The Introduction to Industry Training (ITIT) course is an introductory course for statisticians and statistical programmers new to the pharmaceutical industry, giving an overview of the pharmaceutical industry and the complete drug development process. It is not intended to teach statistics! It comprises of six 2-day sessions covering a range of topics including Research, Toxicology, Data Management and the Role of a CRO, Clinical Trials, Reimbursement, and Marketing.
More details of these sessions are provided here.
The format of each session is a mixture of formal lectures, workshops and, where possible, site tours.
The course runs from October to July each year. Each session is held at a different CRO or pharmaceutical host company. We aim to host 3-4 sessions in the UK and 2-3 sessions in mainland Europe.
Host companies are guaranteed one place on the course. We are always looking for new host companies. If you are interested in hosting a session, please contact Zelie Bailes (PSI ITIT Chair).
Anyone! We offer 25 places each year, and the course is primarily aimed at new starters to the industry, with between 1- and 3-years’ experience.
The cost of travel to the sessions, drinks or amenities is not included in the course fee.
The course has been running for over 30 years! Many have participated in the course over the years including members on the board of directors and even some of our current and previous PSI Chairs including Nigel Howitt, Lucy Rowell and Chrissie Fletcher.
You can find out more directly from our previous ITIT chair by listening to the interview by The Effective Statistician which also includes a perspective from a participant on the 2017/18 course and what benefits he gained from attending the course.
Still need persuading? See what our previous participants have to say about the course below:
“I was very grateful for the opportunity to attend the ITIT course. Learning about the complete drug development process and where my role sits within it was eye opening and has helped me a great deal in my day to day job. I also loved visiting the different companies and countries and seeing how these varied. The course is tailored for both programmers and statisticians and at no point did I feel out of my depth or at a disadvantage being a programmer with less statistical knowledge. I would recommend this course to all in our industry .”
Statistician on the 2018/2019 course
“I attended the PSI ITIT course in 2017-2018. Having started the ITIT course early in my career, it was a fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded statisticians and programmers and to learn more about the pharmaceutical industry outside of my company. We had 5 sessions in the UK and one in Gothenburg, all on different topics ranging from Toxicology to Marketing , it was great to learn more about the topics in detail from professionals in the field“
Statistician on the 2017/2018 course
Please obtain approval from your manager before you apply.
Applications are usually open from January to June each year, for the course starting in October. Applications for this year's course are now officially open - CLICK HERE TO APPLY!
The closing date for registration is 30th June 2023.
The ITIT committee consists of the following members:
| Name | Company |
| Zelie Bailes (Chair) | GSK |
| Sophie Hodge | Bayer |
| Ruth Lowe | PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific |
| Hoi-Shen Radcliffe | Bayer |
| Sam Ruddell | Crom Source |
| Mahesh Shivhare | Roche |
| Gareth Thomas | IQVIA |
If you have any questions, please contact the ITIT chair Zelie Bailes (zelie.a.bailes@gsk.com)
