Lucy Hooper, Client Services Manager at Adelphi Communications, reflects on three years in account management.

When you first mention medical communications to people it’s not uncommon to be met with an enquiring look, and if I’m honest when looking for new opportunities and first considering a role within a MedComms agency I wasn’t 100% sure myself of what this involved.

What I found was an industry that is exciting and challenging and provides strong development potential for people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Although from a scientific background myself, my previous professional experience had not been in the medical or pharmaceutical field. However, I quickly learned that despite the initially daunting prospect, the Medical Communications community is a supportive and progressive network that takes into account a wide range of transferable skills.

I have now been part of the Client Services team at Adelphi Communications for 3 years and have had the chance to work across various different therapy areas and projects, with a number of clients, each with their own goals and needs. The role covers many, ever-changing responsibilities from daily project and financial management to event planning and increasingly popular digital innovations. This has always provided opportunities for creativity and strategic thinking to develop new and exciting solutions. It’s certainly a role where there’s always the potential to learn more and my knowledge about the industry is always growing.

I have always preferred working as part of a team and working in the agency setting suits this perfectly. Working closely with the internal team is essential and enjoyable but we also have the satisfaction of becoming a key point of contact and a strategic partner to our clients, allowing us to maintain and develop the client-business relationships, existing and new.

Working successfully In MedComms requires determination and willingness to adapt. It’s a job that can at times be demanding, but at the same time I’ve had the opportunity to work with clinicians who are leaders in the field and see their passion first-hand, and equally importantly seen the benefits that our work can have, which always makes the hard work worthwhile.

Maybe the most important thing to say is that this career path has given me the chance to do things I never saw myself doing. If you are looking for a position that involves both challenges and rewards, that emphasises team-work and proactivity then go ahead and apply for a job in medical communications.

[Find out more about Adelphi Communications]