MedComms is one of those industries that if you’re not in it, you’re unlikely to know anything about it. Let’s face it, we’ve all been to a party or wedding where someone has asked ‘What do you do?’, and we’ve thought, ‘Hmm, what shall I say?!’, and then said something, usually something short, before rapidly changing the subject! It’s not that we’re embarrassed to discuss it, but it’s, well, complicated!
This year, to mark MedComms Day, we asked our team to tell us how they describe their job or this industry when someone asks. Here’s a few select answers:
I actually say I am a medical writer because when I tell people I am a Scientific Team Lead they are even more confused … Then I give the explanation of medical writing (writing content for pharmaceutical companies) to which I get more questions like “So you write the stuff on those papers we get from the packaging of medicines?”, “Do you write books then?”, or “So you are like the people in Mad Men?”
– Senior Team Lead
Me: I’m a medical writer
Other person: A medical what? [struggling with my Brummie accent and wondering what a ‘royter’ is]
Me [in my best non-Brummie accent]: A medical writer – I write training materials for doctors to encourage them to prescribe a pharmaceutical company’s drug
– Head of Publications
I’m a project manager at a medical communications agency. I work with pharmaceutical companies to bridge the gap between the scientific and commercial side of their products by developing campaigns for doctors worldwide.
– Senior Account Manager
Graphic Designer for a medical communications agency – among other things, this includes branding educational events for healthcare specialists and designing promotional materials for sales reps.
– Graphic Designer
I usually start by telling people my job title and the company I work for. If they look a bit blank my subsequent answer depends on how well I know them and whether I know if they have any knowledge of the industry. It usually involves the words ‘professional organiser’ or ‘project-management-type-stuff’.
– Studio Coordinator
I calculate the profit and loss of the company.
– Accountant
I work in MedComms. We help Pharma companies market their products to doctors, or educate doctors on new products. But never mind what I do, what do you do?
– Creative Copy Director
I sell drugs to doctors.
– Managing Director
We also asked, ‘What does your partner/family/friends think you do?’ These answers were even more interesting! Again, a select few:
Powerpoint!!
– Medical Writer
Most people close to me either think I have a pretty cool job that they never knew existed or they tell me it sounds very boring and they could never do it. My family thinks my job is quite complicated and they don’t really understand what I do. My mother, for example, can never explain what I do to someone else. But they understand it’s related to medicine so they always ask me anything that’s health-related.
– Medical Writer
Medicine stuff!
– Senior Management
My family have no idea what I do – think of the Friends episode when they’re asked what Chandler does for a living!
– Senior Medical Writer
‘You work in a medical company.’
‘Copywriter for like a scientific company thing.’
‘You’ve done editing in the past, don’t know if you still do it now.’
‘You recommend medicines to doctors,’ or
‘You’re the Director at a medical publishing company.’
– Creative Copy Director
My family and friends think I work with pharmaceutical companies to sell their products.
– Senior Account Manager
Extremely busy!
– Studio Director
Graphic Designer in the healthcare industry/colouring-in! 😉
– Graphic Designer
My mum seems to sometimes think I swing between being an administrator and a hot-shot advertising executive like on Mad Men! My sister still has no idea what I do despite me explaining it to her many times – but she seems impressed that I have a ‘career’.
– Studio Coordinator
My daughters say “But you’re the boss”; the boss of what they’re not clear.
– Managing Director (i.e., the boss)
There is obviously a lot of confusion going around!
Next time someone asks you what you do, here’s how you could answer:
I work in MedComms – do you know anything about MedComms? Well, let me explain … MedComms professionals cater to the communication needs of healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. These needs are many and varied – from reporting clinical findings in scientific articles, to informing doctors about updates in therapy standards, to developing science-backed marketing materials, developing plain language digests for patients, and much much more. At the Scientific Group, we have many people with different skills working towards developing accurate and engaging communication materials in different formats for our clients.
At the end of the day, the real question is whether we enjoy the work we do. Working in MedComms, a fast-paced and complex field, has its challenges, but it can also be highly rewarding. The rest of the world may be unfamiliar with our industry, but we know that the work we do ultimately improves healthcare and patients’ lives. And that gives us an immense sense of satisfaction!
Happy MedComms Day!
