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www.emwa.org Volume 25 Number 2 | Medical Writing June 2016 | 9

Peter Llewellyn1 and Annick Moon2

1 NetworkPharma Ltd, Oxford, UK2 Moon Medical Communications Ltd,

Oxford, UK

Correspondence to:Peter LlewellynNetworkPharma LtdMagdalen CentreThe Oxford Science ParkOxford OX4 4GAUKpeter@networkpharma.com+44 (0)1865 784390

AbstractNetworkPharma has been running aseries of careers events and workshopsaimed at entry-level jobs in MedComms,and publish a careers guide, FromAcademic to Medical Writer, which isupdated annually in March. In this article,Peter Llewellyn from NetworkPharma,and Annick Moon, author of the careersguide, answer some of the most prevalentquestions asked by entry-level candidatesat the workshops they have attended overthe past decade. The areas covered focuson jobs in MedComms, particularlymedical writing in the UK.

IntroductionFor almost a decade, NetworkPharma hasbeen running a series of careers events andworkshops aimed at entry-level jobs inMedComms, with a focus on medicalwriting. Events held in Oxford, Manchester,and London, have provided scientists withthe opportunity to learn more about writingand other careers in MedComms and tomeet industry experts. Details of all events,past and future are freely accessible atwww.FirstMedCommsJob.com

Careers events and theMedComms communityThe portfolio of events in collaborationbetween NetworkPharma and the OxfordMedical Sciences Division of the Universityof Oxford are now an embedded feature ofthe careers calendar, and are open to OxfordUniversity students and staff, as well asstudents from other universities, and peopleworking in relevant industries. The annualLunchtime MedComms session in Januarykicks off the year with presentations fromindustry experts and exhibitions fromagencies. The careers guide, From Academicto Medical Writer, is updated annually inMarch, and in response to the success of theprevious Careers Insights workshop, fromMay 2016, a new one-day event will be heldto provide the opportunity for attendees todiscuss MedComms face-to-face withprospective employers.

In this article, Peter and Annick answersome of the most prevalent questions askedby entry-level candidates at the workshopsthey have attended over the years.

Ask Peter1. What is MedComms and what do theagencies actually do?This is where all the conversations start andit’s more or less impossible to answerunambiguously! If you line up severalMedComms specialists and ask thatquestion you can get very different answers.This is one reason we prioritise the ‘meet the

Top ten questions about careers in MedComms

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10 | June 2016 Medical Writing | Volume 25 Number 2

agencies’ sessions at our careersevents. Anyone wanting to pursuea career in MedComms shouldunderstand the wide range ofservices that are encompassedand that agencies can havevery different approaches andcultures.

In essence, we say; ‘Medicalcommunic ations providesconsultancy services to thepharmaceutical industry to help raiseawareness of medicines.’ We then go on todescribe how, under this over-archingdescription, the MedComms agenciesspecifically have their roots in medicaleducation, and traditionally produce themore highly technical scientific materialssuch as journal manuscripts for peer review,learning resources, slide kits, and postersand presentations for conferences. Much ofthis work, by definition, involves workingclosely with external experts. In principle itseems easy to draw a line betweenMedComms and the more marketing-ledagencies such as branding and PR at one endand the more arms-length, accreditedcontinuing medical education (CME)providers at the other. In practice, though,the edges are often blurred and manyMedComms agencies are a part of broadercommunications groups that enable them towork beyond those edges anyway.

For many though, the absolute truism isthat in MedComms the accuracy androbustness of the data is paramount and it isa business community that is heavilydominated these days by post-graduate levelwriters who are well equipped to under -stand, interpret and communicate thescience appropriately to the intendedaudience. Increasingly the work is led withinclient companies by medical affairs teamsrather than marketing teams, and it’s afeature of the MedComms community thatmost individuals are working at aninternational level, usually commissioned byhead offices of the global pharmacompanies.

2. So, what should I considerwhen looking for an entry-

level writing job inMedComms?It’s unlikely, though notentirely unknown, thatan entry-level writer will

work from home fromthe start. Most agencies

will expect their new staff tobe based in the office initially at

least, learning their craft. So asidefrom practicalities like where those workopportunities are based, the key message isthat a trainee writer’s job descriptions maysound similar from different agencies butthe day-to-day work experiences can bequite different. So, one way or another, gaininsight into as many different agencies aspossible, and try to identify what best suitsyou, before taking the first job.

You’ll find agencies that are small,independent and privately owned, wherethe Directors sit across a desk from you andwhere it’s case of all hands on deck when anydeadlines are to be met, which is a lot of thetime. Other agencies are bigger and moreformally structured with cross-functionalteams operating on long established prog -rammes quite independently of each other.Some agencies have developed particularspecialisms perhaps in therapy areas such asoncology, or in terms of their outputs, forinstance publication planning, eventsmanagement or digital type work. Some willpride themselves on being ‘full serviceagencies’. In some agencies the writers domuch more client-facing work than in otherswhere account managers will take that role.

