He Qualified Through Lebanon’s Collapse. Now He Needs One Chance

Charbel Abdo on Pharmacy in Lebanon, Resilience & Seeking His First Role in UK Clinical Research | Pharma Prescribed

Charbel Abdo — pharmacist from Lebanon, MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences (distinction) from the University of Greenwich — joins Adam Walker for one of the most personal and hopeful conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast.

Charbel grew up in a small village in Lebanon, moved to Beirut alone to study pharmacy, graduated during the country's worst economic crisis, then came to the UK to earn his Master's. He and Adam met by accident — Charbel was showing a stranger to a room at Greenwich and walked into an AstraZeneca networking event. That stranger was Adam.

He's now actively seeking his first role in clinical research in the UK. This episode is his platform.

🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APP
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/44h2ahvetwDFZCNfVCbrw0?si=CMoWG-sLToKIw1FIea9Bhg
Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pharma-prescribed-podcast-with-charbel-abdo-the-human/id1829715970?i=1000719645703
Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcast
Podbean → https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-4kqqk-191aa56

📖 WHAT WE COVER
- Growing up in a small Lebanese village and moving to Beirut alone at 18
- Pharmacy degree during Lebanon's economic collapse — salary worth nothing
- MSc with distinction at the University of Greenwich
- The accidental meeting: showing a stranger to a room and walking into AstraZeneca
- The small world: Adam introduces Charbel to Wael — who turns out to know his family
- Why the UK needs fully qualified pharmacists and isn't hiring them
- Resilience, sacrifice and the deep strength behind every qualification
- Cooking as a passion — pharmacology as cooking medication
- Be honest — and if you do something, finish it properly

⏱️ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction & podcast mission
1:00 Meet Charbel Abdo — pharmacist from Lebanon
2:00 How we met: a stranger, a room and an AstraZeneca event
4:00 The Wael connection — one village, two continents, same family
6:00 Why the UK needs pharmacists from abroad
8:00 Pharmacy school in Beirut — GPA pressure and resilience
12:00 Lebanon's economic crisis and graduating into collapse
16:00 Moving to the UK and the Greenwich MSc
20:00 Regulatory differences between Lebanon and the UK
24:00 What clinical research means to Charbel
28:00 Seeking his first role — and what he brings to the table
32:00 Quick-fire: cooking, Heston Blumenthal and one day a restaurant
34:00 Golden rule: be honest — and finish what you start
36:00 Reach Charbel on LinkedIn — and closing thanks

👤 ABOUT CHARBEL ABDO
Pharmacist (Lebanon). MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences with distinction (University of Greenwich). Actively seeking his first role in UK clinical research.
💼 Search "Charbel Abdo" on LinkedIn

🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBED
Long-form conversations with leaders in clinical research, digital health and mental wellbeing, hosted by Adam Walker.
🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/

#CharbelAbdo #Pharmacist #Lebanon #ClinicalResearch #PharmaPrescribed #AdamWalker #UniversityOfGreenwich #PharmaceuticalSciences #UKPharma #Resilience #NewToIndustry #LifeSciences #PharmacyCareer #Greenwich #HireMe