Tilly Shackley is an Associate Medical Writer with Real Science and has reflected on her first three months working as a medical writer in MedComms.

It is always challenging to know what to expect when entering into a new career, especially if it is in a niche field, such as medical communications. 3 months ago, I had my first day as an Associate Medical Writer at Real Science Communications, fresh from the labs after completing my MPhil in clinical medical research. Since then, I have been on a very steep learning curve and I have loved every minute of it, despite some challenges. I had a think about what advice I would give to myself on my first day and compiled six points that I wish somebody had told me. Continue reading →

In this synchronised audio and slide show, Jack Bills, Account Executive at AMICULUM, explains how he found his way into MedComms and describes his current role. This presentation was recorded at the Open Careers Event, FirstMedCommsJob: Introduction to MedComms, held in London on 20 June 2019.

[Find out more about AMICULUM here]

This article has been contributed by Deborah Porter, an Associate Medical Writer at Ashfield Healthcare Communications.

As someone who has spent their entire working life in the NHS, I thought I was a bit long‑in‑the‑tooth for a change of career. For years I had wanted to take a different path in my scientific journey, but never quite found the courage. Then, at the start of 2019, I decided I was going to be brave and go for it. I knew I wanted to stay in science and that I wanted to write, so it seemed like a good choice to become a medical writer. I began applying for Associate Medical Writer positions, and was lucky enough to catch the attention of the Allegro team at Ashfield Healthcare Communications. Continue reading →

This article has been contributed by Alex Binks, an Associate Medical Writer at Publicis Resolute.

After spending more than three years doing cancer research in a lab for my PhD, I knew that it was time for a career change. Although I loved the people, my research, and the ability to put “Dr” on every online form I could get my hands on, I felt myself gravitating more and more towards opportunities to explain science to wider audiences. As a result, I made the switch to MedComms and started work as an Associate Medical Writer at Publicis Resolute. Here are a few of my favourite things about the move from lab life to working in a MedComms agency. Continue reading →

Emma Perry, a Senior Account Executive at Publicis Resolute, has written an acrostic, spelling out her enthusiasm for medical communications…

Many people ask me how I started working in medical communications, and the answer is quite straightforward.

Essentially, I really enjoyed the fast-paced environment and day-to-day variety in my previous PR agency, but I missed the science! Continue reading →

Rhiannon Roberts has been an Associate Medical Writer with Real Science for 10 months now, and reflects on her experience of MedComms so far…

As I came towards the end of my PhD in Cell Biology, I started looking at the obvious (and what I thought at the time was the only) next step – a postdoc in the same field. I didn’t know much about MedComms, and I had definitely never considered a career in it.

During my search for a postdoc position I became worried about getting stuck in the same field/doing the same experiments forever. At this point a friend of mine who had already made the leap out of academia encouraged me to explore the world of MedComms. I haven’t looked back.

Continue reading →