Arthur Chan
Arthur Chan, PhD, MBA is an innovative and creative bioengineer and medical affairs leader with over 18 years of experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical industry, focused on eye care. Arthur is the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, a California based clinical-stage company seeking to develop innovative therapies for unmet needs starting with Demodex blepharitis, and has much knowledge on building strong teams and launching products. He is well respected in the medical science liaison and medical affairs communities for his dedication to diversity and inclusion and his passion for mentoring others. Arthur lives in Plano, Texas with his family.
Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field?
I’m somewhat of an odd mix in the pharmaceutical industry having started off as a mechanical engineer. As a kid I loved figuring out how things work, taking things apart and putting them together. My dad, an engineer himself, inspired me to pursue engineering. Growing up in Alberta, Canada my co-op work terms were in the oil and gas industry and I realized it wasn’t for me. Wanting to develop innovative products in the medical field, I pursued a graduate degree at the University of Washington (UW) in biomedical engineering. I developed and patented an image guided therapy device that zaps uterine fibroids with ultrasound energy, and had the opportunity to turn UW technologies into start-up companies through a WRF Capital/Gates foundation fellowship. These experiences led me to seek a career in the medical device/pharmaceutical industry. I landed a role at an Israeli startup company after graduate school that made me realize how much I loved learning from and partnering with physicians to develop novel treatments. This led me to pursuing a career in medical affairs at both pharmaceutical and medical device companies. I’ve had the fortunate opportunity to work on various body parts but the eye is definitely my favorite!
How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field?
After my first job at the startup, I decided to spend a few years at larger companies, which was awesome for growing and advancing my career. Big companies are a great place to grow your network and they have fantastic resources for training. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work in various therapeutic areas and have met and stayed close with wonderful mentors who I can always count on. While I have enjoyed various roles in larger organizations, I knew I wanted to eventually come back to share my leadership and entrepreneurial spirit at a smaller company. I’ve been watching Tarsus for a while – I wanted to be in eye care, working on a new molecule that has the potential to be the first therapy for a disease with an unmet need – it checked all the boxes. But in addition to the exciting product and pipeline, it was actually the people that convinced me to join. Someone I’ve admired for many years who is highly respected in the eye care industry joined Tarsus, followed by a doctor and friend who I love working with. And every person I met was incredibly accomplished, smart, yet extremely humble. It’s so true that having the right culture is so important when choosing a job. My interviews were all virtual due to the pandemic but the company did such a great job ensuring I felt a strong sense of belonging even before the first time I stepped into the office.
Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role?
Medical affairs teams at pharmaceutical companies provide medical and scientific expertise to physicians. My team is a resource for doctors interested in learning more about the disease areas and treatments we’re working on so they can serve their patients better. We work with physicians who want to share their ideas and feedback with us, who may have interest in doing research with us and educating their peers. Our team is responsible for ensuring new data is accurately and compliantly shared with the medical community through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences. We build trusting relationships with medical societies and influential physicians and research leaders to advance medical innovations and share science that comes out of our company. I’m also passionate about finding opportunities for physicians early in their careers to learn more about what it takes to work with industry.
What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment?
I’m very much a “people person” and enjoy working closely with doctors and their staff to find new ways to help patients. It’s a very rewarding field. I also love our work environment at Tarsus where everyone is encouraged to share ideas, collaborate with different functions in the organization, work closely as a team and be empowered to make decisions. Our company has an environment where people have each other’s backs and are committed to help each other succeed and belong. And as we grow, we are also very cognizant about hiring new people that can not only thrive in but be ambassadors for this culture.
What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?
It’s a lot of hard work and involves a lot of travel (the latter is somewhat self-imposed since I enjoy meeting our physicians in person whenever possible and our eye care medical conferences are back in person). Unlike a large company, our clinical stage company is very lean and with just over fifty employees as of when this was written. And while we are growing and hiring each week, each person takes on a significant workload. It’s important to ensure we hire team members that we can trust and depend on, it’s also important to ensure we have time to recharge, disconnect, and enjoy life away from work so we can be our best at work. Fortunately our company promotes and values the need for balance and recharging. Throughout my career I’ve learned to prioritize and determine where I can make the most impact and what is the most valuable use of my time. It’s also more important to know who to go to for answers than to have the answers yourself, so establishing a network of smart people and mentors is so important in being efficient and effective.