A good question to ask a prospectiveemployer is, what training opportunities areon offer? In many cases most training willbe done on-the-job led by yourmore experienced colleagues.In some agencies there areformal training prog -rammes and inductionperiods, in others less so.Some will encourage youto attend external coursessuch as those offered byEMWA, others will be less

inclined. It is less a matter of size and age,and more of culture. No one approach isbetter than another overall, but certainlymay be so for any one individual. So again,aim to find the best fit for you.

3. Do agencies offer paid internships,work experience or shadowingopportunities?It’s a personal soapbox of mine that moreMedComms agencies could offer more suchopportunities. In reality, though, most don’t.Most will say the reality is that theiremployees are too busy with deadlinesconstantly looming and that it’s not fair oneither the existing staff or on the individualslooking for genuine work experience tosubject them to that added pressure. Havingsaid which, some agencies are nowintroducing more formalised paid internshipprogrammes, which can then lead to a full-time job, and we do what we can to highlightthese via the information service atwww.FirstMedCommsJob.com

There’s no harm in approaching theagencies directly but it can be difficult tofind the right person to contact and the righttime to do so when they are so busy.Networking one way or another via careersevents and your own contacts can be avaluable way to find those opportunities.

As a general point, I’d say this is a verycompetitive business to enter and anyopportunities you can find to demonstrateyour writing skills and aptitudes are worthgrasping enthusiastically. So you might offerto help your colleagues with theirpresentations and papers, or volunteer tohelp with a specialist publication. Thesedays there are plenty of opportunities tocontribute to online resources and, for

instance, to blog about your own interests.The posts don’t have to be directly

related to medical science letalone your own fields of

interest. Be aware, though,that even social media postscan and will be spotted andthen scrutinised for

grammatical errors andtypos!

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4. What are the entry requirements for amedical writer in MedComms?You’ll meet many successful writers inMedComms who don’t have a PhD or otherpost-graduate qualification, but they tend tobe the ones who joined MedComms a whileago. Today it’s fair to say there is an emphasison employing entry-level writers with atleast a PhD and maybe post-doc experience.It’s even fair to say there is a drift overalltowards employing that same level of staff inaccount management roles, though therethe backgrounds are much more varied.

If you don’t have the post-graduatequalifications, you will probably need somegood experience, maybe in publishing or thepharmaceutical industry.

On the positive side, for those of youwith a PhD, this is a business area thatwelcomes your experience. Above andbeyond the scientific and technical expertiseand analytical skills you bring, you will alsohave valuable transferable skills from yourexperience of writing, presentations, projectmanagement and team working.

One key message, though, is thatMedComms, like any agency businessthrives on people and their people skills andthe chemistry between people. You’ll neverbe working alone; you will be working inteams and for clients on a potentially widerange of varied projects. The skill of theinterviewer is seeing beyond the obviousskills and qualifications on paper. Your aimis to get the interviewer to take notice ofyour unique offering.

5. What are the longer-term careeropportunities for a medical writer inMedComms?It’s not so long ago that MedComms wasregarded as an invisible business andyou’ll meet many writers who saythey simply stumbled into it.That has changed, much moreinformation is available andpeople joining now can seequite formalised careerpathways stretching ahead ifthey want them. It also offerslots of flexibility, though, onceyou have entered and, of course,

offers some people theopportunity to gain somevery valuable skills they canthen go on to offer asfreelancers, for instance.But within the agencycommunity now, typically anew medical writer will joinin a trainee capacity, maybe asan associate medical writer, andcontinue and progress within writingdepartments to reach principal writer andeditorial team leader positions. Others willmove to roles that are less about writing andmore about managing and directingaccounts, for example. In many companiesthere is also opportunity to move within thebigger communications group to alliedservices or to move countries. It is, after all,a growing, global business.

A key message is to remember that onceyou get that entry-level role, the rest is downto you. There is no real barrier to what youwant to do or what you can achieve. Myadvice is always aim to get as muchexperience as possible, and put the effort in,and you’ll find this a great business to be inif you like science but maybe aren’t so keenon the lab work. The opportunities areboundless and the rewards likewise,financial and intellectual.

Ask Annick6. What can I expect in the writing test?You need to impress the agency with yourCV and covering email, and maybe inperson at a careers event, before you’ll besent a writing test. Then to make it tointerview for a writing job, whether as atrainee or a senior writer, usually, you need

to do a writing test. If you’re a newbie,to get this far, you’ve probably

done your research intoMedComms agencies so

you should be familiarwith the types of writingyou’ll be expected toproduce.

What agencies areusually looking for in the

writing test is whether youcan take scientific information

about an illness you probablyknow nothing about and

comm unicate it to aspecified audience. Med -Comms agencies usuallywant people with a strong

scientific background, theability to follow a brief, and

excellent language skills. Theaim of the writing test is to assess

your analytical skills and your aptitudefor writing.

The standard of writing among succ -essful candidates is high so you need tocheck everything you send to the agencycarefully. An initial writing test brief is oftendesigned to take about 1–6 hours, althoughit varies widely, and as a general rule, add ona few hours to the time they suggest itshould take you. If you get to interview, behonest about how long the test took. It won’tbe a negative if it was much longer thanspecified; they’ll likely just be interested toknow. Don’t be tempted to ask a mate in theindustry to proof-read your writing testbecause if you get the job, depending uponhow bad your writing is, they’ll uncoveryour scam.

