they are–but the working environment and scenario are what always matter. Working in the system is important. 

Pharma Now: So, by combining both aspects, you’re helping students understand what it’s like working in the industry without actually working in the industry. Did I understand that correctly?

Dr. Khale: Yes. The whole idea is: the lab does the training part with respect to instruments and processes. Right now, M.Pharm students know all theoretical concepts, but if you ask them to connect a column–they may not be able to. And, we can't blame them! 

Pharma Now: Yes, I agree, you cannot blame students. They follow the path that they’re guided on. They learn what is taught and apply for jobs when the time comes. But realistically, they’re losing out even when it’s not their fault. Is there a solution to this?

Dr. Khale: When I passed my B. Pharm in 1986, we had to complete a one-year apprenticeship. Mumbai was the hub of manufacturing units. There were many companies–Cipla, Burrough’s Wellcome, and many more–they all had huge manufacturing plants! Back then, M.Pharm seats were limited. Most students had to get jobs. But the rule was: you couldn’t get a job if you had not completed the one-year apprenticeship. It had immense benefits. For example, after I completed my B. Pharm and before applying for M.Pharm, I wanted to understand which vertical should I opt for. I completed my apprenticeship at Hext India Ltd., Mulund. We had rotations in various departments and intensive training in production. During this period, I understood that I didn’t like repetitive jobs. I liked something new. So, I went into research. 

Unfortunately, today, students just apply for M. Pharm to just do something after B. Pharm. After completing M. Pharm, they’re blank–they don’t know which field they should apply for. 

Pharma Now: I think apprenticeships will help students, especially because there are so many new areas in pharma and they’re very interconnected. With your 41 years of experience in the field, what advice will you have for students and young professionals? 

Dr. Khale: Even if there are multiple open opportunities, students should focus on growing competition because there is immense competition. Today, only those with necessary skills will survive in the industry. Students have to understand that studies or theoretical practice is not enough to excel in their professional life. If you want to excel professionally, you need to have a strong skill set. Even if you have a Diploma in Pharmacy and a strong skill set, you can grow. Just getting a good score is not enough. Today, the competition is very cut-throat and if you do not develop your skills, you will be out of the race. So, at PlatPharm, we help you work on reskilling as well.

Pharma Now: Considering the changing landscape of pharma and the exceptional expected growth of India in the industry, what advice do you have for aspirants on how they should navigate their career?

Dr. Khale: Everyone talks about growth and opportunities, but students should not forget more students are completing their education, which means increasing competition in terms of numbers and skills. For growth and survival, you need to have proper skills. You should keep upgrading your skill set, even though you are young professionals. If you have the right skills, the sky’s the limit. To succeed, you not only need qualifications and certificates but also a skill set. At PlatPharm, we talk about 360-degree student development because every aspect is important.

Pharma Now: I agree with you completely. Students need to look beyond educational qualifications; they need to develop the required skill set before they apply for jobs. Can you tell us which skills are the most important?

Dr. Khale: It is a combination of various skills, from resume making to interview skills. What you study in the curriculum is a different thing, but the skills expected by the industry are much different. Students shouldn't look for shortcuts; they should have patience, passion, involvement and dedication along with their skill set.

Pharma Now: To sum up: Students need patience, passion and skills to have a good professional life in the pharma industry. It was wonderful talking to you, Dr. Khale. Thank you for your contribution to the industry and community. Thank you for joining us at Pharma Now.