Do you have any professional plans for the future? What are some future career paths that could open up for someone in your position, 5-10 years down the road?
I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up – I’m a big believer in making the most of every day at a job you absolutely love. And if you feel like you are valued at work, making the most impact you can, and have the ability to balance fun at work with fun at home, then you’re motivated to keep working hard. I absolutely love leading our company’s medical affairs and working closely with our physicians. The role matches my personality. I’m also a big believer that growing in a career also means embracing new technologies, launching new products, doing things you’ve never had the chance to do before while in your role. Join a company that enables you to do that. As I advance in my career, it’s also important to have more time and opportunity to mentor others, help others grow and pay forward the opportunities that my mentors have given me.
What’s changing in your industry? Are there any future trends we should be aware of?
In the evolving world of industry / physician collaboration, there are a few changes that come to mind. First is the acceptance of virtual interactions that have become more common since the start of the pandemic. The ability for physicians to connect with medical liaisons remotely has enabled convenience and more touch points, especially in light of many clinics, hospitals and academic institutions restricting access to only patients and staff. Ensuring easy to use and reliable technology while using virtual engagements as a supplement to (not a replacement for) in-person interactions are keys to success. Next, social media has emerged as a source for physician networking and education, and companies who can do this compliantly and effectively will have tremendous impact on the social-savvy physicians and patients. Finally, it’s just as important to educate the payer community as it is the physician community on new data, science and products. The willingness of insurance plans to cover new technologies has a big impact on the success of these innovations. The data they need to make their decisions may be different from what physicians need to feel comfortable prescribing. Understanding payer needs is valuable.
What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field?
Clubs and classes that enable students to network with industry leaders are always a great start. I’ve had student societies invite me to be a guest lecturer and have loved learning from the students as much as I hope they learned from me.
Networking on LinkedIn can enable you to learn more about companies and jobs you’re interested in, and discover the career paths of people who share similar professional interests. It is also a resource to see who may be able to connect you to an industry leader that you’d like to speak with.
Summer internships are competitive but they offer the ultimate real-world experience in industry. You’ll get to see first-hand what challenges companies are faced with, how they overcome these hurdles through innovation and teamwork, and have the opportunity to make an impact and share your creative ideas that your co-workers may not have thought of. The most important part of a summer internship is networking. I challenge all my interns to get to know someone new every day of their internship. It’s far more important to know who to go to for answers than having all the answers yourself!
Shadowing and volunteer work is looked upon favorably by hiring managers too, and can be a more flexible, accessible, and equally worthwhile alternative to a summer internship. Shadowing involves spending a few days with employees to observe day to day activities. There may also be volunteer opportunities at hospitals, clinics, and even charitable events that will enable you to network, meet industry professionals and get to know people who could provide career advice and mentorship.
These opportunities enable students to find mentors that can help guide them in their career aspirations, help them grow, network and provide references.
Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e. have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field?
Leadership roles in medical affairs typically require a terminal (D) degree. The teams I’ve led or have been a part of consist of PhDs, PharmDs, MDs, DOs, and because I work in the eyecare field, many ODs. An advanced degree is beneficial for medical affairs professionals as they’re seen as peers with researchers, scientists and physicians with advanced degrees. Having a PhD provides credibility that you have scientific integrity, research and analytical skills even if your job isn’t specific to what you worked on for your thesis (as in my case). However, there are qualities that I believe are more important than the letters behind someone’s name. Their personal integrity, emotional intelligence, resourcefulness, self-motivation, and ability to show empathy is what ultimately lands them the job (at least with me).
Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now?
My four pieces of advice for graduate students seeking a role in industry are:
(a) Find a few great mentors – respected individuals in your career path who you can lean on for guidance and advice, who may open doors and help you network, review your CV and enjoy common interests with. (b) Don’t be afraid to ask – reach out to people who have been in your shoes, reach out to companies to learn about what they do and roles that may be a good fit for your interests and talents, and ask if there are opportunities for students to shadow or take on an internship (c) Explore industry partnerships through your school, share with your thesis advisor that you’re interested in a career in industry, and see if there are opportunities for collaboration with companies that may be interested in your research, or companies that provide the apparatus and supplies needed for your research. Organize and participate in career forums with like-minded classmates. (d) Openly share what your career ambitions are. You never know if your friend’s parents or someone sitting next to you at an event could open doors for you.