7. Can I get examples of writing tests?Practicing your medical writing beforeapplying for your first writer job is difficult,and for many newbies, the first time they doany proper medical writing is the writingtest. This was my experience, so wheneverI’m asked this question, I describe the twowriting tests that I’ve done.

The first writing test I did was after I‘dbeen working in my first medical commun -ications job as an editorial project managerand I applied for an entry-level medicalwriter job at another agency. I was sentabout fifteen abstracts about hypnotics ininsomnia and asked to review them. Thereview took me twice as long as specifiedand I got an interview. They gave mefeedback on the test at the interview, whichwas horrifying: spelling mistakes, randomcommas, and other crimes against writing,which ordinarily, so I was told, would havebeen an instant fail. However, instead ofsummarising one abstract after another as

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12 | June 2016 Medical Writing | Volume 25 Number 2

apparently most of the othercandidates had done (and what Iwould have done if I’d thoughtof it), I read the material andthen presented the inform -ation by subcategory, addedan introduction, discussion,con clusion, and title. Theyliked how I’d approached thebrief, and I was given the job,with the caveat that I had a lot oftraining to do. This large MedCommsagency then sent me on several trainingcourses and I got lots of writing experience.

After nearly two years in the industry, Iapplied for my next medical writer job. Forthe writing test, I was sent informationabout administering parenteral antibioticsin a home-setting. They wanted a 1200-word article aimed at nurses. I bought acouple of nursing magazines and journalsand read the articles in them. Then I wrotean article in the same style using thebackground materials they’d sent me. I gaveit to a writer-mate to proof-read and shehardly found anything. I got the job.

To summarise:1. Read the brief and list the items to be

covered;2. Go through the background materials

provided and match up the info witheach point in the brief;

3. Read other articles aimed at youraudience and then pitch your article inthe same way.

8. Will I get feedback on my writing test?If you get an interview, they’ll probably giveyou feedback on your writing test anddiscuss areas they think you’ll have to workat to improve your writing. If you don’t getan interview, it’s unlikely that the agency willbe willing to comment on your test. It maybe frustrating if you’ve spent ages writing anarticle and then you get rejected with nofeedback, but keep trying. If you are askedto complete a writing test several times, yetnever get offered an interview, you may wantto consider applying for other entry-levelagency jobs, and then once you’re in, explorethe options of becoming a writer.

9. Can I work from home as amedical writer?

It would be usual for atrainee writer to be office-based although thearrangements for homeworkers at MedComms

agencies differ. If thehome-working policy at

the agency isn’t mentionedin the job description, then it

may be worth discussing at theinterview. But remember that agency life isfast-paced and you’ll be expected to attendclient meetings and conferences, whichinvolves a lot of travelling. As a new writerat a MedComms agency, it helps to bewithin reach of a major airport.If working from home is attractive to you,then medical writing is a good career option.In general, you need a few years’ experiencebefore becoming a principal writer andmoving to your luxury garden office in anarea with good schools.

10. How do I get into freelance medicalwriting?

I get asked this by all sorts of people who arekeen to jump into freelance writing. Myreply is usually that medical writing is aprofession, so ideally you need to have anextensive medical writing portfolio beforeembarking on a freelance enterprise. Iffreelancing is your long-term ambition, thenkeep it quiet to start with, i.e. don’t mentionat the interview. It costs a lot to train a writer,so agencies tend to try and hang on to them,meaning that the opportunities inMedComms may make you re-think yourfreelance plans once you getestablished. It’s a tough choice:1. Lead a team of writers

from an office;2. Sit alone in your

pants writingfabulous articles.

AcknowledgementsMany thanks to the numerous members ofthe MedComms Networking Communitywho have contributed their thoughts andcomments over the years during thedevelopment of the Careers Guide and thevarious careers events that provide thebackground to this article.

Conflicts of Interest andDisclaimersPeter runs numerous events and publishes arange of information services for individualsworking in and around the MedCommsbusiness, funded by the community ofMedComms agencies. Annick providesfreelance consultancy services to theMedComms industry.

Author informationPeter Llewellyn has a background thatencompasses clinical research, sales andmarketing within big Pharma and alsotime spent working within specialistMedComms agencies. As Director ofNetworkPharma Ltd, Peter has spentnine years developing the MedCommsNetworking community, which isfocused around the services provided atwww.MedCommsNetworking.com andas Director of Burntsky Ltd he hasdeveloped specialist Jobs board servicesand has recently launched the uniqueFirstMedCommsJob information servicefor wannabe MedComms specialists.

Dr Annick Moon is Director of MoonMedical Communications Ltd and hasprovided communications consultancy

and writing services to the pharma -ceutical industry for over 15 years.

She has collaborated withPeter on a series of careers

events and is author of thecareers guide, FromAcademic to MedicalWriter.