Careers beyond Academia: A Recap of the Medical Writing, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Mini-Networking Night
LSCDS organizes multiple Mini-Networking Nights (MNN) throughout the academic year to provide trainees an opportunity to connect with and gain valuable insights from professionals in industry. After the success of the fall 2023 Pharma and R&D MNN, the LSCDS Networking Team hosted their second MNN on December 8th, focusing on Medical Writing, Policy and Regulatory Affairs. This virtual event included a panel of eight professional guests from diverse backgrounds and a cohort of twenty-six trainees to facilitate a meaningful networking opportunity.
The professional guests were all excited to share their insights and knowledge, engage in discussions on topics related to their career trajectory, the current job markets in their fields as well as what a typical day in their role looks like. The professional guests were:
Santa Al Antwan, Regulatory Affairs Associate at Nutrasource
Dr. Shadi Zarei, Founder and Medical Writer at Joy Medical
Dr. Nawar Alwash, Manager, Science and Regulatory Department at Klick Health
Dr. Kinza Maxood, Director, Science and Regulatory Department at Klick Health
Dr. Noor Alsaden, Senior Clinical Evaluator at Health Canada
Dr. Anusha Ratneswaran, Senior Policy Analyst at Health Canada
Dr. Jian Wang, Division Manager of BRDD at Health Canada
Dr. Wendi Zhou, Policy Analyst at Health Canada
Careers in medical writing, policy and regulatory affairs entail diverse day-to-day roles in industry/government, but one thing they all have in common is the ability to constantly learn. Medical writers use their scientific knowledge to develop and produce documents on medical information for different target audiences. Policy Analysts use their scientific expertise to research and evaluate their topic and use their findings to shape public policies. Lastly, regulatory affairs professionals play a key role in obtaining and maintaining approval for drugs or medical devices from government bodies (such as FDA or Health Canada).
While all the guests at this MNN have diverse academic and career backgrounds, they all agreed that their drive for constant learning and being mentally stimulated guided them to their respective careers. Dr. Shadi Zarei noted that her favorite part of her transition from practicing medicine to founding a medical writing company is her flexibility to learn about new medical information every day!
Similarly, Dr. Kinza Maxood transitioned from a medical career to her current role as a Director in Science and Regulatory at Klick Health as it gives her the opportunity to constantly be engaged. For trainees interested in industry positions, she and Dr. Nawar Alwash emphasized the importance of building professional networks as early as possible. They both gave valuable advice and insights on how to build these networks, such as actively using Linkedin as a resource to organize coffee chats. A great reminder for us trainees to schedule our first or next coffee chat to expand our networks!
Another valuable piece of advice shared was to leverage the transferable skills that are developed in graduate school. Both Dr. Noor Alsaden and Dr. Jian Wang noted that the critical reading/ scientific evaluation skills, developed during their PhDs, are key for their current day-to-day roles. On a similar note, Ms. Santa Al Antwan shared that familiarity with industry positions is important during job search, but it is expected that most industry-specific learning would happen on the job. This was a refreshing perspective for the trainees as we are constantly worried about the steep academia to industry transition!
On a slightly different note, Dr. Wendi Zhou and Dr. Anusha Ratneswaran shared the benefits of seeking industry-specific experience during graduate school, whether volunteer or through internships/ part-time jobs. They noted that it allows you to get your foot-in-the-door for a permanent position in the industry, while also letting you explore if that is truly your dream job. So, trainees, make sure to check out our Industry Team Case Study program to gain a glimpse into your field of interest!
Overall, this MNN event provided trainees with an incredible opportunity to connect with and gain insights from an enthusiastic group of industry professionals. If you’re interested to learn about upcoming LSCDS events, please follow us on our social media – LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter! Stay tuned for upcoming MNNs in the Winter 2024 semester to learn about careers beyond academia and expand your professional networks!
