A rotation program aimed at exposing medical students from the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Ohio University to the pharmaceutical industry has been announced by Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY). Through the Medical Student Rotation Program, the aspiring physicians will now get hands-on-experience in various aspects of the pharmaceutical sector including patient safety, bioethics, drug discovery, and drug development.

“We are pleased to welcome Heritage College as a partner who shares our goal,” Eli Lilly’s United States director of external relations, Yolanda Johnson-Moton, said.

Four medical schools

Currently, there are four medical schools that are benefiting from the Medical Student Rotation Program which was initially launched in the early months of 2014. Besides the Heritage College, other medical schools on the program include Washington University School of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, and Indiana University School of Medicine.

Through the program Eli Lilly hopes to contribute towards providing the students with an education experience that is comprehensive. This is because the trend going forward is that the various facets of healthcare are increasingly becoming interdependent and practitioners such as physicians will be required to possess a certain level of knowledge regarding the medical and scientific phases in drug discovery and drug development.

Holistic education

The Medical Student Rotation Program will thus offer students valuable insights into the pharmaceutical industry including the necessary collaboration that takes place. Students will also learn about the complex process of not only drug discovery and development but also what is involved from the concept stage to taking the final product to the market and the role played by physicians in the whole process.

In both the state of Ohio and the United States at large, Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine has emerged as a leader in the training of primary care physicians. Approximately half of the alumni from the Heritage College are currently practicing in primary care and close to 60% of the alumni are serving in the state of Ohio.

On Tuesday shares of Eli Lilly and Co rose by 1.94% to close the day at $86.09.