#ABetterU: Meet Drexel Online MS Graduate Brian Dean

Brian Dean, MS in Clinical Research Organization and Management '14

Things move fast in the pharmaceutical industry.

For professionals like Brian Dean—a former clinical research manager for Auxilium Pharmaceuticals (now Endo International) whose career in the pharmaceutical industry has taken him all over the world doing pharmaceutical trials—mastering the latest industry trends is imperative.

“In clinical and pharmaceutical research, you can always learn more with how often and quickly things change,” said Dean.

Dean knew that a graduate degree would be the best way to gain the skills needed to be successful in the pharmaceutical industry. But with a hectic travel schedule, he knew he would need a program that allowed the flexibility to attend online. 

As an employee of a Drexel Online partner organization, Dean was able to receive significant tuition savings to participate in the Drexel University College of Medicine’s Master’s in Clinical Research Organization and Management program.

The MS in Clinical Research Organization and Management program offered both flexibility and a rigorous curriculum, and eventually piqued Dean’s interest in entrepreneurship. Shortly after he graduated from the program in 2014, he decided to leave his position at Auxilium to launch his own clinical research consulting firm, Dean Clinical Consulting.

“While I was at Auxilium I was already putting what I learned each day into practice. And now, as a consultant, having that degree on my CV is absolutely essential,” said Dean.

In the future, Dean plans to launch his own Contract Research Organization (CRO), CliniTx International, with a partner in Texas; a venture he says Drexel helped prepare him for.

“Drexel’s program offered courses that are essential to both my consulting work and new CRO – classes such as Pharmaceutical Law and Pharmacovigilance cover issues that come up every day,” said Dean. “What I learned has helped me immensely.”